The Weighing Room Feb 2017 by Weighed In Racing

CONTENTS Colin Tizzard milk bottle to gold cup by Kathryn Trudgeon What a ride !!! by Joe Smith Eyecatchers by Mark Grantham The Betfair Hurdle by Toonmick70 Gold Cup review by PAL Racing Many Clouds by Polly Rodgers In the saddle by Racheal Kneller Cheltenham 2017 preview by Harry Allwood and Matt Clarkson Looking back at he Skybet Chase by Bobby Beevers Pointing news by Chloe Batchelor The Final Flight novice note book by Grant Copson

Colin Tizzard – Milk bottle to Gold Cup By Kathryn Trudgeon @writeforracing It takes only a matter of hours for cream to rise to the top of freshly drawn milk, a process which requires nothing more strenuous than to just sit back and wait. Such minimal effort would achieve little success in most walks of life, but none more so than in the annual quest to achieve jump racing’s coveted title of Champion Trainer, an accolade only achieved through wisdom, instinct and sheer hard graft.

The rise of Dorset dairy farmer born and bred, Colin Tizzard, to within reach of this year’s Champion Trainer’s title got off to a slow but successful start when he trained two point-topointers in 1995 for his son Joe to ride. In this, his first season, he achieved a 100% strike rate with two wins from two runs. It may have been a modest beginning, but his ascent had begun. His success, albeit on a small scale, led to him taking out a full licence three years later. A string of ten horses joined his dairy herd at Venn Farm and the landscape’s colour scheme and sound track began to change. Alongside the black and white grazing cows sped the blurred chestnut, grey, black and bay figures of racehorses; the dull grind of bovine teeth chewing the cud joined by the drumming of equine hooves. Year on year his tally of winners has grown steadily and, with it, the quantity and quality of his stock. With the odd exception, his successes now include the majority of jump racing’s principal prizes including the Betfair Chase, Hennessy Gold Cup, Welsh Grand National and King George VI chase. But despite the height of his achievements, Colin Tizzard’s feet have remained firmly on the ground, and his comments immediately following some of his greatest moments have always reflected on the fickleness of the sport he now dominates. As you’d expect of someone who’s worked with livestock day in

day out for the best part of half a century, he remains acutely aware of risk. With 45 winners this season and prize money totalling £1,272,818 Colin Tizzard now finds himself peering over the shoulder of fellow west country trainer Paul Nicholls, who currently tops the trainer’s table at £1,498,167. And one of the prizes he has yet to acquire, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, remains achingly within his grasp. In his stable star Cue Card, he had a hugely popular horse last season with the class to win the first two legs of jump racing’s triple crown and every chance of securing the third. Expectations were high that the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and a £1 million bonus, could be coming Colin’s way, but those dreams were ended by a crashing fall when he was very much in contention. Despite Don Cossack’s impressive victory, there were those who remained adamant Cue Card would have got the job done. Alas, it became one of racing’s many ‘what might have been’s. The pursuit of the triple crown ended at an earlier stage this season, when Cue Card’s valiant effort in the King George VI on boxing day was eclipsed by the jaw-dropping performance of his stable mate Thistlecrack. Colin Tizzard, master of westcountry understatement, summed it up nicely - ‘lovely job’. Thistlecrack’s emphatic win in last year’s world hurdle had drawn immediate speculation that Colin had another Gold Cup contender on his hands, but few could have predicted the ease of his success over fences, despite his relative inexperience.

Fortunately for Colin Tizzard, there are no quotas restricting Gold Cup entries and he currently has a team of five making the trip to Prestbury Park on 17 March. Native River is well supported, as is the ever-popular Cue Card, but Thistlecrack remains the favourite despite his narrow defeat in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham last Saturday. An unforgettable race for all the wrong reasons with the loss of the brave conqueror, the mighty Many Clouds. In terms of the trainers’ championship a Gold Cup win would make all the difference and, if one of his runners delivers, Colin Tizzard will find himself at the top of the table. His date with destiny is fast approaching and, when the bell rings for the jockeys to mount, he’ll know it’s milking time. From gold top to Gold Cup? I’d like to think so and, above all, that his runners return safe and sound, back to the herd in Dorset. (Cue card and Thistlecrack images courtesy of Michael Harris @mjyharris )

What a ride !!!!!!! By Joe Smith @Smithyjoe16 How many times throughout racing do we hear the phrase “What a ride”. It’s a common occurrence in jumps racing when jockeyship is at the highest of standards and under the most powerful of microscopes. There are brilliant examples of supreme horsemanship every day but I have chosen to list my top 5 rides this season so far from horses who could have big parts to play at the Cheltenham festival. (In no particular order) 1. WHISPER (Davy Russell) 10-12-2016 at Cheltenham Whisper arrived here with serious doubts about his ability remaining intact. It had been a year and half since he last won. A year and half with his his career in the wilderness in fact. Chasing was back on the menu for this 9 year old bay gelding. Ridden for the first time by retained rider Davy Russell, Whisper was settled in the rear of this 6 runner field. Allowed to pop along at his own convenience while being able to get a full view of his fences. Davy knew that he had to let the horse gain confidence and as the race developed his jumping did too. There is no point forcing a novice into a fence especially one with Whispers recent career decline. As the pace quickened, Whisper used his huge engine to propel himself up the hill and it was at the last that he produced his best jump of the round to seal the race. Yes it wasn’t the strongest race and his next win was a much harder task but that next win would of not of been possible without this assured ride from Davy Russell. Confidence is massive for novice chasers. Davy Russell showed a great understanding in the saddle and has formed a trustworthy partnership with Whisper and he is now a major contender for the JLT novices chase in March.

2. UN DE SCEAUX ( Ruby Walsh) 03-12-2016 at Sandown

Many of you will see this as a strange selection. “Best jockey on the best horse in the race” I hear you say. Very true but for me on this day Ruby was tactically spot on. In his younger days UDS was a trailblazer and has become a worry over a fence. He has produced many heart in your mouth moments over the last few years and with Sandown being such a jumping test for these frantic two mile chases, one mistake is definitely race ended around here. Ar Mad shot off in front. Turning into the back straight he was 7-8 lengths clear of the field. Into the railway fences UDS was jumping beautifully and he was creeping closer to Ar Mad who's jumping began to unravel and eventually Ruby found himself in front. Into the turn for home Ruby looked to have plenty of horse beneath him, Sire De Grugy came alongside to eyeball UDS. At the last two fences, Ruby allowed UDS to find his own way over the fence sensing that one mistake would be costly. They were ponderous to say the least over the last two but they were over. Sire De Grugy got away from the last quicker but when Ruby asked UDS for that bit more he produced and battled clear to win a magnificent race. In terms of Ruby Walsh on this day, his tactics were spot on. He didn’t panic and he knew exactly how much horse he had left and when to ask for full effort. Fractions are marginal in these two mile

chases and Ruby once again was spot on. UDS is an ultra consistent animal and is a worthy favourite for the Ryanair in March.

3. YANWORTH ( Barry Geraghty) 26-12-2016 at Kempton With Unowhatimeanharry looking unbeatable over 3 miles , connections of Yanworth were forced down the two mile route with the Champion Hurdle the final aim. To test the water, Yanworth was thrown into the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park against the resurgent New One and the frustrating My Tent Or Yours. If Yanworth couldn't win today then it certainly would mean a long sit down on where to go in terms of festival aim. With the stayers hurdle the first aim many asked if Yanworth would have the pace to open with The New One and My Tent. The aforementioned duelled up front as Barry sat in 3rd waiting patiently. The pace was genuine enough and Yanworth made the odd hurdling error. As the turn for home began to appear the race began to develop. Barry began to push along on Yanworth and appeared in trouble. Into the home straight and the front two were still ahead of the pushed along Yanworth. He was beginning to close however and over last he forged ahead of the New One and the weakening My Tent Or Yours to win by a cosy 3 lengths. When I mentioned that Yanworth appeared in trouble, he was far from it. Yes Barry was more animated in the saddle than others but he was just going through the gears. Sensing that if it turned into a flash sprint up the straight then he would most probably get beat. Yanworth being proven over further would take a lot longer to hit top gear than the market rivals. Barry wound him up and the timing was beautiful. By the time he had hit top gear, he had enough momentum and pace to swoop past and win the race. Genius in the saddle form Barry with timing and knowing the horses strengths being the main reasons for this selection. Yanworth is now a credible contender for the Champion Hurdle and the notorious strong pace will suit.

