It’s not a great weekend to be missing, with some really good racing and even now, I’m guessing at where I’d be riding today if I was fit. But now I don’t have to make a decision, I’m not going to even try to make a call.

Dessie Hughes believes Tranquil Sea will prove to be the main rival to Schindlers Hunt in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.

Joncol was a high-profile withdrawal from the Ryanair Chase at the latest forfeit stage.

IT may be the height of folly to nap a horse who finished a remote seventh of seven finishers last time, but that’s precisely what we are going to do with J’y Vole in the Grade 2 Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park this afternoon.

DUAL winner Master Minded heads 24 entries for the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Sam Thomas stepped off the substitutes’ bench to score aboard Alex Ferguson’s What A Friend in the rescheduled Lexus Chase at Leopardstown yesterday.

COOLDINE is the hopeful choice to land a wide open Grade 1 Lexus Chase at Leopardstown this afternoon, should the meeeting survive a 7.30am inspection due to the forecast of heavy frost overnight.

Connections of Voy Por Ustedes are hoping conditions will not be too testing for the former champion two-miler in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown tomorrow.

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

Edward O’Grady, the leading Irish trainer at the Cheltenham Festival, stamped his mark on the track four months earlier than usual as Tranquil Sea ended Ireland’s barren stretch in the Paddy Power Gold Cup.

Dessie Hughes is looking forward to next season with Siegemaster, who signed off for the campaign at Aintree on Friday.

Voy Por Ustedes retained his John Smith’s Melling Chase crown at Aintree after a thrilling duel with Schindlers Hunt.

Zaynar confirmed form with Walkon as he presented jockey Barry Geraghty and trainer Nicky Henderson with another high-profile success in the JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.

A future challenge for the Cheltenham Gold Cup and maybe even a tilt at this year’s Grand National await Imperial Commander, a game winner of the Ryanair Chase on Thursday.

PADDY BRENNAN gave Imperial Commander a magnificent drive to land the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham yesterday.

KASBAH BLISS is the nap choice to strike a blow for France in the Ladbrokes’ World Hurdle at Cheltenham this afternoon.

ALAN King believes he has Voy Por Ustedes in A1 condition as his chaser bids to win three different races at the Cheltenham Festival.

Voy Por Ustedes is reported to be in tip-top shape as he bids to win a third different race at the Cheltenham Festival.

Alan King donned his wellington boots on Sunday morning to walk the track at Cheltenham and was pleased with the ground conditions.

THE defection of both Exotic Dancer and Air Force One from tomorrow’s Hennessy at Leopardstown obviously makes the task of Neptune Collonges decidedly easier than a week ago.

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.

Last year’s winner Our Vic is among a 48-strong entry for the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham on March 12.

OKAY, the dust has settled and all the Christmas racing and early New Year stuff is now firmly behind us - so what have we learned?

KAUTO Star silenced his doubters with a truly stunning display to land his third consecutive Stan James King George VI Chase at Kempton yesterday.

Kauto Star secured a magnificent third consecutive victory in the Stan James King George VI Chase at Kempton.

Kauto Star secured a magnificent third consecutive Stan James King George VI Chase at Kempton.

KNOWHERE put himself on target for a crack at the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup by claiming the scalps of Exotic Dancer and Voy Por Ustedes in a spectacular renewal of the intercasino.co.uk Old Roan Chase at Aintree yesterday.

Star De Mohaison may return to action over hurdles at Haydock at the Betfair Chase meeting on November 22.

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 believes Master Minded is “in the form of his life” ahead of an intended appearance at Aintree on Friday.

THIS is a Cheltenham which, unfortunately, looks set to emphasise the dearth of talent among our Irish chasers.

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.

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.

MIKO DE BEAUCHENE gave his trainer Robert Alner the best possible compensation for a Christmas spent in hospital as he grabbed the Coral Welsh National in the final strides.

Twist Magic (5-1) ran out an impressive winner of the paddypower.com Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown.

Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Voy Por Ustedes heads a high-class field of eight for the paddypower.com Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown on Saturday.

PAUL Nicholls has put Kauto Star on stand-by for the paddypower.com Tingle Creek Chase in case the ground is testing at Sandown on Saturday.

Queen Mother Champion Chase hero Voy Por Ustedes warmed up for loftier targets later in the season when narrowly failing to give lumps of weight away in the paddypower.com Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.

Ruby Walsh is confident he can waste down to close to the minimum weight in order to give Granit Jack his optimum chance in Saturday's Paddy Power Gold Cup.

NEWMILL, so impressive in the race a year ago, is fancied to get back on the winning trail in the Kerrygold Champion Chase at the first stage of the Punchestown Festival this afternoon.

River City is to have a busy April as trainer Noel Chance plans a rapid big-race double-header with his star two-miler.

WE can dress it up anyway we want, but one has to conclude this was a desperately disappointing Cheltenham for Irish horses.

NEWLY-CROWNED Queen Mother Champion Chase hero Voy Por Ustedes is likely to have run his last race this season.