TimeformBlog

Gold Cup winner Imperial Commander has reportedly been ruled out of the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.


Matched at a low of 5.0 on Betfair, Imperial Commander had been doubtful for Kempton after sustaining a cut to his near fore in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November. Having failed to recover sufficiently from that injury, Imperial Commander will now reportedly be saved to bid for a repeat win in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.

This news has seen Kauto Star's King George price contract to 2.14, with Nicky Henderson's Long Run his nearest rival at 7.0.


(Read more at http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/)

This week's Betting Briefing is sadly more of a weather guide than anything else...


Sunday 5th December

Lingfield was abandoned on Friday and Sunday's meeting hinges on a Saturday 3pm inspection. Ironically, while the all-weather cards struggle there is a more upbeat bulletin from Exeter who hope to race. There is also reason to be positive at Warwick where racing has a fighting chance of going ahead.


Monday 6th December

Bangor and Musselburgh have already fallen foul to the weather, but there should be all-weather action from Lingfield and a mixed card featuring three bumpers and three Flat races at Southwell.


Tuesday 7th December

Fontwell is the only hope for National Hunt racing on Tuesday given that Sedgefield has already been abandoned, but the West Sussex course is currently under snow and will no doubt need a rise in temperature to improve its prospects of racing. Southwell anticipate no problems for their all-weather card, however.


Wednesday 8th December

Hexham's prospects of racing are described as "very bleak" and Leicester must be in some doubt, too. However, there is more positive news from Ireland where Dundalk and Fairyhouse are hoping to race. Kempton and Lingfield host Britain's all-weather racing.

Thursday 9th December

Temperatures are set to begin to rise during the week at Huntingdon, Ludlow and Taunton, so it would be most disappointing if we weren't to get at least some jumps racing on Thursday. Kempton will at least guarantee some action if the worst comes to the worst.


Friday 10th December

If all goes well Friday could be a tremendous day of action. Wolverhampton and Southwell are both set to race and if the weather clears then Doncaster and Cheltenham both host intriguing cards. All being well Dundalk and Gowran will play host to racing in Ireland, too.


Saturday 11th December

All eyes will be on Cheltenham as not only does Prestbury Park host its usual high quality card, including the Vote AP Gold Cup, but also the Tingle Creek will add even more class to the meeting after it was rearranged from Sandown. Twist Magic and Master Minded are just two who will hopefully be turning out for the historical race and it's sure to be a great afternoon of action. Elsewhere on Saturday there are National Hunt meetings at Doncaster and Lingfield, and all-weather racing at Southwell and Wolverhampton.


(Read more at http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/timeform-features/)

We've identified a trio of horses to oppose, should racing ever take place again...


It's probably quite brave to talk down a potentially well-treated David Pipe charge in most circumstances, but with Laustra Bad we can be more confident than usual. After quickly going the wrong way last winter, the son of Astarabad had dropped to a career-low BHA mark of 110 when he reappeared at Huntingdon last Saturday, 15 lb lower than his highest mark from the previous season. Given this, the support he came in for at Huntingdon looked ominous, but as has so often been the case with Laustra Bad in recent seasons it was his application which let him down, seemingly reluctant to go past I've Been Framed in the straight having always sat close up. Going up a handful of pounds won't harm Laustra Bad's chances next time to any great degree given he was capable of mixing it from marks in the high-120s in his prime and probably retains the lion's share of that ability, but so long as his attitude remains as it is he is very much one to be against at short odds. Furthermore, there can be no guarantee that Laustra Bad will give his running next time, his best efforts in recent campaigns having been reserved for when he's fresh.

It can be all too easy to cast aspersions on horses that have racked up a sequence of second-placed finishes, but on the evidence of his latest run there must now be serious doubt as to whether Wingull's filling the runner-up spot on his last three starts is a coincidence. Sent off a strong favourite at Ffos Las last Monday, Wingull proved a very difficult ride for capable amateur Ryan Mahon, seeming to lose interest after a mistake at the seventh and getting going again only once eventual winner Cold Harbour was beyond recall. Given he'd shown his running over shorter on his previous two starts, there's no reason to suggest that Wingull was done for speed and, despite what's clearly a workable mark, he's not one to trust until he proves himself to be of sound temperament.

