I GENERALLY go on a skiing holiday at this time of the year, when the racing scene is quite enough and so this column is coming to you from Megeve in France.

IT was an up and down week of racing for us. It was great to get back among the winners again after six or seven weeks and just draw a line under that.

Colm Murphy believes everything is right for Big Zeb as he goes in search of his third victory in the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown.

VERY little will change for us on Christmas Day given the chaotic week that is ahead. All the horses will be exercised as normal with racing coming up in Leopardstown, Down Royal and Limerick.

Robbie Power looks set to maintain his partnership with Big Zeb when the former champion goes for a second straight victory in the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown on December 27.

THE Christmas festival at Leopardstown was launched on Tuesday and it really is an event you look forward to.

I HAVE had some very enjoyable trips to England with my horses over the years and Sandown has been especially kind, with Moscow Flyer doing the business in the Tingle Creek Chase two years in a row.

THE Morgiana Hurdle has cut up quite a bit which is a pity. It’s a real trappy race and I’m not quite sure what is going to make the running which is a bit of a worry as Oscars Well would like a proper pace.

THAT was mission accomplished at Cheltenham yesterday for Steps To Freedom and I was delighted. He took the journey no problem, travelled well during the race, jumped super and did the job on his first experience of a unique track even though the ground was softer than you’d think.

THE tempo of the national hunt season is really picking up for me this weekend as we say goodbye to a successful flat campaign.

THE IRISH flat season doesn’t come to an end until tomorrow week but with Bostons Angel, Oscars Well and Saludos all making their seasonal reappearances at Down Royal, it’s probably best to look back at what has thankfully been another very successful campaign for me.

YOU can say you’re into the national hunt season proper when you get to October, although it looks like Down Royal at the beginning of November will be when Bostons Angel, Oscars Well and Saludos will make their seasonal reappearances.

THE programme at Navan today should carry a government health warning, with massive fields and only two races which can be approached with some optimism.

CHELTENHAM seems a bit of a faint memory now and I’m well down from cloud nine after Bostons Angel’s brilliant success in the RSA Chase.

Oscars Well is likely to head up a strong team for trainer Jessica Harrington at the Cheltenham Festival.

COLM Murphy completed a fine Grade 2 double with Voler La Vedette and Quito De La Roque at Navan yesterday.

Lios A Choill provided Willie Mullins with a family success in the Marge Brown Memorial Maiden Hurdle at Navan.

It’s funny how things have worked out with the delay of a week’s racing due to the heavy rain.

I didn’t get to see Roberto Goldback just getting chinned on the line in the Kinloch Brae in Thurles on Thursday as I was skiing at the time and it’s probably just as well because from what I heard, he was terribly unlucky.

WILLIE MULLINS has left both Flat Out and Quel Esprit in Sunday’s Frank Ward Solicitors Arkle Novice Chase at Leopardstown on Sunday – but stable companion Mikael D’Haguenet is a notable absentee.

We’re coming off a great week’s work at last and it’s brilliant to be able to say that after the period we’ve had with the weather.

We’ve had a bit of an up and down week — highlighted by the contrasting fortunes of Bostons Angel in the Grade 1 Fort Leney Novices’ Chase and Saludos in the Grade 1 Bord Na Mona With Nature Novice Chase at Leopardstown earlier in the week.

Mikael D'Haguenet was a big disappointment as Realt Dubh came out on top in a dramatic race for the Bord na Mona With Nature Novice Chase at Leopardstown today.

THE classy Alaivan should make a winning return to action in the featured Fishery Lane Hurdle at Naas today.

THE Irish Bookmakers’ Association got it all wrong having a go at Horse Racing Ireland during the week, complaining about an increase in expenditure over the course of 10 years.

YESTERDAY’S journey north to Down Royal was certainly worthwhile and any day you have a treble is a very good one.

A SUCCESSFUL chasing debut for 148-rated hurdler Noble Prince proved the highlight of doubles for trainer Paul Nolan and bang-in-form Paul Carberry at Punchestown yesterday.

PHILIP Fenton plans to walk the track before committing Dunguib to the Deloitte Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday.

THE public relations merchants for the ante-post firms have been on overdrive this week, letting us know about the sustained gamble on Cooldine for Sunday’s Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown.

Big Zeb’s Champion Chase aspirations were realigned courtesy of a highly impressive performance at Punchestown.

THE progressive Saludos can land the Grade 2 Festival Party Pack Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown tomorrow.

I’D imagine Tom Cooper returned from Sandown last Saturday a reasonably happy man.

QUINOLA Des Obeaux is the nap choice to land the Kilberry Novice Hurdle at Navan this afternoon.

ARABELLA Boy proved the star of yesterday’s action at Fairyhouse, the Enda Bolger-trained four-year-old justifying odds-on favouritism in the INH Stallion Owners Novice Hurdle.