Yesterday provided a well-deserved moment of joy in a year of heartache for trainer Mouse Morris as Rogue Angel fought back tenaciously to edge out Urano in a thrilling finish in the Kerry Grand National.

Fresh from his Galway Hurdle exploits, trainer Tony Martin dominated day five at the Galway Festival, recording a near 144-1 treble with Vive La France, Tudor City and Dark Crusader.

Unbeaten in three outings this season, Kitten Rock should book his ticket to the Stan James Champion Hurdle by landing the Grade 2 Red Mills Trial Hurdle in Gowran Park today. 

Venitien de Mai, a long way removed from being the fastest horse in training, is fancied to grind it out and land the INH Stallion Owners’ EBF Maiden Hurdle at Thurles this afternoon.

There’s a real hint of the Christmas blues about Irish racing this weekend, with small fields essentially the order of the day at both Cork this afternoon and Naas tomorrow.

What a great day to be on the couch, with the Grand National from Aintree and Heineken Cup rugby on the box! But, you know what, I’d give anything to be at Aintree, in the thick of the action.

Rupert Lamb, who owes plenty of punters a pay day, can get it right in the Boylesports’ Rated Chase at Thurles this afternoon.

Bryan Cooper got off to a flyer as the new first jockey to Gigginstown House Stud when guiding Gordon Elliott’s Toner D’Oudairies to victory in the Racecourse Supporters’ Club Chase at Thurles yesterday.

The handicapper’s ratings say he can’t win, but Rupert Lamb nevertheless gets the nap in the Listed Racecourse Supporters’ Club Chase at Thurles this afternoon.

Thursday will be the first St Stephen’s Day I have spent riding in this country since 2001.

Un De Sceaux, going off at odds of 1-16, dismissed his two rivals with the minimum of fuss in the Horse And Jockey Hotel Hurdle at Thurles yesterday.

It really is slim pickings for me this weekend and, with the exception of Un de Sceaux at Thurles tomorrow, I’m certainly going to struggle to get among the winners.

The talented Bryan Copper gave the hitherto enigmatic Giantofaman a superb drive to land the Munster Maiden Hurdle at Thurles yesterday.

Urano, second three times in-a-row, gets the nap in the J J Delaney And Kilkenny Vintners’ Maiden Hurdle at Gowran Park this evening.

Racing has continued to be severely affected by the weather and tomorrow’s meeting at Naas is touch and go, but we’re getting plenty excitement today with four Grade 1s at Leopardstown. I don’t have a runner in any of them but am looking forward to them nonetheless.

Mad Brian gets the nap to beat Defy Logic in the Great Value Corporate Hospitality @ Fairyhouse Maiden Hurdle at the Meath track this afternoon, should the meeting survive an 8am inspection.

Willie Mullins is currently dominating Irish National Hunt racing in a manner not seen since the days of the late Tom Dreaper.

Willie Mullins’ French recruit, Pont Alexandere, who looked a bit special when scoring on his Irish debut at Navan, was even more impressive in the Grade 2 Synergy Security Solutions Novice Hurdle.

A week ago I said here that the only way Sanctuaire could beat Sprinter Sacre in the Victor Chandler at Ascot, which was postponed and subsequently rescheduled to Cheltenham this afternoon, was if Nicky Henderson’s headman forgot to load their horse into the box.

It was very sad to lose Jenari after breaking his leg on Tuesday when doing a bit of a breeze ahead of an intended engagement in Leopardstown today.

Not too many jockeys have the capacity to divide opinion like Sam Waley-Cohen.