4.GARDE LA VICTOIRE ( Richard Johnson) 07-01-2017 at Sandown

Garde La Victoire by michael harris @mjyharris Heading into this handicap chase, Garde La victoire had fallen in 2 of his 6 chase starts and hadn't fully convinced with his jumping. So much so that 2 of his previous 3 runs had been over hurdles. We all know the jumping test that Sandown is known as and the railway fences can catch out even the most fluent jumper. Under top weight in fairly soft ground, Dicky really attacked the fences. He was the one calling the shots and Garde was a willing partner. As they made the turn for home it looked as though Garde and Dicky may be picked off. Would the top weight tell? Not on Dickys watch as he grits his teeth and galvanises Garde La Victoire up the hill who produced another economical leap at the last on way to a brave victory. Garde La Victoire is such a warrior and it looks like the penny had at last dropped in terms of jumping. Richard Johnson showed why he is the Champion jockey with a typical ride of Grit and determination. With the desire Garde La Victoire possesses and the drive of Richard Johnson it would be no surprise to see him close to getting his deserved top level chase victory in the spring.

5.COGRY (William Twiston Davies) 01-01-2017 at Cheltenham Cogrys seasonal form figures going into this race were F,Bd,U,F. So it was no surprise to see him back over hurdles after a somewhat suspect albeit unlucky start to the season over fences. William Twiston Davies was the pilot on this day. He was returning to jump racing after a stint riding on the flat. The weather on this day was horrendous and the ground was getting worse by the hour. Young William and Cogry rolled up their sleeves and played the catch me if you can tactics. Campaigned over further distances there was no concerns over Cogry staying the trip. One by one, rivals were toiling as Cogry set a scorching pace for the conditions and was hurdling with real enthusiasm. Twiston Davies got a real tune from Cogry and they had beaten off all rivals coming to the last bar Rocklander. Now Rocklander was still on the bridle while William had been hard at work for a furlong now. Suddenly Rocklander looked a sure fire winner but Cogry just kept finding and eventually clung on for victory. It was a brilliant enterprising ride from William on his first ride back which makes it even more special. A ride like this is no easy task especially in the conditions but they really dug deep for each other on this occasion. This ride may lack the class of grade one but it was just as impressive. If Cogry and William turn up in march in one of the handicap hurdles and hes allowed to dictate the pace once again then he could well be hard to pass.

Timing, strength, desire, experience, craft, calm are all words used to describe a jockeys ride. The variables in a jumps race are endless and while it's expected the best horse to win, take a moment to really watch and think about a ride from a jockey. So many things can go wrong but when it goes their way itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a joy to watch.

Eyecatchers By Mark Grantham @markagrantham Hello one and all and welcome to my first article for WeighedInRacing. First off a bit about me. I'm a racing broadcaster & race reader for various outlets. Those of you that recognise the name are probably familiar with my tones in your local Coral Bookmakers. Yes I'm the guy calling home Hoof Hearted to victory in virtual racing land amongst all else! When not on the air I spend the majority of my time watching horses run in circles and making copious notes on big eye catchers with a view to finding them the best race to be backing them going forward. I am largely a flat racing guy. For the amount of work I do I just find it a much easier workload and in truth has been far more profitble angle for me over the years. In the winter I largely concentrate on the all-weather, but clearly I do keep my eye on the jumps and will pass on anything that is interesting. I almost always concentrate on flat handicaps between 5-12 furlongs. These are the races I like and allow me to manage the workload, especially in the summer turf season when you can have 6/7 meetings a day. All of my notes and figures go into my Proform Racing Software and the eye-catchers go in to a weekly report for my clients. So for my first article today I thought I would pass on a couple of snippets from my latest report for you and pass on a couple of interesting eye-catchers to give you an idea of what I look for........ Fairy Lock - 3-y-o (21Feb14 b f) Sir Prancealot (IRE) (8.1f) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Too Close (IRE) (Danehill Dancer (IRE) (8.4f)) First up we have Fairy Lock. Definitely not one to get hugely carried away with but certainly of interest. A filly that went off huge prices for her three maidens had not shown an awful lot since going hancdiapping until an interesting run at Wolverhampton on January 23rd. Her two previous runs at Southwell can be largely ignored as I'm not sure she was in love with the surface but her run here was interesting. The race was won by the heavily punted favourite American Patrol for the Mulholland/Kirby combination. She

was held up out the back off a fair pace, and having travelled pretty kindly, she got into a spot of bother when turning into the straight, before seeing the race out really nicely to finish a remote 4th. This is another example of her shaping like there being potential improvement in the locker when she goes a bit further and I think she will be particularly interesting once stepped up to a mile. Keep an eye on her entries and back her next three starts, especially if stepping up in trip. I think she is clearly better than her mark of 52 suggests. Snobbery - 4-y-o (26Feb13 b g)Duke Of Marmalade (IRE) (10.7f) — Boast (Most Welcome (8.6f)) Not had many starts and has showed steady improvement over staying trips. I'm pretty sure you can mark up his performance at Wolverhampton on 23rd Jan 17. They went no pace at all, he was held up in last and the winner was given an excellent ride to steal the race off the bend. He has hinted on more than one occasion now that a mile and a half will be an absolute minimum and I would not be surprised if laughs at his opening mark of 78 once he goes up in trip again. Back next three starts, will be a very strong bet at 1m5+. Big Windmill - 6-y-o (09Apr11 b g) Stowaway (15.0f) — Neighbours Wager (IRE) (Darazari (IRE) (16.0f)) A rare jumper for your trackers. He’s had the typical education, very much slowly slowly with an eye to chasing I believe. He made his chase debut in a novice handicap off a mark of 112 on January 25th and having been nibbled most of the day he jumped the first three fences really well before seeming to slip or catch heels of the horse in front and unshipped Adrian Heskin. He looks a big natural chasing type and I really liked the way he jumped the first three fences. Stick him again in your Proform Horse Watcher or your trackers for the coming weeks. He should pay his way in handicaps, back next couple of starts or until beaten. He is entered at Taunton on Sunday 5th Feb. So there you go, hopefully these three will give you plenty of enjoyment over the coming weeks. I tend to write snippets about some of my eye-catchers on my daily blog which can be found through my twitter account

(@markagrantham). Clearly I do not put the biggest eye catchers on to the blog as those are kept for the report! Enjoy! Mark

In and around the magazine you will find our donate button. As we are a free publication we simply ask that any gratuity you wish to show goes to the great causes we have chosen to support. Donate from as little as ÂŁ1 with absoloutely NO OBLIGATION

