WHEN Howard Johnson retired from training in England his principal patrons, Graham and Andrea Wylie, decided to send a batch of horses to Willie Mullins.

THE talented Michael Winters trained Rebel Fitz lit up Cork yesterday with a fine display of front-running to land the INH Stallion Owners’ EBF Novice Hurdle.

REBEL FITZ, beaten into second in controversial circumstances at Listowel in June, made no mistake in the corkracecourse.ie Maiden Hurdle at Cork yesterday.

BACHELOR Affair made all under Tommy Treacy to record a popular local success in the featured Jack Duggan Memorial Handicap Hurdle at Gowran Park yesterday.

HOW MANY times have I written about the ups and downs of this game? It’s a cliché of course but like most clichés it is based on truth.

ADRIAN MAGUIRE jumped about six feet into the air at Limerick yesterday, after his Golden Kite had beaten Fisher Bridge a short head in the ladbrokes.com Munster National.

RUBY’S back!

TRAINER John Hanlon isn’t called the shark for nothing and at Tramore yesterday his heavily-backed Bandama scorched away with the Tote Go Racing Maiden Hurdle for amateur riders.

THE Grade 1 Paddy Power Champion Bumper produced a particularly smart winner in Dermot Weld’s four-year-old, Hidden Universe, writes Pat Keane

EDWARD O’GRADY ran two in the Metal Man Novice Hurdle at Tamore yesterday and they totally dominated the finish.

WILLIE Mullins and Ruby Walsh shared a double with Scholar’s Mate and Our Monty in the two handicap hurdles at Punchestown yesterday.

ANOTHER page in the remarkable history of the Mullins racing dynasty was written at Clonmel last night when Bachelor Affair provided Gerard Mullins with his first training success.

JESSICA HARRINGTON stole the show at Down Royal yesterday, saddling the first treble of her career, from just three runners, and made it an across-the-card four-timer with No One Tells Me at Wexford.

TYRONE trainer Lee Smyth, who only took out a licence on March 1, enjoyed his first success when Tipper Road won the September Handicap at Clonmel last night.

WILLIE MULLINS’ Jayo, who has threatened to win a decent prize for a while, put it all together when cruising to victory in the Easter Handicap Hurdle at Cork yesterday.

Mr Aussie was eventually named the winner of the Newtown Handicap Chase amid farcical scenes at Tramore.

Essex came with a telling late run to deny Star Wood an all-the-way success in the Kevin McManus Bookmaker Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary.

GIANT EAGLE, down in class following respectable efforts at Punchestown and the Curragh, duly did the business in the Bumper at Cork yesterday.

THE progressive Chomba Womba dug deep to land the Dawn Omega EBF Mares Novice Hurdle at Limerick yesterday.

Laetitia made an impressive debut over fences with a faultless performance in the Bank Of Ireland EBF Mares Novice Chase at Limerick.

JESSICA Harrington’s Mercuric was the business in the ring for the opening Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Beginners Chase at Thurles yesterday, finding 9-4 favourite from 3-1.

JESSICA Harrington's Hide The Evidence completed a hat-trick with a fine front-running display in the INH Stallion Owners' EBF Novice Hurdle at Cork yesterday.

DAVY FITZGERALD, who trains just ten miles away at Askeaton, enjoyed the biggest success of his career when Pearly Jack landed the Munster National Handicap Chase at Limerick yesterday.

DUNDRUM, Co Tipperary trainer, Mick Murphy, enjoyed his biggest success to date when Jubilant Note stormed away with the Listowel Races Supporters' Club Lartigue Handicap Hurdle at the Kerry track yesterday.

DAVY RUSSELL, riding out of his skin, gave Portant Fella a typically confident drive to win the www.tramore-racecourse.com Hurdle at a packed Waterford track yesterday.

“HE'S an amazing horse”, exclaimed Gerry Cully, after Markason had taken the Sunnybank Hotel Handicap Chase at Tramore last night before a huge attendance of 6,500.

CONNA CASTLE rounded off an excellent campaign with a smooth success in the Laurels Bar Hurdle at Killarney last night.

BROGELLA, who failed to come into foal and was returned to the racetrack when scoring at Punchestown recently, landed the featured Murphy's Irish Stout Handicap Hurdle at Killarney yesterday.

VETERAN chaser Mr Flowers ended his career in a blaze of glory when landing the €25,000 Daily Mirror Handicap Chase at Down Royal yesterday.

THREE days after his Grade 1 success on The Railway Man at Leopardstown, Davy Russell was back among the winners at Fairyhouse yesterday, bringing his total for the season to 60 with an easy win on Fools Rush In in the Advanced Hospitality Bookings Maiden Hurdle.

JESSICA Harrington, whose Pierse Hurdle winner Studmaster will by-pass Saturday's totesport Trophy at Newbury in favour of an engagement at Leopardstown on Sunday, continued her revival when Mercuric triumphed at Down Royal yesterday.

CHARLIE SWAN, considering having no runners at Christmas after a few of his inmates had performed below expectations of late, changed his mind when What A Native defied top weight in the Molony Cup Handicap Chase at Thurles yesterday.

Trainer Ned Mitchell has one eye firmly focused on the John Smith’s Grand National next April after Garvivonnian proved his mettle over the Aintree fences in the totesport Becher Chase.

ONE COOL COOKIE, a strong order morning prices and from 4-6 to 1-2 on track, duly did the business in the first section of the Fillet Beef-Medium Rare Maiden Hurdle at Limerick yesterday.

NOEL MEADE'S Ballyagran, despite some indifferent jumping, made a fine debut over flights when taking the INH Stallion Owners' EBF Novice Hurdle at Cork yesterday.

TRAINER Tom Taaffe and jockey Davy Russell, who will have their attention focussed on today’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, were both on the mark in yesterday’s St. Patrick’s Day action at Wexford.

PAUL CARBERRY, in second spot behind Ruby Walsh in the jockeys’ championship, began his afternoon at Thurles yesterday with a smooth success aboard The Screamer in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Beginners Chase, a contest run for the most part in thick fog.

“HE’S not where he is for nothing”, exclaimed trainer Eoin Griffin of Ruby Walsh, after he had just watched the pilot drive his Mirpour to a narrow victory in the John F McGuire Beginners Chase at Listowel yesterday.

NATIVE SCOUT, fourth behind Isio and Azertyuiop in the recent Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot, returned to winning form when justifying favouritism in the Grade 3 Byrne Group Plc Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown yesterday.

CELESTIAL LIGHT, backed from some 6-4 to 9-10, landed the wagers with an extraordinary final flourish in the Graun Hill Mares Maiden Hurdle at Tramore yesterday.

MARK GRANT is in virtually unstoppable form at present and the Co Tipperary-born jockey brought his tally for the Limerick Christmas festival to five by partnering a double at the popular Greenmount venue yesterday.

DESSIE HUGHES saddled his first winner since the death of stable jockey Kieran Kelly when Tipp Top took the WLR FM Maiden Hurdle at Tramore last night.