Sellers and claimers on the all-weather at this time of year can be particularly uncompetitive, but even so we think there's some mileage in opposing Sheila's Star, who will be bidding for a hat-trick next time after back-to-back successes at Wolverhampton. Stan Moore's filly has made heavy weather of landing the odds in a seller last time, fortunate to win in fact given it took runner-up A Little Bit Dusty wilting in the final hundred yards for her to get up late in the piece. Sheila's Star admittedly posted better form than that in nurseries during the summer, but she'd proved difficult to win with prior to being dropped into plating company and is possibly worth opposing at what are sure to be cramped odds in similar events near to hand.


(Read more at http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/timeform-features/)

They may not get the chance to shine in the coming weeks judging by the weather forecast, but we've identified a couple of jumpers to keep an eye on near to hand. It's probably best we throw in an all-weather horse too, just in case.


Diamond Harry quite rightly captured the headlines on Saturday with his coming-of-age performance in the Hennessy, but another winner on the card may have slipped under the radar resultantly and makes even more appeal looking forward. Tocca Ferro (Timeform Rating h145p) stamped himself as one of the most progressive hurdlers around in winning the listed Gerry Fielden Intermediate Hurdle, a limited handicap, by just over two lengths from Rebel Dancer. That margin tells only part of the story, however, as the manner in which Emma Lavelle's charge went about his success would suggest that there's plenty more to come from him, tanking all over a field which contained a number of unexposed sorts and needing only nudged out to make sure from the last. An out-and-out two-miler, there are plenty of good opportunities in top handicaps for the likes of Tocca Ferro during the winter and although the competition won't get any easier, he is most likely to remain ahead of the handicapper next time at least.

Perhaps it's no surprise that a switch of stable from Ben de Haan to David Pipe has been followed by improvement, but even so Matuhi (c135) has taken off for his new yard in the past couple of weeks and is no doubt one to side with in the near future. A ready winner over Five Dream on his reappearance, Matuhi found only the extremely well-handicapped Aigle d'Or too good at Newbury on Friday, encouragingly seeing things out much better than had often been the case for his former stable, finishing clear of a couple of unexposed sorts in First Point and Call Me A Legend into the bargain. Given he's going to be 4 lb higher in future than he was for that race, connections may decide against pitching Matuhi into the ultra-competitive December Gold Cup at Cheltenham, especially considering the yard also have Great Endeavour engaged in the race, and there's no reason to believe he's not up to adding to his Ascot success back in less exalted company.

Meanwhile back on the Flat, we've indentified Lowther (101) as one who's well worth keeping onside in some of the better handicaps coming up in the next few weeks. Very much unexposed on the all-weather, Alan Bailey's charge came back to his best when winning at Lingfield earlier in November, looking a natural on the surface as he travelled into things easily and soon put the race to bed once shaken up a furlong out. Turned out under a penalty on Friday, Lowther ran respectably when a fast-finishing fourth behind Arteus at the same course, beaten less than two lengths in the end and shaping as though there are more races to be won with him from similar marks. Clearly well suited to the distinctive all-weather course at Lingfield, Lowther will command respect next time, whether it be over seven furlongs or dropped back to six.


(Read more at http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/timeform-features/)

Newbury's Saturday meeting dodged the bad weather, and racing fans were treated to an afternoon of top-quality jumps racing. Timeform look back over the day's action...


All the weekend's best racing was confined to Newbury, where the day's best winning performance came courtesy of Diamond Harry, who produced a top-class effort to win the Hennessy Gold Cup by one and a quarter lengths and fourteen lengths from Burton Port and Denman. Diamond Harry's form still falls short of the standard set by the likes of Kauto Star, Imperial Commander and Denman, but he left the impression at Newbury that he has more in the locker and he certainly has the potential to make up into a serious Gold Cup contender, that view reflected in the fact that he is currently the 17.0 fourth choice of punters for the race, behind only that aforementioned trio. Burton Port also recorded a top-class rating in pulling clear with Diamond Harry, showing a good attitude despite a less-than-fluent round of jumping. He will stay further and is reportedly under consideration for the Welsh National, for which he is a 14.5 chance. Looking further ahead, Burton Port can be backed at 20.0 for the Gold Cup. The talk pre-race was whether Denman could defy a BHA mark of 182 to make it three wins in the Hennessy, and though that question was answered in the negative, Denman still ran creditably, showing plenty of spark and jumping typically well before his welter burden eventually told. Paul Nicholls has said that Denman will now head straight to the Gold Cup, which is probably a good move given some of his best efforts have come when fresh, and he is now a 9.8 shot for the race.