The Betfair Hurdle By @toonmick70 Hi all, i hope everybody had a great Christmas and a fantastic New Year, its nice to be back posting an article for February, this month i have looked at the last 10 runnings of the Betfair Hurdle. The Betfair Hurdle is a Grade 3 Race run over 2 miles & 64 yards in the 2nd week of February at Newbury. I have looked at the last 10 runnings, although i have to go back to 2005 as the 2009 & 2006 meetings were called off due to bad weather. I have looked at 6 different trends for the race, they are - Age, Weight, Recent Runs, Last Run, Season Runs & Season Wins. As each horse fails a trend, they will be removed from the list until the only horses left are those that have passed every trend. Early Decs 815-11 Ivan Grozny(132) 7 11-12 W P Mullins 155 0-3271 Modus(28) 7 11-12 Paul Nicholls 155 70521 Rashaan(99) 5 11-11 Colin Kidd 154 32-223 LÂ´Ami Serge(21) 7 11-9 Nicky Henderson 152 143-2 Renneti(21) 8 11-8 W P Mullins 151 F-1124 Footpad(44) 5 11-6 W P Mullins 149 1-3513 ChÂ´Tibello(47) 6 11-6 Dan Skelton 149 1U-135 Gwafa(118) 6 11-4 Paul Webber 147 0-3100 Hargam(56) 6 11-3 Nicky Henderson 146 3111- Sutton Place(320) 6 11-0 Gordon Elliott 143 11-112 Clyne(21) 7 11-0 Evan Williams 143 211P-3 Thomas Hobson(288) 7 11-0 W P Mullins 143 44-111 Peter The Mayo Man(100) 7 10-13 Neil Mulholland 142 24-15 Boite(42) 7 10-13 Warren Greatrex 142 2/12-5 Allblak Des Places(47) 5 10-13 W P Mullins 142 011712 Robinshill(35) 6 10-12 Nigel Twiston-Davies 141 51-14 Koshari(91) 5 10-12 W P Mullinsm 141 01-3F5 Zubayr(70) 5 10-12 Paul Nicholls 141 P-123 Mick Jazz(69) 6 10-12 Gordon Elliott 141 111-0 Winter Escape(90) 6 10-11 Alan King 140 230-22 Consul De Thaix(56) 5 10-11 Nicky Henderson 140 311-0 De Name Escapes Me(287) 7 10-10 Noel Meade 139

114-86 Wait For Me(46) 7 10-9 Philip Hobbs 138 210-1F Jaleo(28) 5 10-8 Ben Pauling 137 1253- Chacun Pour Soi(332) 5 10-8 W P Mullins 137 1143 Keep In Line(57) 5 10-8 Alan King 137 1433-1 Bigmartre(46) 6 10-7 Harry Whittington 136 76-434 Kayf Blanco(41) 8 10-7 Graeme McPherson 136 722137 Desoto County(46) 8 10-7 Gordon Elliott 136 114435 Ballyhill(28) 6 10-7 Nigel Twiston-Davies 136 1-151 Movewiththetimes(60) 6 10-7 Paul Nicholls 136 14-232 Ballyandy(71) 6 10-6 Nigel Twiston-Davies 135 21115 Charlemar(35) 5 10-6 Harry Whittington 135 1-21P4 Ozzie The Oscar(28) 6 10-6 Philip Hobbs 135 7-0563 Beltor(46) 6 10-6 Robert Stephens 135 214165 Kapstadt(35) 7 10-6 Ian Williams 135 12-221 Bags Groove(31) 6 10-5 Harry Fry 134 411-9 Discours D´Un Roi(35) 5 10-4 Nicky Henderson 133 375-3 Song Light(90) 7 10-4 Seamus Mullins 133 5/P-25 Gassin Golf(77) 8 10-4 Kerry Lee 133 1210-8 William H Bonney(46) 6 10-3 Alan King 132 13314P New Member(28) 6 10-3 Tom Lacey 132 47-49 Sam Red(28) 6 10-2 Dan Skelton 131 11F/80 Chesterfield(28) 7 10-2 Seamus Mullins 131 77/8F9 Bertimont(46) 7 10-1 Dan Skelton 130 1-336 Sleep Easy(31) 5 10-1 Neil Mulholland 130 864832 Max Do Brazil(90) 5 9-13 David Pipe 128 38-622 Drumcliff(46) 6 9-12 Harry Fry 127 71322 Veinard(35) 8 9-11 Gordon Elliott 126 114105 Eddiemaurice(46) 6 9-11 John Flint 126 34F-26 Faithful Mount(70) 8 9-11 Ian Williams 126 212-8 Krugermac(35) 6 9-4 Gary Moore 119 Age All of the last 10 winners were aged 5 or 6 Positives = Rashaan, Footpad, Ch´Tibello, Gwafa, Hargam, Sutton Place, Allblak Des Places, Robinshill, Koshari, Zubayr, Mick Jazz, Winter Escape, Consul De Thaix, Jaleo, Chacun Pour Soi, Keep In Line, Bigmartre, Ballyhill, Movewiththetimes, Ballyandy, Charlemar, Ozzie The Oscar, Beltor, Bags Groove, Discours D´Un Roi, William H Bonney, New Member, Sam Red, Sleep Easy, Max Do Brazil, Drumcliff, Eddiemaurice & Krugermac

Weight 9 of the last 10 winners carried 11-02 or less Positives = Sutton Place, Allblak Des Places, Robinshill, Koshari, Zubayr, Mick Jazz, Winter Escape, Consul De Thaix, Jaleo, Chacun Pour Soi, Keep In Line, Bigmartre, Ballyhill, Movewiththetimes, Ballyandy, Charlemar, Ozzie The Oscar, Beltor, Bags Groove, Discours DÂ´Un Roi, William H Bonney, New Member, Sam Red, Sleep Easy, Max Do Brazil, Drumcliff, Eddiemaurice & Krugermac Recent Runs 9 of the last 10 winners finished in the first 3 in both of their last 2 starts Positives = Sutton Place, Robinshill, Mick Jazz, Consul De Thaix, Bigmartre, Ballyandy, Bags Groove, Max Do Brazil & Drumcliff Last Run 8 of the last 10 winners had their last run in December or January Positives = Robinshill, Mick Jazz, Consul De Thaix, Bigmartre, Ballyandy, Bags Groove & Drumcliff Season Runs (Since October 1st) 8 of the last 10 winners had run between 2 & 5 times Positives = Robinshill, Mick Jazz, Consul De Thaix, Ballyandy, Bags Groove & Drumcliff Season Wins (Since October 1st) 7 of the last 10 winners had won that season Positives = Robinshill, Mick Jazz & Bags Groove So, Robinshill, Mick Jazz & Bags Groove are the 3 positive horses at this early stage, although things can change, please look out for horses being pulled out at the 5 day and overnight stage

With the Cheltenham Festival coming in March, i will be releasing a trends blog for all but 2 of the races, that's 26 in total, the Mares Novices hurdle has only had 1 previous running and the Gold Cup blog has already been released. I will be focusing on the Midlands Grand National for the March edition Please follow me on twitter @toonmick70 and you will be able to view all the trends blogs i release

Gold Cup Review By @PALracing Now we have seen the rating changes from the official handicapper for the action at the weekend, there are some interesting issues to discuss in relation to the Gold Cup at Cheltenham..

Not surprisingly, they have left THISTLECRACK unchanged at 171, which still suggests he is the most likely winner of the Gold Cup. We are not in the camp that says he did not stay in the ground. That is illogical when one considers the way he won his hurdle races last season , strongest at the finish. The bigger worry could be, will he stay the extended 3m 2f and 70 yards.

The problem was the speed of the jumping of SMAD PLACE and MANY CLOUDS put his jumping technique under pressure and he made a series of minor mistakes and is not always as fluent a jumper at the moment, as would be necessary to win a normal Gold Cup.

The race on Saturday was run at a frenetic pace and returned a big timefigure, whereas the King George was run at a slow pace and he was able to get into a great rhythm and his technique was not put under the same pressure, unlike the situation on Saturday. Hence the key to getting him beat is in the hands of his opponents. Up till Saturday, the popular theory was that when he got into a truly run race, we will see the real deal in THISTLECRACK. We now know he is the real deal, as it was, to our eye, his best performance over the bigger obstacles, but he is not unbeateable. He is entitled to his place in the betting, for sure.

It will be up to his opponents to make sure the race is run at a proper gallop with front runners, who can fence at speed and put his novicey tendencies at his fences to the test, and run the finish out of him at the extended trip. CHAMPAGNE WEST has been raised 12 from 154-166 by the official handicapper, which is the same rating as BRISTOL DE MAI. He is a horse that can lead and if his jumping is as good as it was in the Thyestes, he is one that can test the favourite to his limits. He is unexposed at the distance and seemed to improve at the distance of 3m 1f of the Thyestes. His problem may be that he is at his best on softish ground. He is a much improved article with Henry de Bromhead this year. His jumping has improved out of all recognition this year. With the likes of NATIVE RIVER in the race as well as SMAD PLACE, possibly, he wont be able to replicate the same tactics. Saturday shows that two front runners of quality is no bar to one of them winning. It tells you that at least one will be compromised by that pace.

