What is the state of play in Ireland? Assessing the key players ahead of the Dublin Racing Festival - and how they will impact Cheltenham

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We assess the main formlines from Leopardstown's Christmas meeting with a view to the Dublin Racing Festival back there on January 31 and February 1 and then to the Cheltenham Festival in March

• 'It's beginning to come back around' - Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson confident gap to Irish closing before Cheltenham 
• Balance of power: three of the blockbuster clashes in store as Britain v Ireland shapes up as a real rivalry again 

Final-flight fallers Talk The Talk and El Cairos potential stars

Talk The Talk was in all likelihood about to run out an impressive winner of the Grade 1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle on December 27 when coming down at the last, but it wouldn't be right to downplay the winning performance of Skylight Hustle, who impressed on the clock.

After an even gallop, he was 3.9sec faster than the 132-rated Bowensonfire in the following handicap over the same 2m trip, with Skylight Hustle carrying 5lb more. That comes with the caveat that the handicap was run at a slower gallop, with Laafi getting to four furlongs out around 20 lengths slower than Le Divin Enfant in the novice hurdle.