Though serving its traditional role as both the final fling of the jumps season and a test of the new order established at Cheltenham last month, the Punchestown Festival must this week absorb one or two challenging incongruities.

As settles the emotional dust raised by Saturday's dramatic and traumatic Grand National, and begins a reasoned debate over the direction the historic sporting contest must take – starting with a meeting next week between the British Horseracing Authority's chief executive, Paul Bittar, and animal welfare groups – two men intimately involved with one of the fatalities have spoken in the defence of both the race and the broader concept of man's use of animals.

The Grand National can be the most difficult race of the year in which to find the winner. It is a unique race so some pieces of form will go out of the window whilst luck also tends to play its part with carnage a regular feature in the race. The Grand National winner is most commonly right in front of our noses though with the well fancied horses dominating the race in recent years. Seventeen of the last twenty-one winners were 20/1 or less whilst amazingly, only three horses at odds bigger than 20/1 have even managed to finish in the top five in the last four years. It should pay therefore to examine the fancied Grand National runners that have the best chance.

Win, lose or draw, Albertas Run deserves top billing on the second day of the Aintree meeting. Having typically gone down with all guns blazing in his quest for a fourth Cheltenham Festival success last month, he might be pardoned for running a little flat in the John Smith's Melling Chase – but the fact is that he has managed first and second in the past two runnings, despite having a week less to soak up similarly hard races.

One of the year's most spirited sporting rivalries may be settled today, though neither participant has ever broken sweat against the other in spikes or with bat, club, racket or ball. The most strenuous activity for a racehorse owner may be signing a cheque or walking to the winner's podium and J P McManus and Michael O'Leary have done plenty of both.

When Kauto Star was preserved from further risk you could sense the sport’s sigh of relief

The Cheltenham Gold Cup tips are going to be highly sought after on Friday when the feature race of the entire Cheltenham Festival takes place and Cheltenham Betting will be looking to make it another successful race having backed Imperial Commander to victory in this race two years ago at 9/1. The best tips in this race are often the ones that fits the stats and one horse stands out as the most likely winner in the Cheltenham Gold Cup 2012.

This year's meeting is dominated by short-priced established stars and precocious talent, writes our award-winning tipster Chris McGrath

Kauto Star will bid for a third Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup victory after delighting connections in an “awesome” schooling session at his Ditcheat base.

The morning after the day before is the telling time for any racehorse trainer, let alone one with a recuperating national hero under his care, and yesterday's brought only good news for Paul Nicholls as Kauto Star emerged from his stable unscathed after working round a circuit of Wincanton racecourse the previous evening.

If it was uncharacteristic of Paul Nicholls not to disclose Kauto Star's schooling fall until six days later, he has certainly been living up to his reputation since. The champion trainer has been releasing scrupulously detailed daily bulletins on the horse's recuperation, and yesterday went one step further by announcing his intention to gallop the horse in public on Friday.

Not for the first time, new guidelines governing use of the whip were rushed through yesterday with one of British racing's showcase occasions specifically in mind. It would be disappointing, however, if regulating in haste on this occasion caused quite so much repenting at leisure.

Cheltenham? What do you mean, Cheltenham? Well, yes, perhaps it will help pass the time. But the real anticipation, in some quarters, is for the forthcoming Flat season – and not just because of Frankel.

Inside Track