It’s Gold Cup day in Punchestown and while I don’t know if we’ll have the race we had last year, with Sizing John, Djakadam and Coneygree providing a brilliant spectacle, it’s still a great race.

Colm Greaves predicts what Cheltenham will throw up today

Last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Sizing John, may not be here to defend his crown but trainer Jessica Harrington has an able deputy in the shape of Our Duke, who can land racing’s blue riband on the final day of another very successful Festival for Irish-trained runners.

Bonnie Tyler was willing to hold out for a hero ’til the end of the night, but the wait has been a bit longer here at Cheltenham.

"It is with a heavy heart I have to report that Sizing John will miss the Cheltenham Gold Cup."

"If it was all plain sailing it would be much too easy!"

Jessica Harrington has certainly stood the test of time, writes Pat Keane.

Last year's winner Sizing John and ante-post favourite Might Bite feature among 38 entries for the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup.

This afternoon's National Hunt meeting at Leopardstown has passed a course inspection and goes ahead as planned.

Kate Harrington, 27, is assistant trainer to her mother Jessica, who will have a strong team, headed by Gold Cup hero Sizing John, operating over the festive period. Kate is also a prolific winner as a jockey herself

I don’t think it is any great exaggeration to describe Willie Mullins’ Djakadam as having developed into something of a professional loser.

"I started training at 42 with a six-month-old child, so it was total madness!"

Last March Ireland won an extraordinary, and unprecedented, 19 races at the Cheltenham festival.

There’s a top and a bottom in every sport, and to suggest the top is killing the bottom in jump racing is, in my opinion, off the mark, writes Ruby Walsh.

Fox Norton followed up his Aintree success by taking the scalp of Un De Sceaux in the BoyleSports Champion Chase at Punchestown.

The Irish Grand National had been in decline for a number of years, but one’s faith in Ireland’s premier National Hunt race was renewed by a scintillating display from Our Duke at Fairyhouse on Monday.

Irish Grand National-winning jockey Robbie Power says that horse racing’s updated Non-Trier rule means that jockeys will be riding for punters and stewards rather than horses and their connections, and admits that riders will have to be harder than they would like and risk the futures of young horses, to avoid falling foul of the regulation.

With maiden victories in the Irish Gold Cup and Cheltenham Gold Cup already safely tucked away, a remarkable season of firsts continued for Commonstown trainer Jessica Harrington and jockey Robbie Power, as Our Duke belied his inexperience to win the Boylesports Irish Grand National, and, make no mistake, did so in the style of a future Cheltenham Gold Cup horse.

Sizing John was Moone, Co Kildare trainer Jessica Harrington’s first runner in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and last week he duly landed the biggest prize of the jumping calendar, writes Joe Finnegan.

Sizing John gave Irish trainer Jessica Harrington her first victory in the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup with her first runner when coming home a clear-cut winner of jumping's blue riband prize.

We’re delighted with the way Djakadam has been working recently, and think he is in great order, writes Ruby Walsh.

Robbie Power is confident the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup trip is within Sizing John’s compass.

Two of our racing gurus debate whether or not Sizing John is on for glory at this year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Tommy Lyons takes a look at the recent victory of Sizing John and the opportunities that lie ahead.

Willie Mullins hailed Douvan as "potentially the best horse we've had" after the brilliant six-year-old won his 13th race on the bounce in the Paddy Power Cashcard Chase at Leopardstown.

All attempts to temper enthusiasm and curb expectation were lost in just two words: “just spectacular.”

The Crabbie’s Grand National meeting could start with a bang as the imperious Douvan is among 18 entries in the Merseryrail Manifesto Novices’ Chase next Thursday.

Won 10 times by the Irish since the turn of the century, the raiding party is headed by the highly regarded Min. 

Nicky Henderson can upset Willie Mullins’ bid for a fourth consecutive victory in the Supreme Novices Hurdle, by taking the Festival opener with Buveur D’Air.

Quite extraordinary trainer poised to repeat last year’s feat