NATIVE RIVER has a current rating of 168 and is another that can test the favourite's jumping technique, as he is an out and out stayer and his jumping gets quicker the more he gets into his races. We find him as jumping a bit low at times early in his races, but as he warms up, he is spectacular at his fences and runs horses out of their comfort zone. The question is will he be able to do this in this class. CUE CARD is rated 170, but has been a little in and out. We believe he ran around 7-9 lbs off his best form in the King George and that, on a track, where he arguably put up the performance of his life in the same race in 2015. DJAKADAM 168 and OUTLANDER 164, gives one a perspective of how the race is shaping up. We are not at all sure, that the distance of the Gold Cup really plays to the strength of DJAKADAM. We are in the camp that he would be better off in the Ryanair. OUTLANDER is hard to read but he may improve at the longer trip.

Many Clouds (21st April 2007 - 28th January 2017 ) By Polly Rodgers @PollyRodgers A legend of a horse who had one amazing career and known as ‘A horse of a lifetime’ for trainer, Oliver Sherwood. Clouds was seen to be one of the greatest winners of the Grand National since Red Rum with the 11st 9lb he was carrying that day, that in itself was one remarkable achievement and will have been a highlight for many of us racing fans to witness.

The response that he got when he arrived back at his home in Lambourn was out of this world and that day he became a national hero! In 2015 he went on to win the British Jumping Racing Horse of the Year Award - that’s how special he was. On 28th January 2017 it was his time to take the stage at Cheltenham in the Cotswold Chase, he was up against some big runners including that of, Thistlecrack, Smad Place and Silviniaco Conti, a trio to be reckoned with. He shone brighter than he’d ever done before, we saw the same spark we did in his National run and after a battle over the three miles soft ground that was testing all the runners… it all came down to this…. The final few furlongs we

were able to watch him lock horns in a head to head battle with Thistlecrack, it was time to find out who was the greatest horse in this duel. The two most honest horses battled it out until the end when it went to a photo finish. It was announced that Many Clouds had won by a head and we’d found a horse that stopped the unbeaten run of Thistlecrack, he’d met his match and on the day was met by a better horse..that hero we’d seen before was back… Many Clouds, a true warrior. It was then with great sadness, from being on such a high from his almighty performance that we then were all at such a low as Many Clouds collapsed after the winning line and passed away from a severe pulmonary haemorrhage, everything that could have been done for him was and we must thank the vets that do take such good care for our equine stars in all our races.

We never got to give him the reception he deserved in the Winners Enclosure but it’s without doubt people will go on to celebrate his life and career of one of the greatest jumpers in racing. He dug deep that day and wouldn’t let anyone pass him, the courage and determination that was shown in the battle was one of the greatest we’d seen at Cheltenham and one that won’t be forgotten. Clouds was running and racing, doing what he loved to do and he went out on a high.

I would like to take this opportunity to pass on my thoughts to everyone that was involved with Clouds at Team Sherwood, including that of Oliver, Tarnya, CJ and Lisa. Not forgetting his owner, Trevor and the jockey that partnered him throughout all his runs, Leighton Aspell. It’s a #DreamTeam and no matter what, they will all have so many wonderful memories of the boy knowing that he was special, a hero, a legend. We must now go on to remember him of how great this horse was and how much joy Clouds bought to all racing fans, that’s what makes this sport special even when we do have our lows we all come together as one unit, and we show our strength, the same way Clouds did in his races. All that is left for me to say is, Many Clouds, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the racing memories I have, that we have, that the sport has and it’s all because of you. Sleep well little one, RIP. PR @PollyRodgers

In the saddle By Racheal Kneller @jockeyrach I think everyone has heard the term 'sofa jockey' used in the racing industry but incase you haven't then here you go...It's basically a name that us jockeys give to people who try to criticise us while we go about our daily work. Whether they are abusing us on social media for our (in their opinion) bad performances, or getting our phone numbers and texting us rage for not winning when they backed us, or even targeting us in person at racecourses as we walk back to weighing room or leave the course. It is something that has become a daily occurrence to jockeys and quite a draining one at that. Punters gamble away billions of pounds every year on the hope of backing a winner on the horses. Some are better at picking out winners than others. Some are also fortunate enough to be able to make a living from it, which isn't really a bad job is it...you get to sleep in everyday, go to the races all day and sometimes leave with thousands of pounds in your back pocket so you can have the next few days off. But on a bad day of punting, it is not the punch bag at the gym that takes the wrap of a punters bad choices, but it is us. The jockeys. The most popular reaction of a losing punter seems to be to jump on social media and take up their other job as a keyboard warrior. Social media is a fantastic thing, but it can also be a poisonous vindictive tool, especially in racing. I have personally seen death threats and personal digs used against jockeys in tweets from punters and some jockeys even boycott social media accounts altogether because of the tirade of abuse they receive. Some individuals are even sick minded enough to aim it at a jockeys family to really twist the knife. All for a bet. A bet that they chose. Some bets cost them less than a bag of chips on a Monday night. These individuals are unaware of the mental damage they do. The life of a jockey is a really wonderful one, but it can also be one of the toughest and hardest careers to live through. It is not a glamorous life that people are led to believe nor is it an easy one, so this sort of abuse is not tolerated well by us. Being a jockey is a physically and mentally tough lifestyle and a competitive dog eat dog industry. When we don't feel we have ridden to the best of our ability, trust me we are raging inside and a pointless direct message from someone we don't know about a sport they've never took part in is truly not needed. We are up sometimes as early as 4am and on the

motorway to our yards without time for any breakfast. First lot at most yards is usually at around 7am, so we have to be up and out 4hours before most normal people even hear their first alarm. Wind, rain or snow, we are exercising horses miles from our homes and usually starving ourselves for racing that afternoon (which added to the early starts, makes us a little cranky and very tired.) We are quite often branded grumpy but I promise you that this is not the case. It is sometimes difficult to force a smile when you are tired and it's -5 and you cant have a cup of coffee to warm up because you have a lift weight that night. We have sometimes been starving ourselves for days and after riding out with no strength or energy all morning we then have a 3hour journey back on the motorway to ride one horse at Chelmsford in the 9.00pm race which the Racing Post says has no chance. It costs us a lot of petrol money to drive for 9 hours in one day without getting paid to ride out at the morning yards so we just pray our horse can beat the odds and earn us a little something extra to take home to our families. This job isn't like any job where you are on a set wage. Without the rides, we don't earn anything. So we rely on our yards we visit and the effort we put in to see us through and hope we get to ride their horses when they race. There is a lot of pressure to get enough rides to pay the bills and as nothing is set in stone, one month you can be very busy and the next can be the exact opposite. It is a stressful, tiring, physically demanding and very tough lifestyle. We need good agents working hard for us to get us the rides. We need good cars to get us around the country but ones that are not too good that we can't afford the cost of owning them when racing is slow. We need to find reliable and loyal trainers that will not 'use' us as an extra free rider for the morning but will in fact help us and use our services on race day. But most of all, we need very understanding families and friends that can support us on the days where the life of a jockey just doesn't feel worth it. They say that jockeys partners are one of a kind and I totally agree with that. Our partners barely get to see us and those who have children must hate being away from their families so much. We are generally moody (unless we've had a winner) and it is a very hard life to live with us. But do you know what?...I would not change my job for the world. The work that goes into it is hard graft, long hours and lots of gym workouts to keep up my fitness when I am not racing. But racing is the most alive I feel. I can not compare anything

to how it feels pushing a horse to go faster at full gallop with your neck in front and the crowds screaming you home. It is the biggest buzz you will ever feel and I am forever grateful to anybody that plays a part in me being able to race. I do it because it's amazing. I put up with the hard parts of it all because the racing part makes it all worthwhile and nothing in the world makes me feel as exhilarated as riding a winner. So, next time you back a loser and think the jockey deserves to be made to feel rubbish, just think about what we go through everyday. The mental stress we go through just to earn a living for our families. The tiresome days of driving driving driving and finishing last to get home at midnight and have do it all over again at 4am. Please don't be cruel. We are trying our best and we are already beating ourselves up when we don't win on ones we thought we should have. We are only human. Nobody deserves to feel like they aren't good enough.