Champion Hurdler Binocular was on show in the rehomed Fighting Fifth but, as with last year, he made a below-par reappearance in the race, on Saturday giving best to last season's top novice hurdler Peddlers Cross. Peddlers Cross ran to a high-class level of form in beating Starluck by one and a quarter lengths, and now looks a genuine Champion Hurdle contender, available to back at just 7.0 for that race. Binocular remains favourite at 5.5 however, and the Newbury race is certainly not one on which to judge him, carrying plenty of condition and, in the circumstances, doing enough to suggest that he retains all the ability that saw him emerge as the top two-mile hurdler in training last season.

The top hurdler over any distance was also on show, and Big Buck's made no mistake in making it nine wins from nine starts over timber in Britain with a facile success in the Long Distance Hurdle. In a race run at a steady gallop, Big Buck's didn't need to be anywhere near his best to land the odds from Duc de Regniere, but he showed that, once again, he will prove very difficult to beat in staying hurdles, with the division seemingly devoid of any up-and-comers. Big Buck's is the shortest-priced favourite for any ante-post race at Cheltenham, currently a 2.06 shot for the World Hurdle.

There were a couple of listed races on the Flat at Kempton on Saturday, and the main story there was the dead-heat between Riggns and Fanunalter in the Hyde Stakes over a mile. Riggins was giving his rookie trainer Ed Walker a dream start to his career, providing Luca Cumani's former assistant with a winner with his very first runner.

Sunday was a quiet day in Britain and Ireland, a low-key all-weather meeting at Kempton all that survived the chill, but there was drama on the Flat in Japan where the Japan Cup ended with the controversial disqualification of first-past-the-post Buena Vista in favour of compatriot Rose Kingdom. French-trained Cirrus des Aigles did best of the Europeans to finish ninth, with Joshua Tree and Dandino filling the next two places.


(Read more at http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/timeform-features/)

Neil Munro discusses a few more horses whose in-running price movements we should take note of.


One of the reasons that we all love horse racing is because it divides opinion. We all think we are right and that forms the basis of how the exchange model works on Betfair. I believe that a horse will win and someone else opposes that view. Simples, as they say. But this does lead to controversy at times and we have seen it recently with plenty of debate over how Get Me Out Of Here has been ridden. For me, everyone is allowed an opinion but I only trust one person, and that person is me. What I see with my own eyes is what I care about, not what I read or hear.

Get Me Out Of Here - Anyone who remembers Jonjo O'Neill's six year old gelding chasing Menorah all the way to the line in the Supreme Novices Hurdle earlier this year will have been surprised by what they have seen on his two runs this season. And that includes me. His seasonal reappearance at Ascot was the first time he had experienced going right handed but that didn't seem to trouble him, he just didn't see out his comeback run fully to the line. Connections then sent him to Cheltenham and we saw the same in-running pattern as he travelled well enough. But when asked the question, he faded very quickly. The jury has to be out on Get Me Out Of Here until we know whether it is early season fitness or maybe a breathing issue that is stopping him from seeing the race out to the finish. For me, he is worth monitoring closely but I will be backing him for small stakes pre-race and then looking to lay out the stake and more at lower odds during the race.

Tara Royal - This is a reminder, as I spoke about the strong travelling gelding earlier in the year. Tara Royal has been consistent in how he runs his races, whether jumping hurdles or over the bigger obstacles, in that he always seems to travel supremely well, but for whatever reason he doesn't always finish off his races. In eight defeats under rules he has traded odds-on in the run five times including touching 1.51, 1.36, 1.11 and 1.10. He's your classic case of a horse worth backing pre-race and worth laying in-running.

Sonny Mullen - Kim Bailey isn't quite the force of old but he is still one of those trainers whose yard I like to keep an eye on and Sonny Mullen has come on to the in-running radar. The six year old looks to me like the type of horse who will enjoy extreme trips and loves a bit of cut in the ground. Sounds like a proper old fashioned National Hunt horse doesn't he? He does tend to appear one-paced at times, which means over extreme distances you have a chance to get a bigger price in the run. But he has also traded low at times in defeat so for me he is also worth putting in a lay offer at around 3.50 (if price allows) to get my stake back.

