We started in great style with Minella Crooner beating RTR 2 I Am Maximus and in total we had 16 TOP RATED winners from 43 races at a strike rate of 37.21%. These included the impressive Jonbon, Landrake in Ireland, Quick Wave in the London National and Ashtown Lad in the Becher Chase

The Ratings got off to a flyer with TOP RATED Minella Crooner beating RTR 2 I Am Maximus in the first race of the day (remember the ratings for the first race are ALWAYS free). A slightly better jump at the last from Minella Crooner allowed him to land running. He hit the front 100 yards out before I Am Maximus started to battle back. Personally I think this is the ideal trip for I Am Maximus whilst Minella Crooner will be better again over 3m.

Authorised Speed demonstrated his win last time out at Lingfield was no fluke and even carrying a penalty he was able to beat the highly regarded Immortal at Sandown. We have to remember this was the race that Constitution Hill made his rules debut in last year whilst Immortal didn’t have that point form and experience to use. Authorised Speed bar a mistake at the last was very good and comfortably beat Immortal but I think this race again will work out well. I highlighted Constitution Hill after he won this race because he beat Might I and Outlaw Pete comfortably having achieved high R Figures previously. Authorised Speed had achieved even HIGHER figures than those 2. Authorised Speed has to be thought of as a Cheltenham Festival hope now whilst I believe Immortal will only get better.

Well, kind of. David Maxwell rode Dolphin Square all the way to the 2nd winning post whilst Ben on TOP RATED Call Me Lord stopped riding at the 1st winning post. It’s time to get rid of the different winning posts. This happens every single year!

Noble Yeats really showed he’s both improved AND needs a minimum of 3m before he really gets going. He was off the bridle turning into the straight and Dashel Drasher and Ahoy Senor had gone for home. In between then 3rd last and the 2nd last, Noble Yeats really picked up strongly and by the last was pulling further and further clear. This was a very impressive performance and you would imagine he now goes to Cheltenham in January for the Cotswold Chase before going back to Cheltenham for the Gold Cup. Ahoy Senor jumped the first two like he had never seen a fence before and it wouldn’t surprise me if they dropped him back to hurdles now. Staying over fences is arguably wasting time now.

Venetia Williams had 3 winners today with Farinet winning the Welsh National trial at Chepstow, Brave Seasca winning at Aintree & Quick Wave winning the London National at Sandown. All 3 were mightily impressive and it’s clear Venetia is coming into form at ‘her time of year’. All 3 are going to get a fair old whack from the handicapper. Grand Mogul at Chepstow ran well for a long way but may have found this race against better horses against him and a drop in class should suit. Gunsight Ridge at Aintree arguably didn’t get the 2 1/2 mile trip and dropping back in trip would be my idea of how to get more out of him

Jonbon was very impressive at Sandown although this was easier than his last race in my opinion. Boothill is good but I think he’s not as good as Monmiral and wouldn’t have a lot between him and West Cork to be honest. Jonbon however is the rightful favourite for the Arkle and looks very classy. We do have to remember though, he was beaten with ease by Constitution Hill in the Supreme Novices Hurdle last season.

Facile Vega made all the running and won by 14 lengths on hurdles debut at primitive odds of 1/9. He was clearly very good but the race definitely lacked any substance, the runner up was beaten and dropping back into 3rd when falling at Cheltenham on hurdles debut. I imagine he’ll be in the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown next where we can get an idea of how good he really is over hurdles.

Dan and Harry Skelton have had a great few weeks and it got even better with TOP RATED Ashtown Lad winning the Becher Chase at Aintree over the National fences and I think won with a bit in hand. Rated 138, he needed to win this race to get into the National itself and you would imagine that’s where he’s aimed at now. He finished a good 5th in the Scottish National last year and his return when 3rd in a Pertemps Qualifier has worked out really well. Looking behind, I was trying to find one that had been eyecatching but personally I think the one to take the race was the winner.

TOP RATED Love Envoi gave away weight to most of her rivals on her return and she had to show plenty of heart after the last when both Playful Saint and Homme Public coming with their runs. Love Envoi dug deep and pulled away again after the last and is stepping back up in class in a Mares hurdle next time. Friend or Foe finished 7th here but looked the biggest danger to Love Envoi at the 2nd last. Clearly needing the run, he should improve massively for the run and back over fences is one to keep an eye out for.

Last season twitter was awash with Brave Seasca Grand Annual slips and left many distraught when he turned up in the Arkle instead. He fell that day so it was a bit of a surprise he was allowed to go off 12/1 for his next handicap. He dotted up and is going to get a good hike for that and probably will need to be back in Graded races after this. Gunsight Ridge was the big gamble with the step up in trip expected by connections to bring out more improvement, however that was not the case and I think he faded late on after travelling well for a long way. He’s on a nice mark if dropped back in trip to 2m and I wonder whether we might not see that until March for the Grand Annual with a few more tries over this trip in the next few months with the aim of getting him to drop a few pound.

Shishkin vs Greaneteen vs Edwardstone was how the race was billed. They finished 1st , 2nd and 3rd but in truth the winner Edwardstone blew the other 2 away. Shishkin made a mistake at the pond fence 3 out which definitely cost him being involved but he didn’t pick up after that. Nicky Henderson has suggested he will be stepped up in trip now. Greaneteen did everything right but was no match to Edwardstone who over fences is getting better and better. He looks like he could be the biggest challenge for Energumene although personally I think Energumene is still clear of Edwardstone.

Romeo Brown won the concluding hurdle at Aintree making all of the running. Had you been on Walking on Air (11/4) or Benson (7/2), you would have surely been confident you were going to get past the 50/1 front runner but it was not to be. Walking On Air could improve for the run as he arguably travelled best of all whilst Benson didn’t hit his flat spot or sulk and after the last, I thought would show his usual finish and go past the eventual winner.

Any Second Now arguably bumped into a really well handicapped horse in Noble Yeats in the Grand National. We have to remember they pulled 20 lengths clear of 3rd after the last. Noble Yeats looks a real Gold Cup contender. I would be putting him in the list of potentials for the Grand National which includes Delta Work, Ashtown Lad and Corach Rambler.

Jonbon beating Monmiral is probably going to be a good race and both Monmiral and West Cork are useful and I hope BOTH are aimed at a feature handicap or two. I’m pretty confident West Cork will be and the Grand Annual is surely the plan even at this stage of the season. Monmiral doesn’t need to step up in trip and he could well have been by the future Arkle winner and picking up a handicap would be how I would be campaigning him for the rest of the season. We’ve had more and more horses winning off top/big weights recently and Monmiral could definitely do that too!

Love Envoi winning at Sandown off 139 surely means Nurse Susan (2nd and 4th behind Love Envoi last season) off 124 would be very well handicapped. I hope she is fit next season.

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