Cheltenham 2017 preview By Harry Allwood @H_Allwood1 and Matt Clarkson @MattClarkson3 Sky Bet Supreme Novices Hurdle Harry: 2014 Champion Bumper winner Moon Racer currently heads the betting for the Supreme Novices Hurdle and was a winner over course and distance in November. He won what turned into a tactical race that day and beat horses who look better suited over further. Although heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three from three at Cheltenham and is still relatively lightly raced for an eight-year-old, I think he will prove vulnerable against some potentially top class horses. I was seriously impressed with Charli Parcs when he won at Kempton on his UK debut where he jumped and travelled well and won without coming off the bridle. That wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the strongest of races but he had the race won a long way from home that day as well as posting a decent time. Held in high regard, he looks a high-class horse in the making. Jenkins was ante-post favourite for this race until running disappointingly at Kempton on Boxing Day. Prior to that he had shown some useful bumper form and won in workmanlike fashion at Newbury on his hurdling debut in what looked a strong maiden hurdle. He still remains with plenty of potential but is hard to recommend on the back of that disappointing run and has also had suffered a setback since then. The Willie Mullins trained Cilaos Emery won nicely on his hurdles debut at Navan and at the time that looked an uncompetitive race. However, the second that day is now rated 139 but probably found the trip too short when second to Cilaos Emery and Mullins looks to hold stronger claims with Melon who had a lofty reputation before winning easily at Leopardstown at the end of January. The form of that race is questionable but couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have won any easier and is clearly held in high regard.

Matt: I agree with you Harry on Moon Racer. He’s done what he’s needed to so far over hurdles but he doesn’t strike me as a Supreme Novices winner. At eight he’s quite old to be contesting this race and I feel he could be vulnerable to younger legs. Nicky Henderson has a couple of good chances this year with Jenkins and Charli Parcs. Of the two, Charli Parcs looks his best chance after a brilliant debut performance at Kempton. He’s missed a couple of recent engagements but that wouldn’t put me off. The Supreme king Willie Mullins has some good horses entered again this year with Cilaos Emery who won well at Navan, and the talking horse of the season Melon. Melon looked seriously impressive on his Irish debut and the noise from the yard is that he’s really good. Verdict: Harry - Although it hasn’t been confirmed, this race is likely to be the target for Charli Parcs and still looks value at 8-1 having been well supported for this race over the last few days. It’s worth having a saver on Melon who Willie Mullins holds in high regard and created a good impression when winning at Leopardstown. Matt - For me, Melon is the play in this race. It’s hard to ignore the hype around him and his trainer’s impressive race record. It’s an open Supreme but I think he’s the one to beat.

Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices Chase Harry: Won in 2012 by the mighty Sprinter Sacre, Nicky Henderson looks to have another superstar on his hands with Altior who is three from three over fences and looks destined for the top. He’s unbeaten at the course, jumps well for a novice and is a confident selection to continue his winning streak in the Arkle.

Min is currently clear second favourite and is also unbeaten over fences. He raced keenly in his races as a hurdler but has settled better over fences this season. However, he has suffered a setback in training recently and was beaten easily by Altior in last year’s Supreme. The former Paul Nicholls trained Some Plan looked unfortunate not to win over course and distance in December but has made amends since then by winning at Navan and Leopardstown. He travels well and his jumping has improved on each of his starts over fences. He will also be suited by the likelihood of a small field. Matt: Altior has looked faultless so far over the bigger obstacles and he’ll be a tough nut to crack. I don’t personally think he’s beaten much and his jumping could be touched up if I’m being picky but NJH looks to have a big chance with him. Min has been a favourite of mine since his debut last year and looks set to re oppose after his defeat in last year’s Supreme. Since his first run over hurdles he’s always struck me as a horse that would be better over fences but he’ll still have to be good to beat Altior. Of the rest, Identity Thief, Some Plan and Top Notch could all play a part but are probably just racing for third unless the main two flop.

Verdict: Harry - Altior is a confident selection to win but I wouldn’t put you off having a few quid each-way on Some Plan who is not without hope at 25-1. Matt – Despite Altior being all the rage I’m more than happy to take him on with Min. If he’s too beat him this is his chance. A little each-way punt on Waiting Patiently at 33/1 wouldn’t be discouraged either.

Stan James Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy Harry: This race revolves around current favourite Faugheen who we haven’t seen since winning the Irish Champion Hurdle in January last year. He’s been due to run a couple of times already this season but has once again picked up a couple of injuries. Providing he does make it to the race he will be tough to beat but I wouldn’t want to be taking short odds at this stage on a horse who’s had a disrupted preparation and may not even make it to the race. The Henry de Bromhead trained Petit Mouchoir put in a brave performance to win this year’s Irish Champion Hurdle, travelling well before holding off the late challenge of Footpad. He’s progressed gradually this season and, providing he handles the track, he has a chance of going close. Yanworth is currently prominent in the betting and had previously been fancied for the World Hurdle at the start of the season. Having beaten The New One in the Christmas Hurdle over two miles at Kempton, this race is now the plan for him. He didn’t jump too well that day though and I believe he wants further. Nicky Henderson will be represented by Brain Power who bolted up in a competitive handicap at Ascot in December. When quotes came in for the Champion Hurdle after that win I thought they were a bit optimistic but looking back at the race he was highly impressive indeed carrying almost top weight in one of the strongest handicaps run this season. He defied a 7lb higher mark that day and has now been given a rating of 162 which doesn’t leave him with much to find with those at the head of the market. I wouldn’t be surprised if Yorkhill was supplemented for the race if Faugheen doesn’t turn up. He’s unbeaten over fences this season but was a good winner of the Neptune last season beating Yanworth and looks to have enough speed for two miles. Matt: I agree with Harry about Faugheen. If he turns up fit he wins but at the minute it’s a big if. Personally, I think we’ll see him and see him win.

Yanworth is a horse I’m still not sure on. As talented as he is I’m not sure he’d have the speed for a top class Champion Hurdle. But this isn’t a top class renewal so he’s in with a chance. People know my thoughts on The New One. I’m sure his owners love him but he’s never been a Grade 1 horse. If he wins a Champion Hurdle I’ll eat my own feet! Petit Mouchoir is a horse who has done nothing but improve this year and I see him as Faugheen’s biggest threat.

Verdict: Harry - Plenty of speculation as to who will actually turn up in this race. If Faugheen does run then he will be tough to beat but that’s looking more and more unlikely and I would rather take a chance on the progressive Brain Power each-way at a general 12-1. Matt – Faugheen wins for me. NAP

Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase Harry: Seven-year-old Douvan has looked unbeatable in eight career starts over fences to date, easily winning the Arkle last season and completed a hat-trick of wins at the three big festivals. He’s jumped imperiously in each run over fences as well as beating some useful horses along the way. He’s currently best priced 2-5 for the race so will be many peoples banker and should duly oblige. The horse that is most likely to follow him home though is Fox Norton who has a progressive profile, goes well at the course and is likely to go for the race unlike most who have been given an entry. He was beaten just over ten lengths by Douvan in the Arkle last season but has clearly improved this season. With a revised mark of 167, he’s only rated 2lb inferior to Douvan. He’s three from five at the course and has also produced a couple of decent placed efforts.

Matt: Douvan wins. The end.

Verdict: Harry - Douvan really should be winning this race and has done nothing wrong over fences in his career to date. This race is likely to have very few runners with most of the horses entered having other races as preferred targets. Fox Norton is progressing nicely over fences and this race is the intended target for him at the moment so is the most likely to follow the favourite home. Matt - Douvan. As for an each way option I think Un De Sceaux at 7/1 could be a great bet. He’s not certain to take up this race and he’ll be in the top three if he does. Bet 365 have NRNB so you have nothing to lose in backing him really.

