History has proven the Festival to be a ruthless environment where only the toughest, most talented survive. This week will be no different. Some hotpots will enhance already lofty reputations while, for others, the bubble will burst. As ever, the challenge is what to trust and what to oppose, writes Darren Norris makes his picks.

It’s frightening to think the illegal presence of some animal in a market in the province of Hubei, in a city most of us had never previously heard of and few will ever visit could have such a profound and deadly impact on the world.

If a poll was taken on the best riders at Cheltenham over the past couple of decades, Davy Russell would surely be somewhere near the top of the list.

History awaits Gordon Elliott’s remarkable 10-year-old, who is due to complete his preparations at the Cheltenham Festival when he attempts to win there for a fifth time in all.

Seriously, is there any chance we could have a little break, after today, from two horses, Tiger Roll and Altior?

What did we really expect leaving Cheltenham last year? When we looked at all the results, how did we think, 12 months down the line, those winners would fair back at the Festival?

We’re three weeks and around four hours removed from the flag dropping to announce the commencement of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and Gordon Elliott, who will hope to win it with Abacadabras, is in top form.

Tiger Roll is preparing to bid for a fifth win at the Cheltenham Festival and third successive Grand National.

Tiger Roll will run in the Randox Health Grand National, provided all goes well at Navan this weekend and then at the Cheltenham Festival.

Official handicapper Martin Greenwood is looking forward to what he described as arguably the “highest-quality” Grand National in years after making Tiger Roll and stablemate Delta Work joint top-weight on 11st 10lb for the Aintree spectacular.

Tiger Roll is only "50-50" to run in the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree in April, where he would bid to emulate the great Red Rum with three victories over the famous fences.

Tiger Roll is on target to run in the Boyne Hurdle at Navan on February 16, after resuming full work following his setback.

Ruby Walsh and Pat Smullen were the stars at last night’s Horse Racing Ireland Awards, each receiving the Racing Hero Award.

Tiger Roll remains on course to bid for a historic third successive win in the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree despite a recent setback.

I’m blue in the face from mentioning it here on this paper.

The racing world was rocked yesterday after Michael O’Leary announced he will phase out his National Hunt team over the next five years.

If Giant’s Causeway was the iron horse of flat racing then it is no exaggeration to describe Un De Sceaux as the National Hunt equivalent.

It was the sweetest of farewells.

More than 2,000 people took to the streets of Youghal, Co Cork, last night to pay tribute to the town’s newest and greatest double act since Moby Dick and Ahab.

It’s a case of quantity over quality in Britain this afternoon with the bulk of the ITV4 action coming from Musselburgh, where the feature race is the Queen’s Cup Stakes.

I didn’t go to the Grand National on Saturday. I was working. But I heard it on the radio, which is the same thing really.

He is a few days down the track but Paddy Kennedy is still floating on air after guiding Magic Of Light to finish second in Aintree Grand National, on his first ever ride at the track.

Sometimes, appearances can be deceptive.

It was a case of bringing it all back home — again.

Irish racing's hero, Tiger Roll, has paraded in Summerhill in Meath after winning back-to-back Grand Nationals at Aintree yesterday.

Tiger Roll, trained by Gordon Elliott and ridden by Davy Russell, has won the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree for the second year in a row.

Tiger Roll has been called both a “little rat” by his owner Michael O’Leary, and “lion-hearted” by jockey Davy Russell — but the latter quality will be needed if he is to emulate the legendary Red Rum and win back-to-back Grand Nationals at Aintree today.

Gordon Elliott has confirmed riding plans for all 13 of his intended Randox Health Grand National runners.

Last year's winner Tiger Roll features among 69 horses left in Saturday's Randox Health Grand National at Aintree following the confirmation stage.

Any doubts surrounding Tiger Roll’s participation in the Aintree Grand National were allayed by his trainer Gordon Elliott yesterday, who also revealed that the gutsy nine-year-old may well be one of a number of his charges who could follow up in the Boylesports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse.

One of the principle reasons that National Hunt racing is more popular than the flat is that you build relationships with horses that can sustain for years and this was proved again and again this week.

The first victory of day two of this year’s Cheltenham Festival came early. Very early.

Was it a good day or a bad day at Cheltenham?

Oh, the up and downs, the highs and lows of national hunt racing. Yesterday had it all for me. It was amazing to win the first race on Klassical Dream and to watch Duc Des Genievres win the second – it was clear the horses were in great order.

With the rain that fell yesterday afternoon and all that is expected today, Sams Profile can reverse recent form over Battleoverdoyen when they renew rivalry in the Grade 1 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, the opening race on day two of the Cheltenham Festival.

Provided it gets the go-ahead, day two of Cheltenham will see two three-time heroes go in search of a fourth Festival success and it’ll rank as a massive surprise if Altior and Tiger Roll fail to oblige.

If you’re determined to win green this week, stick with this trio, says our top tipster Tommy Lyons

Tiger Roll is fast becoming one of the most popular racehorses in the land. While being bred for the flat and winning an Aintree Grand National is not unique – the last multiple victor of the Liverpool feature more than 40 years ago, Red Rum was a dead-heat winner on his debut over five furlongs – but the versatility and sheer breadth of achievement of the Gigginstown House Stud-owned and Gordon Elliott-trained nine-year-old takes some beating.

Last season's Randox Health Grand National hero Tiger Roll is set to lead a formidable team into battle for Gordon Elliott as the trainer eyes a third victory in the Aintree showpiece next spring.

Aside from Footpad’s crystal-clear claims in the Ryanair Novice Chase, today’s card looks quite difficult for punters.

Paul Nicholls believes Vicente has a “massive chance” of becoming the first horse in over a century to win three consecutive renewals of the Coral Scottish Grand National at Ayr today.