The horse racing devotees in your life are about to enter dreamland, this being Cheltenham Festival week with 28 races over four days for them to savour.
The highlight of day one is the Champion Hurdle, a race, Brian O’Connor tells us, that is being billed “not so much as a contest as a coronation for Constitution Hill”.
Brian talks to Warren Ewing, the one-time trainer of the horse who bought him as a foal with former champion jockey Barry Geraghty, the Co Antrim-based man having a notion from the off that he would prove to be special.
Ewing concedes, though, that he’s had a few dud purchases as well: “They’re not all swans – there’s plenty of ducks too.”
There’s lots more coverage of Cheltenham from Brian, including a look at Constitution Hill’s chances of joining the “pantheon of greats”, and Ireland’s overall hopes of dominating the Festival yet again. “The single most instructive price,” he tells us, “might be evens about Willie Mullins outscoring Britain on his own this week.”
A successful Cheltenham followed by a Grand Slam on Saturday would make for a highly pleasant sporting week, Gerry Thornley continuing the build-up to that tussle with England while Owen Doyle reflects on the refereeing in last weekend’s Six Nations games.
John O’Sullivan, meanwhile, brings us profiles of the U-20 players who are chasing their own Grand Slam, Ireland’s rugby future now so bright you’d be dazzled.
And in Gaelic games, Gordon Manning writes about the shocking news of the death of Offaly football manager Liam Kearns at the weekend, at the age of just 61.
Telly choice: It’s day one of the Cheltenham Festival (Virgin Media One and ITV, 1.0-4.30) - the big race of the day is the Champion Hurdle (3.30).
Keep an eye on: Honeysuckle. There won’t be a dry eye in the house when she runs her final race today, the Mares’ Hurdle (Cheltenham, 4.10), with her old pal Rachael Blackmore on board.
