The Morning Sports Briefing

Racing: Real McCoy

Yesterday was a great day for Tony McCoy with a win in the Grade One Ryanair Chase, yet today looks to be even better. If he could pull of a winner in either the Gold Cup or the aptly named A P McCoy Grand Annual Handicap Chase the scenes would be unimaginable.

As Cheltenham prepares to thank one of its greats - naming rights may well be brushed aside though as the soft favours Ruby Walsh's Blood Cotil ahead of McCoy's Ned Buntline.

A win for McCoy would be storybook stuff, as he looks to come full circle after opening his account for this famous festival in this race almost 20 years ago.

Nonetheless his primary focus today will be on Carlingford Lough’s Gold Cup chance who he says himself has “as good a chance as any of the Irish in the Gold Cup”.

A total of seven Irish-trained hopefuls will attempt to lift a 23rd blue-riband crown for the visitors including the “buzz horse” Djakadam who leads a trio of Willie Mullins horses.

Yet the softer going could play into the hands of triple festival winner Bobs Worth who can show that while form is temporary class is permanent.

Soccer: Harry Kane

Yesterday's Irish squad announcement for the upcoming European Championship qualifier against Poland may well have included one of the Premier League’s most in form strikers - if only he'd held back on that upsurge in form for just another few months.

Irish Manager Martin O’Neill has revealed that a third party connected to Tottenham striker Harry Kane had gotten in touch to express an interest in a call-up for the striker.

Yet 16 Premier League goals later and he’s declared for England.

Europa League

Everton's hopes of being the last English team in European competition remain on track after their 2-1 Europa League last-16 first leg win over Dynamo Kiev last night. The visitors took the lead within fifteen minutes as Everton faced compounding their domestic form with European heartache, yet first Steven Naismith and then Romelu Lukaku from the spot ensured a now-rare Goodison Park victory.

Rugby: Tribute

Irish head coach Joe Schmidt has paid tribute to his captain Paul O'Connell ahead of his 100th cap this weekend against Wales.

“He has got incredible self-drive, in an incredible intelligent man about the game, about particular aspects of the game. He is incredibly driven to improve his own performance and thereby leads others in doing that. That is what I have learnt even more.”

Meanwhile Ireland look set to play with the roof open in the Millennium Stadium, as they have done on every occasion since 2001.

In fact Wales’s record with roof open against roof closed is, despite all the furore from the English camp of deafening echoes of Hymns and Arias, relatively the same.

GAA: Disciplinary breach

Clare hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald has a battle on his hands to keep key midfielder Colm Galvin on board for the summer, as he is set to take up a J1 visa in the US.

The panel has already been rattled this week by a disciplinary issue involving a handful of players and leading to two of them departing the squad.

Golf: Harrington

Making his first appearance since capturing the Honda Classic title Padraig Harrington was given a cruel reminder of the fickle nature of golf in the opening round of the Valspar Championship - the Dubliner finds himself way down the pecking order.

What to watch out for

It's all about Cheltenham again today with the big race of day four being none other than the Gold Cup and that's off at 3.20pm of course.

Channel 4, 12.35pm-4.20pm

RTE 1, 1.20pm-4pm

RTE 2, 7pm-7.30pm

Round two of the Innisbrook Valspar Championship this evening and Padraig Harrington will be looking to turn his fortunes around after a frustrating opener.

Sky Sports 4, 7pm-10pm

Ireland's Under 20 rugby team have gained many admirers so far in this Six Nations and they travel to Wales this evening in another crucial game.

RTE 2 from 7.30pm