Morning all,

There were stellar performance and plenty of drama over the four days of the Cheltenham Festival.

The return of crowds and the atmosphere they brought to the four days mean this year’s meeting will live long in the memory. Wednesday apart, even the weather gods smiled on Cheltenham. What more could you ask for?

It was challenging week on the punting front to say the least. I had to wait until the final day and the final race to make a profit. When Banbridge landed the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle with another selection Cobblers Dream finishing runner-up. It should have been better as Winged Leader got caught in the shadow of the post in the Hunters Chase.

Inside today’s main piece I look back at Saturday’s action at Uttoxeter. Plus, there is a selection from today’s meeting at Wincanton.

A Plus for Rachel

I will be doing my main Cheltenham wash-up in tomorrow’s column and it will include a couple of eyecatchers. However, a quick look back at Friday’s Gold Cup.

Rachel Blackmore retained her crown as Queen Of Cheltenham after completing the Champion Hurdle/Gold Cup Double.  Friday’s Gold Cup was the race that eluded her last year. There was no problem this year as last year’s runner-up A Plus Tard to advantage of a relatively slow pace to storm away from the last to gain a 15-length success in the jump racing’s ‘Blue Riband’ race.

Last year’s winner Minella Indo went for home on the final turn and for a few strides it looked like it might have been a winning move. However, he was caught at the last by the winner and was no match for a speedier stablemate.

Rachel held onto the winner longer than she did 12 months ago and that made all the difference. He jumped well and, in a race, where speed was favoured, he was the one to take advantage.  All being well he will be back next year to defend his crown. It’s a long way off but A Plus Tard could come up against some new faces in 2023. The likes of Galopin Des Champs, L'Homme Presse, Ahoy Senor and the slightly forgotten Monkfish could all be in the line-up next March.

Gold Cup Day was a good one for the sport. As Rachel became the first woman to ride a Gold Cup winner and that alone ensured the race got more attention in the wider media than it would normally have.

Screaming Midlands Grand National Success

It wasn’t Cheltenham but Uttoxeter saw a big crowd for its highest profile day racing of the season. The Midlands Grand National is the second longest race in the NH calendar and eighteen were declared to go to post for the 4m 2f marathon.

Last year’s winner Time To Get Up was returned the 11/4 favourite in his bid to become the first horse to win the race for a second time. On softer ground than 12 months ago, he didn’t travel as well as he did last year. Still, it was a good effort in finishing third.

Irish raider Screaming Colours had run well when finishing 4^th in last year’s race. He was worse of at the weights with last year’s winner this time around but that didn’t matter.  The 11-year-old who had found himself two far behind in last year’s race was much better positioned on Saturday. Jumping into the lead two out he was clear of his rivals coming to the last and stayed on all the way to the line to finish 10 lengths ahead of the staying on Young Dev.

The runner-up came from further back than the winner and showed he stayed the 4m 2f well and he could come back for next year’s race. A one-two for the Irish, to cap another good week for the raiders from the Emerald Isle.

The winner just gallops and stays and that’s what you need in race like this. It was a well-deserved success for the winner who had finished runner-up in the Cork Grand National last time. A big win for his trainer who only has a handful of horses in training.  It was also a nice win for myself and Victor Value subscribers.

Serious Punchestown Hope

Apart from Screaming Colours success’s two other performance stood out on the Uttoxeter card. The improving Serious Charges landed the hat trick on his handicap debut in the 2m 7 ½ f handicap hurdle.

The 5-year-old travelled sweetly off a strong pace and only had to be pushed out for a comfortable success. He’s going the right way, stays 3m. There's a chance he could well be heading across the Irish Sea for a handicap hurdle at the Punchestown Festival. He would be one to take seriously there. His trainer having had a winner their last season and has had three others placed at previous festivals.

Beauport runner-up on his three previous starts this season gained a well-deserved success in the 2m 4f Class 2 handicap hurdle. Given his guaranteed stamina not surprisingly he took it up a long way from home. The more patiently ridden Boothill had made steady headway and came to challenge the leader coming to the last. It looked jockey Sean Bowen had timed his run right but Boothill mistake at the last and that handed the initiative back to the winner who found a bit more on the run-in to prevail.

It was a back to form effort from the runner-up and if he had jumped the last better would have gone close. I’m not convinced he would have won the winner finds plenty for pressure as he showed once again on Saturday.

Monday Racing

All three of today’s meetings at Southwell, Wincanton, and Plumpton are over jumps. However, It’s a case of ‘After the Lords Mayor Show’ with today’s action.

Wincanton

5:10 – Lazy Sunday – The mare has run well on both starts since a wind-operation, finishing 4th of 14 at Taunton last month. There’s a handicap hurdle like this in her off her present mark especially on drying ground.

Lazy Sunday – 8/1 – Gen.

Good luck with your Monday bets.

John