Ryanair Chase Harry: Although the target for Un De Sceaux is currently undecided, he looks likely to go for the Ryanair Chase with stable mate Douvan a short priced favourite for the Champion Chase, a race in which Un De Sceaux was second in last year. He won the rescheduled Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham in good fashion on Trials day and clearly stays the Ryanair trip having won over 2m5f in France last year. He didn’t jump too well at Cheltenham in the Champion Chase but was much better in the Clarence House, travelling well and finding plenty under pressure. One horse who ran an eye catching race at Cheltenham on Trials day was Uxizandre who ran a fantastic race to finish second behind Un De Sceaux, his first run since winning this race in 2015. Although he looked pretty fit beforehand, he’s sure to come on for the run and two miles is on the sharp side for him. Providing he can avoid the dreaded bounce factor, he’s sure to go

close in this race especially with the likelihood of better ground than he encountered on Trials Day. Matt: Again, this race could be on the agenda for Un De Sceaux and he’ll be in with a cracking opportunity if this is his intended target. A horse that impressed me last time was Uxizandre. That was his first run in over 18 months and he’ll certainly come on for the run. He was brilliant in winning this race in 2015 and shouldn’t be discounted. A forgotten horse for many but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Champagne Fever turn up in this. A previous dual festival winner, he’s had a torrid time with injuries of late but made a good return at Thurles and could be a player. Verdict: Harry - As mentioned, although the target is not yet decided for Un De Sceaux, this race looks tailor-made for him in my opinion and should take plenty of beating providing he goes for the race. Uxizandre is the obvious danger having ran so well in defeat behind the selection on his comeback after a long absence. Matt - A race which is wide open due to horses with entries in this amongst other races, I would be happy to take a chance on Champagne Fever at 25/1 with NRNB.

Sun Bets Stayers Hurdle Harry: The Harry Fry trained Unowhatimeanharry has done nothing wrong all season and made it eight wins on the bounce in the Cleeve Hurdle since winning a Handicap off a mark of 123 in November 2015. That was also his fourth win at the course and I’m surprised he’s not shorter than 15-8 to win this race. He strikes me as a horse who only just does enough and clearly idled up the run in when winning the Cleeve Hurdle. 2015 winner Cole Harden was second to Unowhatimeanharry in the Cleeve and that was his best run for some time having run a few disappointing races.

He’s sure to go straight to the stayers hurdle now and looks to be gradually coming back to form so has an each-way chance. 2014 Champion Hurdle winner Jezki won on his return at Navan in January after a long lay-off due to injury. The form of that race is below what some of his rivals have achieved in the run up to this race but he’s a high class horse, has won over three miles in the past and usually shows his best form in the spring. He has the ability to go close providing he can build on that comeback win. Matt: Unowhatimeanharry for me is the underrated horse of the season. He’s 8 from 8 and has got better with every run. For me there’s no beating him in this and the each way market is something worth looking at. I’d be surprised to see Jezki turn up but he’s a great bet if does and Cole Harden, a previous race winner, is another who’s in with a chance. If Willie Mullins sends either Vroum Vroum Mag or Clondaw Warrior they should be bang there too.

Verdict: Harry - My festival banker is going to be Unowhatimeanharry who has improved nearly 50lb since the start of his winning streak. He enjoys Cheltenham, is versatile ground wise and could have even more improvement left in him. He’s a confident selection but is likely to be an even shorter price than he is now on the day and one for the each-way players is Cole Harden who is a previous winner of this race and showed he was coming back to form with a good run last time out. Matt - Unowhatimeanharry should be winning this but each-way bets on Clondaw Warrior at 14/1 and Jezki at 6/1 are advised with NRNB.

JCB Triumph Hurdle Harry: Defi Du Seuil has done nothing wrong all season and deserves to be the current favourite for this race. He won two on the bounce at the track before winning the Future Champions Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow. He didn’t jump so well that day but beat two smart novices easily and was conceding 7lb to a 144 rated rival. He’s been winning on soft ground but there’s no reason to believe he won’t be just as good on better ground and has plenty of speed. He will be going into the race with the best form, already has three wins at Cheltenham under his belt and has plenty of experience for a four-year-old. I was impressed with Dinaria Des Obeaux when she won at Cork in December. She travelled and jumped well in the main that day and the form has worked out okay since. I thought she deserved to be a shorter price for this race as she looked a high class horse in the making on her Irish debut and is also a likely runner. Matt: Defi Du Seuil is a horse I really like. And a horse I don’t think we’ve got to the bottom of yet. I’ve been very impressed with him so far and think better is still to come. Like Harry, I thought Dinaria Des Obeaux won well at Cork and she could put up a big challenge to DDS. Of the rest, I think the Joseph O’Brien pair Landofhopeandglory and Bhutan are worth a mention. Heard good things regarding the latter but time is running out to get him there.

Verdict: Harry - Although Defi Du Seuil will prove hard to beat having done nothing wrong all season and will have the strongest form going into the race, the value lies with Dinaria Des Obeaux who bolted up on her first run for Gordon Elliot and I’m surprised she’s still available at 16-1.

Matt – I’m a big fan of Defi Du Seuil, I think he’s going to be a tough nut to crack and gets my vote in what could be a good race.

Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup Harry: Unfortunately plenty of horses who were fancied for this race at the start of the season are now out of the race. Thistlecrack lost nothing in defeat when second in the Cotswold Chase on trials day and is still the clear ante-post favourite for the race. He was foot perfect in the King George the time before, easily beating stable mate Cue Card. The trip is of course a question mark in the Gold Cup having been outstayed in the Cotswold Chase but I have no doubt he will stay the trip on better ground which he looks better suited by. His jumping around Cheltenham is still questionable but hasn’t done much else wrong this season and deserves to be favourite. It was confirmed recently that Cue Card is now an intended runner in this race and was deemed an unlucky loser by some last year when falling at the third last. Like Thistlecrack, he will also be suited by better ground but has work to do to beat the favourite having been beaten easily by him in the King George. The Hennessy and Welsh National winner Native River is also due to line up for the Tizzard team. He’s a thorough stayer and is likely to make this a proper test for his rivals having made virtually all to win his last two starts and I can see him running a big race, especially if the ground is soft. Twice a runner-up in this race is Djakadam who was third in the Lexus Chase last time out. He’s sure to run his race in the Gold Cup again but was beaten by Outlander whom I believe the value lies with having won a competitive renewal of the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas. He clearly improved for the step up in trip that day and looks certain to be suited by the Gold Cup trip judging by the way he won that race. He’s not won at the course before but was going okay when falling in the JLT last year and I expect him to go close.

Matt: Where to begin haha! Everyone knows my controversial opinions so no point in changing now. Cue Card isn’t good enough for me. Brilliant 3m horse but he’s no Gold Cup winner in my opinion. Thistlecrack. I love the horse. I backed him on every run last year all the way to the festival so people can’t knock my loyalty. But I can knock his jumping. His jumping worries me and I’m not certain that if the race is run at good clip that he’ll get round. Plus, I’m not sure he’ll stay the trip up the hill. His task has been made so much easier with Coneygree and Don Cossack not running but he’s still opposable. Now we get onto Djakadam. The nearly horse. It baffles me how people knock him when he’s been a runner up twice and will still improve with age. His last run at Leopardstown was arguably his best for me as he never touched a twig. He’s a great price. Of the rest, Native River and Outlander look to have good each way chances and although it’s not the strongest Gold Cup I feel it’s more open than some think. Verdict: Harry - The value, as mentioned, lies with Outlander who looks a great each-way bet at 12-1 although Thistlecrack will be hard to beat if the ground is good. Matt - For me the bet is Djakadam. I’ll be backing him to win but he’s still a good each way bet at 6/1 and will be there at end. A risky selection but I wouldn’t put people off backing Alary each way too. He was slated for his debut run at Haydock but I’d put a line through that. His French form is good and if he’s 100% he’s an each way bet at 33/1.

Looking back at the Skybet Chase By Bobby Beevers @BobbyBeevers Sky Bet Chase day proved to be another cracking day of racing on Town Moor with the Alan King trained Ziga Boy making it back to back wins in the main race.

