LAST week’s wins by jump racing’s two top ladies, Bryony Frost at Cheltenham and Rachael Blackmore, brought a predictable debate as to who was the better? Of course – it matters little for both have pushed female riders into the professional stage and more than hold their own against the very best. They are brilliant at getting horses jumping in a rhythm, giving them confidence.

To do that, they first have to have confidence in themselves and now the top trainers are reciprocating that confidence and giving them top-class horses to ride.

For what it’s worth, the feeling here is that Rachael would be stronger in a finish but Bryony is brilliant at getting horses jumping and an excellent judge of pace.

And Rachael may a better rider but Bryony is perhaps a better advert for the sport.

Rachael is happy to blend in, Bryony’s enthusiasm makes her impossible to blend in. Unfortunately there are some negative comments about her getting too much TV coverage but this is just daft. (Why is genuine enthusiasm something to be negative about?)

Enthusiasm like she displays is rare these times and she makes it all about the horses. It’s what we need, with so many attempting to cast negative images of the sport into the mainstream media.

iDONTLIKETHESEBLOODYNAMESTHATGOONFOREVER!

IS it just a coincidence that good horses have good names, or that so many of them have short, one-word, names? This year we had Winx, Justify, Enable and Altior among the best horses of the year. Go back in time. Arkle, Nijinsky, Secretariat, Shergar, Istabraq, Galileo.

If not single names they are simply easily remembered names – Mill House, Red Rum, Desert Orchid, Night Nurse, Kauto Star.

Though I can’t find names like Grotesque, Envicerating or Decimation terribly appealing for a horse, my headline-writer head absolutely abhors horse names derived from words rammed together that are really complete sentences.

How many good horses have bad names?

Would a breeder, at first happy that a prominent owner has bought their pride and joy, then sigh in despair when the horse, now named, appears on the racecourse?

Headlines involving names like Youcantcallherthat, Didtheyleaveuoutto or last week’s ‘talking’ horse Ilikedwayurthinkin.

I’d like to name one Ihatedesebloodynames but that has too many characters!

A few comments on Twitter in the various remarks about the running and riding of Ilikedwayurthinkin last weekend, I found a more humorous suggestion for one – Defoabitiffy!