Grand National-winning rider Jason Maguire appears set to miss this year’s renewal of the Aintree spectacular on April 11.

Salsify, the 2013 Foxhunter Chase winner, could be in line for a popular return to Cheltenham in March.

Connections of Salsify hope to have the top hunter chaser back on the racecourse at the end of the year.

All of Willie Mullins’ big guns are waiting in the wings for Cheltenham, but it makes no difference to a trainer who simply has a wealth of talent at his disposal.

The Hennessy meeting at Leopardstown is a great starting point for anyone attempting to identify possible Cheltenham festival winners.

Dual Cheltenham Foxhunter winner Salsify may run in a handicap chase once he returns from the injury that has ruled him out of his hat-trick bid at next month’s Festival.

Quel Esprit, Willie Mullins’ 2012 Irish Hennessy winner, will run in a hunter chase at Leopardstown on February 9 but the grey is not eligible for the CGA Foxhunter Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

The Crawford brothers, Stuart and Stephen, struck on the double with Man With Van and debutante Twentrtytwo’s Taken in Down Royal yesterday.

Old rivals Salsify and Tammys Hill will do battle again in the Albert Bartlett Hunters Chase at Down Royal on Thursday.

Rodger Sweeney is hopeful both Fiery Oscar and Shamiran can make their presence felt in the Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle (3.45) at Galway.

Mossey Joe is all set to line up in the www.thetote.com Galway Plate as long as the ground is not testing.

Jim Bolger admits it is “more than likely” his 2000 Guineas hero Dawn Approach will be allowed to take his chance in the Investec Derby at Epsom next month.

Hurricane Fly is impossible to oppose, as he seeks four in-a-row in the Grade 1 Rabobank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown tonight.

Foildubh, owned and trained by John Ryan, made his breakthrough when turning over uneasy odds-on favourite Days Hotel in the Grade 2 Normans Grove Chase in Fairyhouse yesterday.

An 83-year-old punter who has “religiously followed’’ Irish Examiner racing correspondent Pat Keane’s tips for years has been rewarded with a €17,400 windfall.

What another fantastic day of racing at Cheltenham, bringing to an end another magnificent festival.

Bookmakers were battered on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival as punters piled into another feature-race winner.

Your heart had to go out to Jane Mangan, after she had victory dragged from her grasp in the Foxhunters yesterday.

THE Diary is used to screaming girls as he walks through the streets (ahem), but even this correspondent knew something was up as a posse of women shrieked uncontrollably as he walked past the Arkle bar.

Colman Sweeney received the ideal boost ahead of partnering Salsify in the Cheltenham Foxhunters in a little under two weeks time by steering Garrett Ahern’s newcomer Now Ben to a hugely-impressive success in the first division of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden at yesterday’s West Waterford Foxhounds point-to-point meeting at Lismore.

There were plenty willing to knock Sir Des Champs as a possible Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, following his hard-earned defeat of Flemenstar in the Hennessy at Leopardstown a week ago, but here's one who continues to believe he has a massive chance next month.

Willie Mullins is currently dominating Irish National Hunt racing in a manner not seen since the days of the late Tom Dreaper.

Tammys Hill remains firmly on course for the Foxhunters Tammys Hill remains firmly on course for the Foxhunters at Cheltenham, having confirmed his superiority over last year’s winner Salsify in the Dark Horse Café & Wine Bar Hunters Chase in Down Royal yesterday.

Aidan O’Brien has reported Camelot to be fully recovered from his colic scare, declaring that the triple Classic winner has developed physically during the off-season and will campaign primarily from eight to ten furlongs in 2013.

Venture Capital, which created a big impression on his debut Fairyhouse a year ago before flopping in the Grade 1 bumper at the Punchestown Festival, made a winning start to his hurdling career in the opening Mount Leinster Maiden Hurdle at Wexford yesterday.

Just like 39 of my colleagues, I am very much looking forward to the Grand National at Aintree today.

Bob Lingo continued the tremendous run of owner JP McManus when bagging the €75,000 Dan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase on the final day of the Easter Festival at Fairyhouse.

Shop Dj, on her return to fences, is the nap choice in the John Fowler Memorial EBF Mares’ Chase at Fairyhouse this evening.

The first four home from Cheltenham’s Queen Mother Champion Chase are all entered in what promises to be a memorable renewal of the Boylesports.com Champion Chase at Punchestown on April 24.

Many of those present at yesterday’s well-attended Lismore point-to-point left adamant they had witnessed a future superstar when Paul Cashman’s Present View destroyed the opposition in the second division of the Four-Year-Old Geldings’ Maiden.

The talented Colman Sweeney gave Salsify as good a drive as you could wish to see to land the Christie’s Foxhunter Chase.

Another outstanding Cheltenham came to an end yesterday and while we didn’t get the result we were hoping for, there were plenty of feelgood stories regardless.

Operating from home today, I’m reminded of the time the women down the road called over and explained that a bookies was opening up in the estate.

Today's Cheltenham horse racing tips.

THERE are two noticeable powerhouses dominating Irish racing this season - Willie Mullins and Michael O'Leary's Gigginstown House Stud.

If getting a few quid backing Quel Esprit in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown last Sunday then how good a race it actually was will not, understandably, have been of the slightest importance to you.

Ireland is crying out for a genuine Cheltenham Gold Cup candidate and in the Philip Fenton-trained Last Instalment we may just have found one.

MERCHANT ROYAL is a token nap choice in the Kedrah House Stud Well Chosen Novice Hunters Chase, on what looks a difficult card for punters at Tipperary tonight.

TRAINING honours on the final day of a successful Fairyhouse Easter Festival (crowds were up 20% over the three days) yesterday went to Willie Mullins, who completed a double in graded hurdles with Twinlight and Lambro.

THE 2010/11 point-to-point season came well and truly alive at yesterday’s well-attended Lisgoold meeting, which was staged on a new left-handed course at Leadington.

Check out our tips from today’s horse races across Ireland and the UK.