#Noel Meade

Five meetings take place in four countries on a busy day of horse racing across the British Isles on Tuesday. The action commences at Brighton (1.00-4.10pm), which is one of four Flat cards along with Hamilton in Scotland (2.15-5.20), Roscommon in Ireland (4.40-8.10) and Chepstow in Wales (5.50-8.50). The lone jumps card is at Stratford…

There are two organisations that run Irish racing. Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) is responsible for governance development and promotion. The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) - formerly known as the Turf Club - looks after regulation. And the roles aren't supposed to clash. Other major jurisdictions like Britain and France lump the lot into…

Nicky Henderson believes Epatante must be treated as "still a possible runner" in the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle - despite her not featuring among the initial entries for the Cheltenham Festival contest. The winner of the Unibet Champion Hurdle in 2020 before placing behind Honeysuckle the following two years, Epatante has been given the option…

Run Wild Fred: declared for the BetVictor Ten Up Novice Chase at Navan on Sunday Leading National Hunt Chase contender Run Wild Fred is set to clash with high-class stablemate Farouk D'Alene at Navan this Sunday after featuring among declarations for the Grade 2 BetVictor Ten Up Novice Chase (4.05). Trainer Gordon Elliott had indicated earlier this…

The last seven favourites have been successful in this Grade 1, including Envoi Allen and Bob Olinger who went on to win the Ballymore, and Grangeclare West will be the one trying to continue that sequence. Willie Mullins has won this race eight times and had the option of running Boodles runner-up Gaelic Warrior, who won at Tramore by 86 lengths…

What a week it has been! The racing has been phenomenal, the weather largely clear and most crucially of all, fans were back where they belong on the terraces. Cheltenham felt like it was truly back this week as a result. See you in 2023! It's the seventh Irish-trained winner from seven races on Friday! Mark McDonagh did an excellent job steering…

Saturday sees the 174th running of the Grand National at Aintree. The Charlie Longsdon-trained Snow Leopardess heads the betting but here we run through the entire field, in order of allotted weight. 1) MINELLA TIMES (Henry de Bromhead) Rating (out of 10) 6, weight 11st 10lbs Created history for Rachael Blackmore last year but he has only run twice…

Bob Olinger (left) must overcome Flooring Porter (right) if he's to win Leopardstown's Christmas Hurdle This division is all over the place at the moment but if Monday's rescheduled Long Walk Hurdle told us anything, it was that the old guard still has plenty to offer in the new world of staying hurdling. Paisley Park taught the new dogs a few…

Donkey Years (left) and Panda Boy are both well fancied for the Paddy Power Chase Renowned as one of the toughest handicap chases in the Irish calendar, the Paddy Power Chase has seen just one winning favourite across the last 17 runnings. Another tricky puzzle looks in store, but punters are often well rewarded for solving this 28-runner…

Nicky Henderson tends to target a smart sort at the two-mile novice hurdle (12:10) that kicks off Kempton's Boxing Day card and he has won the prize five times in the last ten years, most notably in 2015 with Altior who memorably went on to win a red-hot running of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Henderson had Mares'…

Constitution Hill is back in action on Boxing Day as the Nicky Henderson star hurdler and current Champion Hurdle favourite runs in the Christmas Hurdle on the King George Chase Kempton card. After bolting up in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle last time out, this talented 5 year-old, who was an easy 22-length winner of the Supreme Novices'…

The Randox Grand National is underway and racegoers have returned to the world's greatest steeplechase for the first time in three years. Punters have not been at Aintree to cheer on the Grand National runners since 2019, after the race meet was cancelled in 2020 and held behind closed doors last year. They braved rain and chilly temperatures on…

The weights for the 2022 Randox Grand National at Aintree Racecourse have risen by 5lbs after the top three in the handicap - Galvin, Conflated and Melon - were taken out at the latest scratchings' stage. There are now 78 entries remaining, with Henry De Bromhead's Chris's Dream now topping the weights at 11st10lb, for the Aintree showpiece on…

