Latest:

Sultry celebrity Grainne Seoige was in fine form at the races yesteday. Picture: Martin Nolan

Lady luck abandons us but Irish sweep fashion stakes

A GOOD eye for a lady often means a good eye for a horse. Or so the saying goes. In that case, the punters at the Cheltenham races must have been on to a dead cert.

Copper strikes Jewson gold

Copper Bleu (12-1) won an eventful renewal of the Jewson Novices' Handicap Chase, the first race on day three of the Cheltenham Festival.

No poker faces in sight as Katie boosts Walsh haul

By Louise Hogan

IT is not often that tears flow in the winners' enclosure in Cheltenham.

Poquelin ready for take-off in Ryanair Chase

IT hardly compares to Tuesday's big story on Betfair where six punters had backed Binocular ante-post at the ceiling price of 999/1; but I see that over €270 has been matched on Big Buck's ante-post at just under 5/1 which looks like a great deal now.

Plain sailing on a sea of green for the bookies

By Louise Hogan

THERE are few things as Irish as an Irishman let loose overseas on St Patrick's Day. You could be forgiven for thinking the horses had taken second place.

Vincent Hogan: Tale of agony amid the ecstasy

By Vincent Hogan

Philip Fenton clasped his hands in priestly calm and began assembling his thoughts like wreaths on a grave.

Weak card must move to Saturday

WITH today's card comprising the pair of features, supplemented by four uninspiring handicaps, the soft underbelly of Cheltenham's move to a four-day festival is exposed.

China rock has solid appeal in jewson's jigsaw puzzle

It goes against the grain to wade into in a race like the Jewson Novices' Handicap Chase, with its lengthy cast of "plot" horses. But then, there's no great abundance of punting choice on the weakest day of four at this festival.

'Lard of the Ring' feels wrath as Russell jumps to O'Connell defence

PICK on someone your own size. There can't be many people annoying enough to distract a professional in the midst of one of the most glorious moments of his career. John McCririck happens to be one of them.

Veteran albertas run offers serious value

By David Casey

SO far this week, the punter must feel like he has been let down by heavily backed favourites too many times but that can be put right today if Big Buck's can prevail in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle.