ACROSS the water, Rebecca Curtis’ fine start to the season continues. In the last three weeks, she has had six runners in handicaps, and two of them have won. The Romford Pele won a handicap hurdle at Newton Abbot last Friday at an SP of 7/1, and Potters Cross won a good three-mile handicap chase at Chepstow last Saturday, returned at 12/1. It continues to be the case that all her runners in handicaps are worth a second look.

She has also had eight runners in non-handicaps during the same period, and two of them have won. Geordie Des Champs won a novices’ hurdle at Chepstow last Saturday at 5/1, and Definite Outcome won a novices’ chase there on Sunday, also at 5/1, a race in which Curtis also fielded the runner-up in Aurillac.

So the Pembrokeshire trainer is showing a level stakes profit in handicaps of €15.00 for the last three weeks, and a level stakes profit in all races of €19.00.

It is a great start for Jonathan Moore’s association with the trainer. Moore has had 35 rides for Curtis this season so far, and he has won on 10 of them, for a strike rate of 29% and a level stakes profit of €51.48. These are impressive figures, and they could get even better over the coming weeks and months.

IF Hidden Cyclone was a tree, he would be an evergreen tree. Shark Hanlon’s stalwart looked as good as ever at Punchestown on Wednesday, making all under Danny Mullins and coming clear from Rashaan and The Game Changer from the second last. If the ball had hopped a little more kindly for him, he could have won the Galway Hurdle in July as an 11-year-old. But, according to his trainer, there is no reason why he can’t go and win the Galway Hurdle next year as a 12-year-old.