Lafayette (pink silks): reopposes High Definition and Bear Story after landing last month's Hollywoodbets Alleged Stakes Noel Meade and Aidan O'Brien served up some excellent early tussles in 2021 with Broome and Helvic Dream, and the leading trainers will likely be to the fore again as Alleged Stakes 1-2 Layfayette and High Definition…

Mimikyu: one of five joint-favourites with Ladbrokes for the Fillies & Mares Stakes following the defection of stablemate Free Wind Baaeed, the highest-rated horse in Europe, remains on course for Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot on October 15 following the latest acceptance stage, but Fillies & Mares Stakes favourite Free Wind was a notable…

Well two for Paul Nicholls and with neither Nicky Henderson or the Ditcheat maestro having runners in the feature - he looks firm favourite to take a 13th Trainers' Championship. We had a winner for Ireland - one for Scotland - and one for Wales... Make sure you join Andy Jones and myself for all of the action tomorrow from 10am. The feature race…

Well, time to round up our live coverage from an epic four days. From the moment Constitution Hill romped home to huge cheers in the opening race on Tuesday, the action and atmosphere have both been electric. It's been a pleasure keeping you all updated and thank you so much for following. It has been a Festival for the ages. Last year, crowds…

Mighty Potter ridden by Jack Kennedy jumping the last to win at Down Royal This is a Drinmore drenched in quality. Only Gaillard Du Mesnil is a maiden over fences but that doesn't do him justice as the choice of Paul Townend was third to L'Homme Presse in the Brown Advisory and filled the same position in the Irish Grand National at this venue last…

The Grand National Festival ends with the world-famous steeplechase today. The three-day race meeting at Aintree began on Thursday, continued on Friday with Ladies Day and will culminate for another year today. Come 5.15 pm on Saturday there will be 70000 on the racecourse for the Grand National and 500 million people watching the racing across the…

Harry Allwood kept a close eye on the racing action at Leopardstown and the Curragh over the weekend and selects five horses who are worth adding to your Racing TV tracker. The 2020 Longines Irish Champions Weekend certainly did not disappoint, and we were treated to some stunning performances from some equine stars, as well as some potential…

Galvin, Conflated and Fil Dor are among the big names set to be in action for Gordon Elliott over the festive period as the Cullentra handler shuffles his pack for Leopardstown's Christmas Festival. Elliott has enjoyed huge success at the four-day meeting in recent years, with Galvin's thrilling Savills Chase victory over A Plus Tard a clear…

For once, you couldn't blame Matt Chapman's enthusiasm. "Nicky, you were rated 6lb below Istabraq going into that, have we seen, arguably, the greatest hurdler of the modern era just now?" Nicky Henderson, watery eyed at Newbury, 300 miles away from the scene of the Betfair Fighting Fifth, tried his best to play it cool. "Now now, hang on a minute,…

The good news for those hoping to dent Willie Mullins' domination of the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle is that he has resisted running all six of the runners he left in the race earlier this week. But the bad news is that he still has three live contenders as he seeks to win the Grade One feature for the twelfth time since 2011. Here's a guide to the five…

This race has provided the launchpad to Champion Hurdle-winning campaigns for Brave Inca and Hurricane Fly. State Man - according to the market - is the likeliest candidate to follow the same path from this year's Morgiana Hurdle. Just five go to post for Ireland's opening Grade 1 hurdle of the season, but it still presents an opportunity for us to…

Minella Crooner: makes his chasing debut at Punchestown on Sunday Weather watching was the overarching theme of Saturday's high-profile action at Ascot, and more of the same is likely when it comes to the participation of exciting novice Thedevilscoachman in this Grade 2. Noel Meade has indicated last season's Boyne Hurdle winner is unlikely to run…

The Grand National isn't the most prestigious horse race in the world for nothing. It's an incredibly challenging course, featuring 30 jumps (16 fences, with 14 of those being jumped twice) on the four-mile and two and a half furlong race. But, while safety improvements have been made in recent years, the Grand National remains a challenging task…

Willie Mullins takes this Morgiana Hurdle business seriously. We know that he does, because he has won it 11 times in total, and 10 times since 2011. His one lapse in the last 11 years was in 2020, when Abacadabras beat Saint Roi by a neck. If you had to nominate a point in the season, a weekend in the season, at which the Willie Mullins wheel…