Autumn Blades - Another horse that I have spoken about before but I make no apology in giving you all a reminder about this real character of the all-weather circuit. Yes he has won three times on turf, including a surprise win in May over a mile at Chester when returning 25/1, but overall his record is superior on the artificial surfaces with six wins. Despite him being "quirky". I know he likes to be held up and then has to be delivered late but sometimes he doesn't put it all in at the business end. This is backed up by his in-running CV where he has nine trades at odds-on in defeat and traded higher in the run when winning in eight of his nine wins.


(Read more at http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/timeform-features/)

Seemingly not even the all-weather is safe from the clutches of the winter chills at present, and next week's racing faces a battle against the elements to go ahead. With fingers crossed, Timeform look ahead to the coming action, the undoubted highlight of which is another chance to see Master Minded at Sandown on Saturday...


Sunday November 28

All eyes will be on Fairyhouse on Sunday where there are three Grade 1 events scheduled to take place. The two highest-rated hurdlers in Ireland, Hurricane Fly and Solwhit, renew rivalry in the Hatton's Grace (14:40) while there will be top novices on show over hurdles in the Royal Bond (13:15) and over fences in the Drinmore (13:50), Mikael d'Haguenet a fascinating contender in the last-named event.

It will be an early start for any Flat fans who wants to watch the Japan Cup (06:20) at Tokyo, where there is plenty of European interest, not least from the likes of the James Given-trained Dandino and Aidan O'Brien's Canadian International winner Joshua Tree. Arc runner-up Nakayama Festa spearheads the home challenge.

The day's other meetings in Britain are scheduled to take place over jumps at Carlisle and Leicester and on the polytrack at Kempton.


Monday November 29

There are jumps meetings at Folkestone and Ffos Las and one on the all-weather at Wolverhampton on a quiet Monday.


Tuesday November 30

Three meetings on Tuesday afternoon, on the all-weather at Lingfield and over jumps at Hereford and Southwell.


Wednesday December 1

There are four NH cards in Britain and Ireland on Wednesday, at Ayr, Catterick, Navan and Plumpton, while there is also a twilight meeting at Kempton.


Thursday December 2

The all-weather action ticks over with seven races at Wolverhampton, while they go over jumps at Leicester, Market Rasen and Wincanton.


Friday December 3

Four meetings in total on Friday, on the all-weather at Lingfield and Wolverhampton and over jumps at Exeter and Sandown. The last-named track hosts the day's best card, the feature event being the two-and-a-half mile Winter Novices Hurdle (13:55).


Saturday December 4

The Tingle Creek (14:35) at Sandown is the first Grade 1 two-mile chase of the season, and this year's renewal is of added interest given that Master Minded looked back to his brilliant best when winning the Amlin 1965 Chase at Ascot in November. Master Minded's main opponent in his bid to give Paul Nicholls a sixth consecutive win in the race could well be Gauvain, who looked rejuvenated when winning at the Open Meeting on his first start for Nick Williams. The other Graded event on the card at Sandown is the Henry VIII Novices' Chase (14:00) which was won last year by subsequent Arkle runner-up Somersby.

Saturday's other jumping takes place at Chepstow and Wetherby, while there is all-weather action at Wolverhampton and Southwell, the latter track staging one of its better meetings of the winter.

(Read more at  http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/timeform-features/)

Saturday's meeting at Newbury is one of the best NH cards you could wish to see, and though some of the weekend's other meetings have fallen foul of the elements, there is still plenty to get excited about elsewhere as well...


Denman is currently a 5.4 chance to become the first horse in the history of the race to win the Hennessy Gold Cup three times, surpassing the record that he currently shares with Mandarin and Arkle. Judged on Timeform ratings, Denman has a good chance, even from a mark of 182 (6 lb higher than last year), and despite the fact that he has forced all but six of his opponents out of the handicap, this looks a vintage renewal. Denman will face particularly stiff competition from two of last year's leading novices in Weird Al (7.4) and Diamond Harry (9.8), both of whom look open to further progress over fences.

The abandonment of Newcastle's Saturday meeting has strengthened the card at Newbury, the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle having been salvaged and sent down south. The reigning Champion Hurdler Binocular is set to return to action in the race where he will meet four others, the most interesting of whom is last year's top novice hurdler Peddlers Cross.