Under a great ride from the front under Tom Bellamy, it was a superb display of jumping. I spoke to Tom afterwards who was delighted and said it was his biggest win to date. The handicapper has put him up 10 pounds to a mark of 147 which could potentially get him in the Grand National. We don't know how he will get on over the famous fences as he got hampered and unseated Tom at the first in the Becher Chase back in December. I really hope he gets in as I believe he could be a fascinating contender. Vroum Vroum Mag made the trip over from Ireland to compete in the Mares Hurdle, on paper it should have been an easy victory but Midnight Jazz pushed her all the way to the line. The 8 year old mare was all out but managed to beat the Ben Case contender by a head. On her day Vroum Vroum Mag is a very talented horse and I'm looking forward to seeing her at the festival regardless of which race she turns up in. Constantine Bay made it 3 from 3 over hurdles in the River Don and out of 5 career starts (including 2 ptp) the 6 year old gelding has won 4 of those. The Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurlde looks like the race we will see him in at Prestbury Park

Point to Point News and results By Chloe Batchelor @p2pchloeb Barbury makes history Point-to-pointing history is set to be made on 14th January, with a new fixture at Barbury. Riders and horses from the UK and Ireland will race together - a first for UK Point to Pointing. Barbury International Racing Club opened its entries to eligible horses and riders from Ireland as well as the UK. This will be the first fixture to draw together combinations from the two countries on a UK point-to-point course. “This promises to be a great day’s racing,” There is a £5,750 prize fund on offer with idea coming from meeting chairman Nigel Bunter . 14 Irish horses are among the 166 entered. Another first for point-to-pointing is the inclusion of two bumpers, which will be the final races on the card and will mark the first time a bumper has been held at a point-to-point meeting. The idea for the fixture is designed to encourage the development of young horses in our sport, and promises some hot competition,” said a statement on the Point-to-Point Authority website. “Races are open to licensed trainers, provided horses have not run under Rules for 50 days and have a hunt qualification certificate.” Organisers are paying a £75 allowance to all unplaced horses travelling more than 200 miles to the meet. There where eight races on the card — three maidens, a mixed open, novice riders and a veterans’ race for 10 year olds and above plus the bumpers.

Results from Barbury 14th January Going: Good to Soft, Good in places 11:30 Open Maiden 45&6yo 2m4f 12st(9 runners) 1 2 3 Winning Owner Winning Trainer

Orchardstown Cross (IRE)4/5FJ. Newman Emtidaad (IRE)5/1R. Harding Sarazen Bridge (GB)10/1N. Phillips Mr Tom Malone Tom Malone

12:05 Jockey Club Mares Maiden 45&6yo 2m4f 11st7lbs(7 runners) 1 2 3 Winning Owner Winning Trainer

Cheltenham Mati (FR)2/1Z. Baker Flights (GB)6/1L. Williams Upton Princess (GB)20/1B. Moorcroft Mr T. D. B. Underwood Tim Underwood

12:40 Club Members Conditions 9yo&up 3m6f 12st(15 runners) 1 2 3 Winning Owner Winning Trainer

Iberico (IRE)4/6FS. Jukes Cotillion (GB)7/1James King Darkestbeforedawn (IRE)12/1M. McIntyre Mr C. J. Bennett Sam Jukes

A few good reasons to go to Point to Pointing this year -

1.Spot up and coming Talent Ruby Walsh, Robert Thornton, Paul Carberry and Sam Twiston-Davies are just a few of the big National Hunt names who have cut their teeth in the point-to-pointing world, most National Hunt jockeys have started their illustrious careers taking a spin round the point to point courses of the UK and Ireland. 2. Entertain your non-horsey friends With busy bars, childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rides and tradestands on offer, even the most unhorsey of friends (or family) can be kept entertained. The Meynell & South Staffs stage the pony racing finals as well as hound racing; High Easter has a big screen for Grand National coverage. Even the most unhorsey of friends will still love to dig out their wellies or country boots and indulge in some good countryside fun. 3. Supporting your local hunt Support your local hunt and the countryside, so many people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really understand all the hard work that goes into keeping the countryside safe, managed and maintained - local hunts help keep vermin low and support the local farmers who in turn are supported by the local area. Many people who help out at hunts and Point to Point meets are volunteers, the back bone of the racing community and they do it for the love of the sport. My advice - experience at least one point to point meeting this year and attend the opening or boxing day meets at your local hunts.

Irish News Last weekend (Saturday 28th January) the Irish Point to Point Family lost John O’Connor in a car accident; he was a promising young jockey with 6 wins to his name and had a bright future in the sport. John was a track work rider at the Racing Academy and Centre of Education in Kildare and was also a well-known and much-respected point to point jockey. A popular rider on the Cork Waterford Circuit who showed much promise riding six winners last season for handlers such as Ivor Kingston, Terence Leonard, Matthew Daly, Kieran Roche, Michael Kennedy and Patrick Doyle while he was also closely associated with the Eugene O’Sullivan yard. A statement on the Point To Point website said he “showed much promise” . Jockeys at Leopardstown wore black armbands at the meeting on Sunday as a mark of respect. Friends from the racing world described John as “one in a million”, “the perfect gentleman”, and “one of the best lads that anyone could possibly know”. All of us at Weighed in Racing send our condolences to his family, friends and all who knew him.

And I would also like to make a special mention to a horse who touched everyone hearts Many Clouds, he was an amazing horse and died doing what he loved, I have spoken to his trainer Oliver Sherwood and expressed all our sympathies, it’s the sad unfortunate side to horse racing and I know Many Clouds will be sorely missed by all.

Happy pointing, join me next month for more Point to Point news, action and results. Chloe xxxx

The Final Flight Novice Notebook By Grant Copson @thefinalflight1 Following the excellent Christmas period of racing both sides of the Irish Sea, January always has a hard act to follow and this year was no different with the exception of Cheltenhamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Festival Trials Day. Though, there is no denying that the sad death of fans favourite Many Clouds put a real dampener on proceedings and he will leave a huge hole at Oliver Sherwoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rhonehurst Stables. My thoughts are firmly with Sherwood and his team at this tough time, though the positive attitude that he showed when interviewed at Cheltenham was an outstanding testament to the man himself and he proved to be a invaluable role model for the sport on the whole on what was such a terrible day for National Hunt racing. With that in mind, I am certain that he will drive his team to plenty more success in the future. Although there was not many standout meetings over the past month, I firmly believe that there were still plenty of pointers for the future and as always, I have done my best to highlight them. A very special wolfâ&#x20AC;Ś The Harry Fry-trained Neon Wolf defended his unbeaten record at Haydock when running out an authoritative winner of the Grade 2 on Peter Marsh Chase Day and assuming that connections opt for the Cheltenham Festival, he certainly enhanced his claims. He travelled and jumped supremely well throughout the contest, occasionally shaping as if he is already ready to jump the bigger obstacles. Both Fry and jockey Noel Fehily failed to contain their excitement post race and based on the evidence so far, this is a youngster with the potential to go to the very top. If Cheltenham was a must for connections then his ability to stay further than two miles will bring the Neptune into the reckoning but I would personally prefer him to miss the Festival en route to either Aintree or Punchestown. Hailing from a stable that is very patient with their youngsters and the fact that his owners, Materson Holdings Limited, have showed similar traits in the past, a trip across the water for the Punchestown Festival will certainly come under consideration.

Handicappers to keep on sideâ&#x20AC;Ś

Robinsfirth (pic by @mjyharris ) Colin Tizzard doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need any introduction at present so it is straight to the horse in question and Robinsfirth is a horse that has always been held in extremely high-regard by his handler. After being off for almost two years when making his chasing debut at Wincanton in December, this gorgeous son of Flemensfirth made a pleasing start to life over fences by finishing second behind Connetable. He made no mistake at the beginning of January when landing the odds to run out a convincing winner, beating the fairly useful and consistent Theoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Charm by five lengths in the process. After showing stamina traits on that occasion, it was no surprise to see this gelding racing over just shy of three miles when unseating Harry Cobden as he was just about to make his presence felt. The handicapper subsequently left Robinsfirth on a mark of 142 which rules out the novice handicap at the Cheltenham Festival but as he looks to be a thorough stayer, the Ultima Handicap Chase on day one could certainly be on his radar. It is also possible that connections will swerve Cheltenham as he does lack the experience that is often required for a fiercely contested race of that nature, though he is definitely a horse that is capable of winning races from what looks a lenient current official rating.

