Martin Heydon, Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine, was at Cheltenham last week on Gold Cup Day. The blue-riband race saw Irish-trained horses fill the first four places with Gavin Cromwell's Inothewayurthinkin taking the honours. The minister said that Ireland is a world leader in racing and breeding, and the industry punches well above its weight.

Tom Dascombe described a fourth-placed finish for Hot Fuss in the Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival as “blinding” as he plots Chester Cup glory with the versatile bay.

Cork hosts a National Hunt card on Thursday and the going is good, good to yielding in places (watering) after two dry and breezy days. There is a mainly dry forecast.