A cracking renewal of the Grade One Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown on St Stephen’s Day is in prospect.

THE big attraction at Gowran Park this afternoon (where there is a 7.30am inspection due to persistent rain yesterday) is Sizing Europe, who makes his seasonal debut in the Grade 2 PricewaterhouseCoopers Champion Chase.

What A Friend suffered an unexpected defeat at the hands of his stable companion Noland in the Aon Chase at Newbury today.

COLM Murphy would still not swap Big Zeb “for anything else” as his stable star builds towards going for back-to-back victories in the sportingbet.com Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham next month.

Colm Murphy’s Big Zeb reaffirmed his position as the best two-mile chaser in Ireland with success in the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown.

I’M at Cheltenham today for Channel 4 and it’s terrific to see some proper racing back on the menu.

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.

IRELAND’S luck in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper ran out when Colin Tizzard’s Cue Card proved much too good for his rivals.

Nicky Henderson’s Spirit River was given a fine ride by Barry Geraghty to run out an impressive winner of the Coral Cup at Cheltenham.

THE €100,000 Ellen Construction Thyestes Chase is the feature at Gowran Park today, but for the thousands set to flock to the track and those watching on television, assuming the meeting passes an 8am inspection this morning, the real attraction will be the return to action of former Cheltenham Gold Cup hero, Kicking King, in the Normans Grove Chase.