Bryan Cooper admitted he could be on the wrong horse in the Bibby Financial Services Ireland Gold Cup at Punchestown today having picked Road To Riches over Don Cossack.

The featured Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup brings down the curtain on a remarkable week of racing and such is the momentum behind the Willie Mullins team, it’ll be no surprise if the meeting’s leading trainer lands his maiden success in this race with any of his three charges, writes Tommy Lyons.

Fingal Bay, who remains the only horse to have beaten Simonsig under Rules, is out to finally fulfil his potential in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury this afternoon.

Ruby Walsh thinks Djakadam has a “favourite’s chance” of creating history by becoming the first five-year-old to win the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury.

Mark Walsh has been lined up to ride Jezki in Sunday’s StanJames.com Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown in the event Barry Geraghty is unavailable.

Mark Walsh will partner Colbert Station if Tony McCoy opts to ride Double Seven in the Crabbie’s Grand National at Aintree tomorrow.

Tony McCoy is currently favouring Double Seven as his mount in Saturday’s Crabbie’s Grand National at Aintree.

Big Buck’s’ owner Andy Stewart insists there are many names in the hat to discuss with trainer Paul Nicholls before deciding which jockey will get the call-up for the ride on the supreme staying hurdler.

Leading owner Andy Stewart paid tribute to Ruby Walsh after the jockey announced he would no longer be formally attached to the Paul Nicholls stable.

I ride in all seven races at Newbury today, but the undoubted highlight promises to be Silviniaco Conti (pictured) in the Denman Chase.

Tony McCoy does not feel Teaforthree’s chance in the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow is as clear-cut as the bookmakers seem to believe.

I expect to be fit to ride at Newbury today, despite being stood down after a fall there yesterday.

I ride in all six races at Cheltenham today and have to be reasonably confident of getting among the winners.

A gambler would surely have been given long odds for a fashion stakes double so it was hats off yesterday to Margaret Connolly from Mullingar, Co Westmeath, who was judged best dressed lady at Cheltenham, having emerged equally triumphant in a similar competition at Leopardstown less than a month ago.

Roberto Goldback bids to build on his excellent second in the Irish Hennessy as he tackles 11 rivals in Sunday’s Carrickmines Handicap Chase at Leopardstown.

The big news from Commonstown today is that we are losing Dragon Pulse, who will race in France for the coming year.

PAUL NICHOLLS got among the winners yesterday, which was a big relief to all of us associated with the stable.

Ruby Walsh has come in for the plum ride on Zarkandar in Saturday’s Betfair Hurdle after a change to the Newbury card which allows the rider to defer a suspension that originally ruled him out of action this weekend.

RUBY WALSH hailed Denman ‘a great horse’ after injury forced connections to call time on the legendary staying chaser’s stellar career yesterday.

David Pipe is intending to run Great Endeavour in the Spinal Research The Atlantic 4 Gold Cup at Cheltenham this weekend.

Silver By Nature has been given the go-ahead to run in the John Smith’s Grand National following discussions between owners Geoff and Joyce Brown, trainer Lucinda Russell and her partner, former champion jump jockey Peter Scudamore.

ALAIVAN, third to Soldatino in the JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham and off the track since May, made a successful return to action when outclassing Son Amix and four other rivals in the Fishery Lane Hurdle at Naas yesterday.

State Of Play is to be prepared for a third crack at the John Smith’s Grand National following a second courageous effort at Aintree on Saturday.

Racing got underway at Carlisle today despite heavy rain throughout the morning and the going changing to an official description of soft, heavy in places.

Paul Nicholls unleashed another of his powerful squad as Cheltenham candidate Pride of Dulcote put in an exhibition round in the Fred Rimell Memorial Novices' Chase at Worcester.

SIZING Europe proved a hugely impressive winner of the Grade 3 Buck House Novice Chase at Punchestown yesterday.

FRANCOIS Doumen admits he would not swap Kasbah Bliss for any other horse as the French handler goes in search of his third success in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at Cheltenham today.

PAUL NICHOLLS reports ante-post favourite Big Buck’s to be in fine shape ahead of the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup on Saturday.

CHARLIE Mann has Air Force One in “the form of his life” as he prepares his six-year-old for the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup, for which 31 horses stood their ground at the latest forfeit stage.

TOM MULLINS will weigh up the opposition before deciding where to run Chelsea Harbour this week.

MISTER Top Notch stayed in the Kerry National yesterday morning and so, as expected, I’m on Davenport Democrat today.

DENMAN is still “incredibly fat” after his summer break according to trainer Paul Nicholls.

Beef Or Salmon is poised to crown a glorious career with a tilt at the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree on April 5.

WILLIE Mullins fears John Smith’s Grand National talking horse Snowy Morning has been harshly treated by the handicapper – despite bookmakers thrusting him to favouritism for the Aintree showpiece.

BARRY GERAGHTY is still confident that Cork All Star can be a force to be reckoned with this season, despite his eclipse at Leopardstown last time.

SNOWY Morning, despite the fact the conditions of the contest are hardly in his favour, gets the nap to win the attheraces.com Free Video Form Hurdle at Punchestown this afternoon.

Timmy Murphy healed the wounds of a forgettable 24 hours by mastering the complicated Abragante in the feature race at Wincanton.

Nigel Twiston-Davies’ golden autumn gained further momentum when he sent out Platin Grounds, Ardaghey and Tramantano to land a 183-1 treble at Cheltenham.

CORNISH Rebel has been the subject of some significant support ahead of Saturday’s Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury.

WHAT makes a Gold Cup horse? Plenty of things, really, but stamina and high cruising speed are the basics.

Cornish Rebel will be tested in blinkers next week as Paul Nicholls considers whether to repeat a tactic that has paid off in the past when the nine-year-old runs in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

THE Cheltenham Gold Cup, like most of the rest of the Festival races, is not a happy hunting ground for favourites, with only five having won it in the last 20 years — two of them coming from the unfortunate Best Mate.

Bad knocks? David Casey knows all about the routine.