I HAVE had it in my head for a long time that The Midnight Club could be an ideal Grand National candidate and am obviously very much looking forward to riding him at Aintree this afternoon.

LITTLE more than three weeks before the Cheltenham festival, champion trainer Willie Mullins was in tremendous form again at Naas yesterday, following his recent ‘nap hand’ at Punchestown with a four-timer.

ROBERTO Goldback can continue the terrific run currently being enjoyed by Jessica Harrington and Robert Power by landing the Grade 2 Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park this afternoon.

I RATE Paul Nicholls’ The Minack the bet of the day in the Reynoldstown Chase at Ascot this afternoon.

LEOPARDSTOWN tomorrow houses four terrific Grade 1 contests, headed by the Hennessy Gold Cup, but first things first and Naas this afternoon.

ANYONE who knows me will be well aware that sitting on the fence is not in my nature, but it is precisely what I intend to do as far as tomorrow’s Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown is concerned.

IRISH racing may have its share of problems at the moment, but one of the more positive stories has to be the growing success of Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud.

MISTER CARTER is fancied to land the Grade 3 Juvenile Hurdle at Punchestown this afternoon, should the meeting pass a 7.30am inspection.

FEW sportsmen are tougher than jump jockeys. And David Casey proved the point emphatically when scoring on Boulavogue in the Ballybin Hurdle at Fairyhouse yesterday.

LAST September the villages of Ginchy and Guillemont in the Somme region of France joined to commemorate the courageous efforts and grievous losses suffered by the 16th Irish Division to liberate both villages from German occupation in September 1916.