Binocular won't be the only star hurdler on show at Newbury as Big Buck's also returns to the fray in the Grade 2 Long Distance Hurdle, bidding to win consecutive renewals of the race and stretch his unbeaten run over timber to nine. On all known form he faces a simple task, having upwards of 12 lb in hand over his rivals according to Timeform ratings.

Perhaps the other most interesting race on the card at Newbury is the listed Gerry Feilden Hurdle over two miles, a limited handicap in which plenty of promising sorts are on show, not least Emma Lavelle's recent Ascot winner Tocca Ferro.

Towcester has also fallen victim to the elements on Saturday, so the sole remaining card in Britain takes place on the all-weather at Kempton. The action there is of good quality, with a couple of listed races set to take place. In the Hyde Stakes over a mile Riggins looks to have a good chance of giving rookie trainer Ed Walker a good start to his caree, while Clive Brittain's Nideeb goes in search of a hat-trick in the mile-and-a-half Wild Flower Stakes, though he will more than likely need to pull out more against the likes of Dreamspeed.

Sunday's undoubted highlight is the seven-race jumps card at Fairyhouse, which features three Grade 1 events. The two highest-rated hurdlers in Ireland, Hurricane Fly and Solwhit, are set to go head to head in the two-and-a-half mile Hatton's Grace, renewing rivalry from last season's Punchestown Festival when the former had a neck to spare over his rival. Solwhit has race fitness on his side this year, having won a Grade 1 at Punchestown earlier this month, and should be better suited by the trip, though Hurricane Fly may prove capable of even better form, lightly raced as he is.

Ireland's top novices will also be on show, the hurdlers getting their chance to shine in the Royal Bond over two miles, which features a couple of hugely exciting prospects in Zaidpour and Carlosiswayback, the former currently 13.5 second favourite for the 2011 Supreme Novices' Hurdle. The novice chasers do their thing in the two-and-a-half mile Drinmore and it is potentially a fascinating contest with the most interesting runner surely Mikael d'Haguenet who is set to have his first run since winning the Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown in 2009.

Sunday's cards in Britain take place over jumps at Carlisle and Leicester, and on the all-weather at Kempton. There is also Grade 1 Flat racing in the Far East in the shape of the Japan Cup, where the European contingent includes Joshua Tree and Dandino, with Arc runner-up Nakayama Festa spearheading the home team.

(Read more at (Read more at http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/timeform-features/)

Only a week after Master Minded's heroic reappearance, and less than a month since Kauto Star's, the focus turns to the return of another outstanding Paul Nicholls-trained chaser. But can Denman really create history by becoming the first three-time winner of the Hennessy? Timeform's Dan Barber has his doubts.


It is said that records are made to be broken, just not by the same athlete, or in this case horse. Having last year equalled the achievements of Mandarin and Arkle by winning a second Hennessy, Denman bids to enhance his standing in the pantheon of racing's greats by eclipsing that duo to stand alone as the only three-time winner of the Newbury feature.

With a piece of racing history perhaps on the horizon, it would be easy to become rather doey-eyed, but it's almost always best to allow the head to rule the heart (except where football predictions are concerned, of course) and sentiment must surely take a back seat on Saturday. Denman defied a mark of 174 in 2009, conceding 22 lb to stablemate and subsequent Grade 1 winner What A Friend in the process, but he's another 8 lb higher this year and there are other doubts, too. Firstly, he's now ten rising eleven, hardly entering his prime, and there's also the vivid image still in the mind of Denman hanging like a gate around Punchestown when we last saw him. There's no doubting that was a sorry sight, and the fact he's only slightly bigger odds this time around is the icing on the cake for opposing him.

There's more to like, or less to dislike about Weird Al's claims. Weird Al has yet to taste defeat over fences, and the merit of his dead-heat with Little Josh at Carlisle conceding 6 lb was given a notable boost when that horse went on to land the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham next time out. Weird Al is a fine jumper who's still relatively unexposed, but his current odds do seem to reflect his obvious claims.

More compelling is the case for Diamond Harry. It'd be easy to forget just how good Diamond Harry was over hurdles. He laughed at Burton Port (who received 15 lb) when winning a traditionally hot handicap at Haydock last November and then filled third behind Big Buck's and Karabak in the Long Walk Hurdle at this track. He made a perfectly satisfactory start over fences later in the season, too, beating subsequent RSA Chase fourth Knockara Beau by a wide margin at Haydock first time up before keeping Bensalem at arm's length at this track in February. His subsequent Cheltenham display takes a little forgiving, but he clearly wasn't right that day and it's impossible to believe there isn't improvement left in him after only three chase starts. With a 100% record first time out to call upon, Diamond Harry is well worth backing.

