BRAZILIAN BRIDE stamped her class on the Group 3 Swordallstown Stud Sprint Stakes at Naas yesterday.

VETERAN Media Puzzle registered his first win since the 2002 Melbourne Cup when landing the listed Seamus McGrath Memorial Saval Beg Stakes at Leopardstown last night.

Yesterday was all about the favourites, with Vautour, Thistlecrack and Limini all winning as expected. We’ll have to wait and see if today brings more upsets.

Will we see more surprises today?

Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh will hope to keep the winning streak going, with Un De Sceaux highly fancied for the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Jockey Ruby Walsh has admitted his surprise at the late decision by trainer Willie Mullins and owner Rich Ricci to run Vautour in Thursday’s Ryanair Chase rather than the Gold Cup, on Friday.

It’s day one of the Cheltenham Festival, with plenty of Irish interest on today’s races.

Latest:Fine Gael's legal advisor says the party will take legal action if they feel their Longford Westmeath candidate James Bannon has been wronged.

It’s Grand National day at Aintree! The bad news for Irish racing fans is that Ruby Walsh has been ruled out, having suffered a wrist injury in a fall yesterday.

Kildare 1-22 Offaly 2-14

Kildare went without a score for 28 minutes and not even a late brace of points could save them.

Clare produced a rousing finish to beat Kildare in a high-scoring Allianz Football League Division 3 final at Croke Park.

Tommy Lyons of the Irish Examiner gave us his tips for all today’s races.

The big race of the day, the Guinness Handicap, is off at 6.50pm.

The big race of the day, the Guinness Galway Hurdle Handicap, is off at 4.45pm.

Kildare 3-17 Sligo 2-14 (After extra-time – 1-12 each after 60 minutes).

CIARAN McMANUS has launched a staunch defence of Offaly following heavy criticism aimed at them and opponents Westmeath after Sunday’s Leinster SFC meeting in Croke Park.

AUSTIN STACKS, with county midfielder Kieran Donaghy inspirational, advanced to the second round of the Kerry County Senior Football Championship with a 2-11 to 2-9 win over Laune Rangers.

FOR a pleasant change, all four South of Ireland semi-finalists at Lahinch this morning are career amateurs, men who work during the day and play golf in their spare time.

IT WAS, in a number of ways, a seminal day. Mick O’Dwyer took charge of Kildare for the last time, Dublin won a first Leinster title since 1995 and Croke Park welcomed its biggest crowd in four decades.