It is interesting to contrast the influence last year’s Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown had on Cheltenham, compared to this year’s renewal.

On a card that offers little cause for optimism at Cheltenham this afternoon, Faugheen is fancied to turn back the clock and land the Sun Racing Stayers’ Hurdle.

Five simple words summed it up.

The day starts well. (Spoiler alert: it will not continue in this vein.)

From Arkle v Mill House to Kauto Star v Denman to Native River v Might Bite, the Cheltenham Festival has produced some epic duels down the years. It’ll be no different this week and the three showdowns below certainly won’t be for the faint-hearted, says Darren Norris

At the 11th hour we switched Klassical Dream back to the Supreme and he’ll be my first ride of the 2019 Cheltenham Festival. We had contemplated going up in trip with him after his win at the Dublin Racing Festival in Leopardstown but with the ground slowing and looking at the opposition – Felix Desjy will more than likely make it a strongly-run race – we thought this would be the right race for him.

It has been another incredible week for Willie and for him to become the leading trainer in Cheltenham Festival history is nothing short of remarkable, writes Ruby Walsh. But it’s no surprise to me, he is a genius.

Fifty years ago Irish jockey Frankie Shortt sat aboard Aussie at the start of the Aintree Grand National. Little could have prepared him for the next eight minutes and one of the most amazing runnings of the world’s most famous steeplechase.

It will be a surprise should the somewhat draconian penalties be allowed to stand, writes Pat Keane.

Yesterday was a day of near misses, but the horses ran well. I couldn’t have asked more of Melon, who just ran into a better one in the Supreme. 

Hotpot needs to be tested to prove his greatness.

A potential mouthwatering clash between Identity Thief and Altior is a possibility in Sunday’s Racing Post Arkle Trophy Trial at Cheltenham.

When Willie McCreery saddled a double at the Curragh last Saturday it was further evidence that here is a trainer who is rapidly going places.

Let the madness of Grand National Day begin. Unfortunately for me, after my fall from Blood Cotil in the Topham I sustained a wrist injury and won’t be involved in the way I had hoped.

Owner Graham Wylie is looking forward to seeing Nichols Canyon step back up in trip in next month’s Doom Bar Aintree Hurdle.

For most people lucky enough to have a birthday coinciding with the Cheltenham Festival a pair of tickets to the meeting is a valued present — but Colm O’Connell might just enjoy the best celebration of all, a Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase win for Un De Sceaux.

Neil King has all but ruled Lil Rockerfeller out of appearing in the Coral Cup after stressing the weight he would have to carry would leave him with an almost impossible task.

With the Cheltenham Festival now just a fortnight away, Willie Mullins talks through some of his formidable team for the showpiece meeting.

Quite extraordinary trainer poised to repeat last year’s feat

The JLT just got a whole lot more competitive. That was the consensus after Douvan, the horse which trainer Willie Mullins describes as ‘a different species’, gave an exhibition of jumping when routing two smart rivals in the Frank Ward Solicitors Irish Arkle.

The programme for the Cheltenham Festival is such, the first two days are those which will seal the fate of almost every punter, dictating whether or not it will be a profitable week.

Our expert racing columnist Ruby Walsh picks his 10 horses to watch for 2016.

Un De Sceaux, last season’s top novice, heads a list of 10 entries for the Betfair Tingle Creek Chase on Saturday but won’t face a showdown with Sprinter Sacre at Sandown after Nicky Henderson withdrew the nine-year-old from the race.

For two whole years, the hard times never seemed to leave Steve Hansen alone – none harder than a wintry weekend in Dublin 13 years ago.

Easter Monday 2016. Somewhere in County Meath. The traffic all the way up to Fairyhouse is brutal. It’s not surprising really.

It’s five years since trainer Enda Bolger last saddled the winner of the La Touche Cup but Quantitativeeasing can right that particular wrong in this afternoon’s renewal at Punchestown.

There were so many good performances at Cheltenham this week it is hard to know where to start.

Henry De Bromhead may have finished third in the day’s feature race, but the trainer’s first point of order when the 10 runners in the Queen Mother Champion Chase returned was to make for the losers’ area.

Right, you know the score. I’ve studied the formbook. I’ve topped up my online accounts, says Enda McEvoy.

Rich Ricci was no stranger to the winner’s podium in Cheltenham before Douvan and Faugheen earned him two returns to the most sought-after patch of real estate in Prestbury Park yesterday afternoon.