It's unlikely to prove so clear-cut, though. Last season's third Niche Market makes some appeal at likely long odds on just his second start for Paul Nicholls, but the pair worth closest attention Diamond Harry aside are Neptune Collonges and Madison du Berlais.

'Neptune' hasn't been seen since suffering a tendon injury when a gallant fourth to stablemate Kauto Star in the 2009 Cheltenham Gold Cup, but the handicapper has given this three-time Grade 1 chase winner a chance during his lay-off, now only 3 lb higher than when routing the opposition in the Country Gentlemen's Association Chase at Wincanton the last time he ran in a handicap. He isn't one to be backing for a place, but win-only he's best kept on side, and the same goes for Madison du Berlais, who had an anti-climactic 2009/10 but looks well treated based on his exploits the season before, which included a win in this race from a mark of 150 and success in the Bowl at Aintree when left in control by Denman's fall two out. A recent run over hurdles should have sharpened up Madison du Berlais, too.

Going against Long Run in the Paddy Power was bad enough, but I'll be in an even bigger minority this weekend hoping Denman's Hennessy stranglehold comes to an end.

(Read more at http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/timeform-features/)

The current Cheltenham Gold Cup holder and the former dual Champion Chaser both made impressive seasonal returns at the weekend; Gregg Taylor reflects on the merits of their performances.


Imperial Commander (182) didn't have to match the form of his Gold Cup-winning performance to land a high-quality renewal of the Betfair Chase by a length and a quarter from Tidal Bay (160$). It was the first time in five years that his old adversary Kauto Star had not shown up and the race failed to attract any of last season's top novices, yet Nigel Twiston-Davies's stable star left the impression that he's returned as good as ever. Hopefully the cut he suffered to his leg won't prove severe enough to make him miss his intended clash with Kauto Star at Kempton on Boxing Day.

The bare figure of 161 is admittedly a little lower than recent standards but he had matters under control a long way out and was value for plenty extra. The runner-up came with a late burst, consenting to give his all only after the last, and probably returned to the form that saw him win the 2008 Arkle. However, he has never been rated higher than 160, over either hurdles or fences, and his proximity holds down the level which the bare form can be rated.

Last season's Punchestown Gold Cup winner Planet of Sound (159) made a satisfactory reappearance in finishing eight lengths behind that pair, having not been unduly punished by Richard Johnson once Imperial Commander asserted. Recent Charlie Hall scorer Nacarat (165) deserves credit for being the only once to give chase to the winner and he remains bang on target for the King George next month.

Former Champion Chaser Master Minded (179) has reportedly had a breathing operation over the summer and he looked rejuvenated to run out a facile winner of the Amlin 1965 Chase at Ascot. He seemed flat on both runs at Cheltenham either side of his victory in the Game Spirit last season, but was completely back on his game here, travelling really strongly and jumping superbly. He was going much better than Albertas Run (165) when left clear by that horse's departure three out and just the bare figure (168) he posted here would have been almost good enough to win last season's Champion Chase. He's likely to be just as effective around two and a half miles, but will reportedly aim next for a second success in the Tingle Creek.

I'msingingtheblues (151) ran to the same bare figure as when finishing fourth to Tchico Polos in the Haldon Gold Cup earlier in the month, on the back foot after a bad mistake at the tenth with his rider, Danny Cook, unable to claim. Albertas Run had landed the inaugural running of this race last term and would likely have finished a creditable second if not crashing out when he did.

Paul Nicholls and Noel Fehily went on to secure a quick-fire double in the following race at the Berkshire track, the Coral Hurdle. Silviniaco Conti (164p) maintained his steeply progressive profile and unbeaten record when defeating Karabak (160) readily by seven lengths. He both jumped and travelled really well and is now only a few pounds shy of the leading two-mile hurdler Binocular (168).

The runner-up, who had occupied the same position twelve months earlier, ran respectably in face of an arguably insufficient test of stamina, though he was receiving weight from his main rivals and tended to hang right under pressure. Restless Harry (152p) continued his upward curve in finishing a further length and a half adrift and he remains unexposed around three miles, whilst Zaynar (163) needs keeping an eye on for now following another lazy display.

(Read more at http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/timeform-features/)