Very few people have as much experience of the Punchestown Festival as Nina Carberry. The former Irish Grand National winner has been immersed in National Hunt Racing all her life, as the daughter of legendary jockey and trainer Tommy Carberry, before becoming a jockey herself, riding an incredible 22 winners at the Punchestown Festival down the…

Shishkin and Energumene are on course for a mouth-watering rematch at Cheltenham on Wednesday with the pair among eight runners declared for the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase. The top-class duo served up one of the races of the season in January's Clarence House Chase at Ascot when the Nicky Henderson -trained Shishkin narrowly got the better…

The Randox Grand National takes centre stage on the third and final day of the Aintree Festival - and what a race we have in store. The world's greatest steeplechase is woven into the fabric of the sporting year - an occasion when once-a-year punters get to pit their wits against the bookies, while more dedicated racing fans will look at the race…

Al Boum Photo will attempt to become the fourth horse to complete the Cheltenham and Punchestown Gold Cup double when he faces seven rivals in Wednesday's showpiece contest, hopefully following in the footsteps of Kicking King (2005), War Of Attrition (2006), and Sizing John (2017). The seven-year-old ended trainer Willie Mullins' long quest for a…

The Punchestown Festival rolls on after a dramatic opening day. There was carnage in the Growise Champion Novice Chase with Monalee crashing out at the second last before Al Boum Photo and Finan's Oscar went wide of the last in the most circumstances. It had a big impact on the trainers' championship with Gordon Elliott saddling a 1-2-3-5 and…

Rachael Blackmore can make history and win her first Cheltenham Gold Cup riding A Plus Tard. Henry De Bromhead's chaser, second last year, was extremely impressive in the Betfair Chase at the start of the season. He was then pipped by Galvin, when Blackmore probably hit the front a little sooner than ideal against a strong stayer, at…

Last weekend we saw one of the first Cheltenham Gold Cup trials of the season in the Charlie Hall Chase, won by Bravemansgame. Ahoy Senor was the one punters will have wanted to see win impressively if looking at the Gold Cup antepost, but instead the Paul Nicholls' runner was the one to stride on and mark himself out as a leading King…

Galvin: quality chaser bids to build on a solid return to action at Punchestown last month Saturday's feature race at Down Royal is the Ladbrokes Champion Chase (2.32), in which Galvin heads the betting. Can the Gordon Elliott-trained chaser win a second Grade 1 or will one of his high-class rivals, including stablemate Conflated, spoil the party?…

Mighty Potter: dual Grade 1 winner makes his seasonal reappearance at Down Royal Friday: Down Royal Gordon Elliott unleashes some of his biggest stars across Friday and Saturday's action at Down Royal, with dual Grade 1 winner Mighty Potter one of his standout representatives. Elliott has won Friday's 2m3½f Tote-sponsored beginners' chase (3.15)…

There are three types of odds-on favourite. One you think will win but the price is wrong, one you think will win but the price is right and one you fancy has a greater chance of losing than winning. Hardwicke Stakes favourite Hurricane Lane is placed in the third category and arguably should be odds against. That is not to crab Hurricane Lane. The…

There is a feast of action to look forward to on Racing TV over Easter and undoubtedly one of the highlights is the €500000 Boylesports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Monday. The contest has a roll of honour which includes Rhyme'n' Reason (1985), Desert Orchid (1990), Bobbyjo (1998), Commanche Court (2000), and Numbersixvalverde (2005). This…

THE £4 million Flat season finale is finally here. Ascot hosts a star-studded six-race card on QIPCO British Champions Day, with four mouth watering Group 1s to get stuck into. The meeting was launched in 2011 and has gone from strength to strength, and this year it will be the scene for Baaeed's career swansong. The unbeaten four-year-old will be…

There was a late twist at the Goffs UK September Horses in Training Sale in Doncaster on Wednesday as a session that had been dominated by Gigginstown House Stud-consigned lots witnessed the once-raced bumper winner Royal Creek bring £90000 six from the end. This wasn't the first time that the daughter of Getaway, who was bred, sold and trained by…