The progressive Dadsintrouble ran out a very impressive winner of a two mile and seven furlong handicap hurdle at Haydock on the same day that Neon Wolf won the aforementioned Grade 2 race but in my opinion, the wellbacked Aintree My Dream would be the horse to take out of the race moving forward. After taking a fierce grip in the early stages of the race, this gelding was in front four out and understandably got tired in the straight on the energy sapping soft ground. His fourth behind subsequent Grade 1 winner Messire Des Obeaux reads particularly well now and after being left on his opening handicap mark of 129 after his Haydock third, he is a handicap hurdler to keep on side. He will make a chaser down the line but Dan Skelton can look forward to a profitable spring with this seven-year-old in the meantime. Bumper winner Bags Groove shed his maiden tag over hurdles at the third time of asking when running out an easy winner of a novice hurdle in Taunton. After running in a Newbury maiden and novice hurdle before the turn of the year, this was by far his easiest assignment over timber to date but he went about it with the minimum amount of fuss, scoring by four and a half lengths. He gave the impression that he is progressing nicely with experience, though he did look tricky on his second start over hurdles so I would be keen to see this horse run in headgear when he is stepped up in class. The Betfair Hurdle at Newbury this month could be an ideal time for him to make his handicap debut, where from a mark of 134 he wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be overburdened with weight and he will have a huge chance if Harry Fry allows him to take his chance. Two very much for the futureâ&#x20AC;Ś There were two horses that ran in January who I believe should be noted with the future in mind. The first is ex-pointer Report To Base who made a smooth transition to rules racing when making a winning debut at Uttoxeter in November. He was beaten on his next start when attempting to give a stone to the smart mare Kayf Grace but he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lose anything in defeat on that occasion and his most recent run when second to Coo Star Sivola was a very pleasing effort. This scopey son of Westerner caught the eye at Cheltenham where after being sent into the lead from flag fall, he travelled smoothly into contention before being unable to quicken as well as the eventual winner (he

did give 6lbs to the winner). Trained by Evan Williams for Mr and Mrs Rucker, it is expected that Report To Base will embark on a novice chase campaign in the autumn and he is very much one to follow in that sphere. Another horse in a similar mould to Report to Base is the Paul Nichollstrained Topofthegame who really impressed me when overcoming inexperience to make a winning start to his career under rules at Ascot. Another winner between the flags before joining Nicholls’ Ditcheat operation, this tall son of Flemensfirth contested what looked a very strong novices’ hurdle at Cheltenham on Trials Day and after showing signs of greenness again, his connections ought to have been delighted with his close fourth placed finish. He was only eleven lengths behind the much more experienced Wholestone at the line and it was pleasing to see the front quartet pull a significant distance ahead of the remainder. He travelled like a very good horse throughout that contest and although his effort petered out after making a mistake at the last (normal 2 out), he shaped with enough promise to advise him as a horse to follow for the future. Cheltenham Festival pointers… It’s the time of the year to begin to start talking about the Cheltenham Festival in more significant detail and there were three horses that really caught my eye with the Festival in mind during the month of January. The John Quinn-trained Project Bluebook is the first to earn his place here after making a superb handicap debut at Musselburgh. He shaped with plenty of promise on his hurdling debut before putting his experience to good use when winning a juvenile hurdle a month later. Although this ex-flat performer was only running from a mark of 127 on his handicap debut, he travelled powerfully throughout and showed a blistering turn of foot to put the race to bed. He goes on Cheltenham trial back at Musselburgh for their Festival Trials weekend where he is fully expected to make it three from four over hurdles. He has recently been acquired by leading National Hunt owner JP McManus and with the strength in depth that McManus has in the juvenile hurdle ranks, it is predicted that Project Bluebook could be his representative in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle. Though, as he is a rapidly improving individual, his progress should be monitored carefully for the remainder of the season and the four-year-old anniversary hurdle at Aintree

may also be on his radar. Although Champers On Ice hasn’t impressed with his jumping over the larger obstacles since switching from the novice hurdling ranks last season, I strongly believe that this gelding will be a leading contender for National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and for that reason he deserves a mention this month’s notebook. He was caught a long way back after some indifferent jumps in the early stages at Cheltenham on his most recent start but he ran on in tremendous style to finish a never nearer sixth and a step up to a marathon trip can bring out further improvement. Always described as a stayer by connections, Champers On Ice put in a career best performance at last season’s Cheltenham Festival when he finished third in the Albert Bartlett and his master trainer David Pipe will certainly have him primed for the big day. He will obviously have other options leading up to the Festival, namely the RSA Novices’ Chase and the Ultima Handicap Chase but with the four mile trip expected to suit him perfectly, the 20/1 that is still available is a fair price. Last season’s Martin Pipe Conditional Handicap Hurdle winner Ibis Du Rheu has made a good start to his chasing career without managing to get his head in front, but it is predicted that there is still plenty more improvement to come when he steps back up in trip in the spring. He most recently contested the same novice handicap that the aforementioned Champers On Ice did where after getting slightly outpaced as the tempo increased, he was just beginning to stay on when being badly hampered by Mercian Prince who fell at the third last. Although he won over an extended two and a half miles at last season’s Festival, this Paul Nicholls-trained six-year-old looks tailor made for races over at least three miles. The Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase looks an obvious target for this horse, a race that Nicholls used to prepare Le Mercurey for the RSA Novices’ Chase last term and it is possible that Ibis Du Rheu will follow the exact same route. He is currently priced at 33/1 for the RSA and given that he is a previous Festival winner and that he will improve for racing on better ground, he looks overpriced.

Most notable bumper winners… Plenty of horses make their debut with a huge home reputation and Champ, named after the great AP McCoy, had plenty to live up to when he started his career at Southwell at the end of the month. Unsurprisingly, JP McManus’ stable jockey Barry Geraghty made the trip to the Nottingham venue and Champ certainly didn’t disappoint with a comfortable debut success. Held up in the rear in the early exchanges, he made smooth headway into midfield before quickening up to record a taking three and a half length victory. Although the race wasn’t a particularly strong event, the visual impression that he created on the day was enough to confirm him as an above average performer and he is definitely one to follow. He is priced up as 20/1 for the Champion Bumper and on the evidence of his Southwell win that looks skinny enough. Though, I look forward to seeing this Nicky Henderson-trained gelding over hurdles in the autumn and he is in excellent hands to excel over timber. The other eye-catching winner in this category was Barry Connell’s Borderline Chatho who after over a year off the track, he won a Naas bumper in good style. Three and a quarter lengths behind subsequent Grade 2 bumper winner Bacardys when last seen, this six-year-old showed a good attitude to see off the useful Burren Life by one and a half lengths. After such a lengthy layoff, you would expect that his trainer Alan Fleming left something to work on so it is totally possible that he will contest one of the good bumpers at Punchestown in the spring. He looks like a good-moving individual who will handle decent ground and he has already showed that he has plenty of class too. On looks alone, I expect that he will make up into a useful hurdler next season and he can take pretty high rank in that sphere. He is exciting. One to avoid? Ibis Du Rheu was advertised above as a horse to follow but his older brother Saphir Du Rheu has to be placed in this category after looking like he again failed to go through with his effort at Cheltenham in a race won by Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Foxtail Hill. I heard plenty of people criticising the ride by Nick Scholfield but I am of the belief that Saphir Du Rheu is a very tricky customer and he looks as though he will continue to cost punters plenty of

money before getting his head in front again. He was raised three pounds to 156 (two pounds higher than his hurdles mark) for his latest effort and from what he has showed this season, he is clearly not as well handicapped as many people believe he is. In my opinion, he is worth avoiding from now on.