Rachael Blackmore fills in the blanks on her Cheltenham CV

Rachael Blackmore aboard Bob Olinger after winning the Stayers' Hurdle on day three of the Cheltenham Festival. Photograph: David Davies for The Jockey Club/PA

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Rachael Blackmore’s Cheltenham championship CV? Complete. She’d already enjoyed Gold Cup glory on A Plus Tard, won last year’s Champion Chase on Captain Guinness and had a pair of Champion Hurdle victories on Honeysuckle, so Thursday’s Stayers' Hurdle triumph on Bob Olinger filled the last blank on her Cheltenham roll of honour. And, for good measure, she also won on Air Of Entitlement on Thursday, Brian O’Connor looking back on another magical day at the Festival for Blackmore and trainer Henry de Bromhead, as well as the other highlights.

Today? “Galopin Des Champs has a shot at steeplechasing immortality by pulling off a hat-trick in the Gold Cup,” writes Brian. “Come 4pm on Friday, Cheltenham and beyond will be humming with anticipation of one of those rare ‘I wuz there’ moments.”

Among those hoping to upset the odds in today’s big one is JJ Slevin who rides Banbridge, Brian taking to the jockey about his chances. He also previews the rest of the day’s races, including the Triumph Hurdle in which Willie Mullins has a remarkable 11 runners - but none of them is in the first three in the betting.

In rugby, Gerry Thornley looks through Simon Easterby’s selection for tomorrow’s game against Italy, Jack Crowley’s patience rewarded with a return to the starting line-up. Easterby took time at the team announcement to defend Tadhg Beirne and Andrew Porter after criticism from France head coach Fabien Galthié in the aftermath of the incident that left Antoine Dupont with an ACL injury.

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Johnny Watterson, meanwhile, talks to James Ryan about how the players have responded to that sobering defeat by the French, and, bearing in mind the age profile of some of Ireland’s frontline players, he looks at the potential rebuild facing Andy Farrell, with an eye on Australia 2027, when he returns to Irish duty.

Heimir Hallgrímsson has his own rebuilding to do, the Republic of Ireland manager naming three uncapped players in his squad for the Nations League relegation playoff against Bulgaria. He has a bit of relationship-rebuilding to do too with the League of Ireland after he suggested that its players had a better chance of playing for Ireland if they moved abroad. Gavin Cummiskey was there to hear him insist his comments were misinterpreted.

And in his League of Ireland column, Gavin looks at Drogheda and Waterford’s efforts to keep pace with the Dublin clubs, qualifying for European football, with the windfall that can bring, key to it all.

In Gaelic games, Seán Moran previews the meeting of Dublin and Galway at Croke Park on Saturday, Galway seeking their first league win over the Dubs in 15 years - and if they can achieve it, it “can propel Pádraic Joyce’s team into a second league final in three years”.

TV Watch: It’s round two at The Players Championship, Sky Sports Golf’s coverage starting at 11.30 this morning and continuing until 11.0 tonight. And it’s Gold Cup day at Cheltenham, Virgin Media One and ITV bringing you the final day of the Festival (12.45-5pm). Later, the Irish under-20 side finish up their Six Nations campaign away to Italy (RTE 2, 7.45) and back home, there’s a Dublin derby in the League of Ireland, St Patrick’s Athletic meeting Bohemians (Virgin Media Two, 7.45).

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