When farmer Joe O’Connell first saw a piece of land in Kilkenny 12 years ago, he knew it was special.

AIDAN O’Brien is set to have four runners in Saturday’s Investec Derby at Epsom, with Irish 2,000 Guineas hero Roderic O’Connor set to wait for the French Derby the following day.

Nicky Henderson and Barry Geraghty took the honours on the final day of the Punchestown Festival with a 235-1 treble – highlighted by Grandouet’s win in the AES Champion Four Year Old Hurdle.

Selected tips from courses in the UK and Ireland.

MUCH of today’s Newmarket 2000 Guineas centres on how well favourite St Nicholas Abbey has trained on from last year. Not that he’s susceptible to not having done so but he was frighteningly good in last year’s Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster and it can be the case that the most exceptional juveniles fail to progress at three.