AS Phillip Hobbs dissected Planet Of Sound’s winning run, groups of journalists broke away from the huddle like chunks from an iceberg, drawn towards the warmer waters surrounding War Of Attrition.

GENERAL MILLER, a horse who has improved throughout the season, can round off the campaign in style by landing the Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle at the first stage of the Punchestown Festival this evening.

SINCE I began riding, I have never missed a Punchestown Festival through injury.

PAUL Nicholls has confirmed Denman on course for a tilt at the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup on Wednesday.

BARRY GERAGHTY has long been one of the very best National Hunt jockeys and he proved it again yesterday when giving the hugely impressive Big Zeb a magnificent ride to win the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Master Minded faces eight rivals as he bids to emulate Badsworth Boy with a third successive victory in Wednesday’s Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase.

LEADING Queen Mother Champion Chase hope Twist Magic is reported to be in rude health after enjoying a schooling session under big-race jockey Robert Thornton.

NEWBURY this afternoon is all about two horses, Master Minded and Denman.

I RIDE in all seven races at Cheltenham this afternoon and will certainly be disappointed if returning to Ireland tonight without a winner.

Twist Magic made amends for his defeat in the Victor Chandler Chase two years ago with a superb all-the-way win in the Ascot feature.

THE countdown to Cheltenham has really started now and it promises to be a revealing weekend, between Ascot and Haydock this afternoon and the two days at Leopardstown.

THE last three Saturdays have been terrific, with Kauto Star, Denman and Twist Magic, and the plan at Cheltenham today is to keep the run going.

FERDY Murphy has ruled Kalahari King out of the William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day.

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

Ferdy Murphy has ruled Kalahari King out of the William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton on St Stephen's Day.

Twist Magic made every yard of the running under Ruby Walsh to land the Keith Prowse Hospitality Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown.

NO Master Minded today, so I have to settle for Twist Magic in what looks a fascinating Tingle Creek at Sandown.

HARRY FINDLAY says Denman will win the Cheltenham Gold Cup ‘pulling a cart.’

NOEL Meade has confirmed that his brilliant hurdler Harchibald has run his last race.

Henry de Bromhead reports Sizing Europe to be fighting fit ahead of his bid to maintain an unbeaten record over fences in the inforthenight.ie Novices’ Chase at Leopardstown on December 26.

Dual Champion Chase winner Master Minded will miss out on a bid for a repeat win in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown on Saturday week as Paul Nicholls works to discover the reason for his hanging right-handed

On the day they were crowned champions of their profession again, Paul Nicholls and Tony McCoy landed the big two winners on the final day of the jumping season at Sandown.

I suppose it’s a bit like the calm before the storm at Sandown today, on the eve of Punchestown, but this is a very important meeting in its own right.

A run in the John Smith’s Grand National seems unlikely for Denman unless something goes wrong in his pursuit of back-to-back Cheltenham Gold Cups.

TIDAL BAY could prove to be the one that got away for Paul Nicholls, but the British champion trainer reckons the rising star will have to make a significant jump up the ladder if he is to trouble Master Minded or Kauto Star in the near future.

TWIST MAGIC, so disappointing at Cheltenham, came back to something approaching his best when landing the Kerrygold Champion Chase at Punchestown yesterday.

None other than the President of Ireland handed over the trophy to the connections of the big race on day one of the Punchestown 2008 National Hunt Racing festival.

Twist Magic and Natal have given Paul Nicholls a one-two in the Kerrygold Champion Chase.

This year's five day Punchestown Festival gets underway at the Co Kildare racecourse later today.

CHELTENHAM hero Fiveforthree is the nap choice in the vcbet.com Champion Novice Hurdle, one of three Grade 1’s on the programme at the opening stage of the Punchestown Festival this afternoon.

Paul Nicholls is hoping the faster surface at Punchestown will enable Twist Magic to return to his best in the Kerrygold Champion Chase on the opening day of the Festival meeting.

STUNNING Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Master Minded could run at the forthcoming Punchestown Festival.

Beaten Arkle favourite Noland could have his final race of the season at Ayr’s Spring meeting.

Not content with saddling the two favourites for the Gold Cup later in the week, Paul Nicholls is in the enviable position of having two live chances in the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase.

JAMIE SPENCER may be a double champion Flat jockey, but the meeting he looks forward to watching the most is the Cheltenham Festival.

There is no-one better qualified to assess this season’s Champion Chase than Guillaume Macaire.

Connections of Master Minded were understandably delighted after their emerging star jumped to prominence for the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase with victory on Saturday.

KICKING King is more likely to continue on the comeback trail in the Red Mills Chase at Gowran on February 16 than in the Irish Hennessy next weekend.

Twist Magic floundered in the testing ground and suffered a shock reverse at the hands of front-running Tamarinbleu in the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot.

PAUL Nicholls has red-hot favourite Twist Magic “in seriously good order” for the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot today.

Paul Nicholls has red-hot favourite Twist Magic “in seriously good order” for the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot tomorrow.

TWIST MAGIC heads 15 entries for the Grade One Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot on January 19.

Twist Magic heads 15 entries for the Grade One Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot on January 19.

Voy Por Ustedes registered back-to-back victories in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton.