Cheltenham Wednesday

THE main focus of Cheltenham’s final meeting of the season is usually to tie up some domestic odds and ends, but it had more significance this term, with the scene set for another skirmish in the battle between Willie Mullins and Dan Skelton for the British Jumps Trainers’ Title.

After Mullins landed the one-two in the Scottish National on Saturday, it looked like Skelton might have been ready to raise the white flag, but that wasn’t the case, and he fought back by winning the meeting’s most valuable race, the Grade 2 Matt Hampson Foundation Silver Trophy Handicap Chase, with Riskintheground (Harry Skelton), beating the Mullins-trained O’Moore Park just five days after landing a valuable handicap chase at Ayr on Friday.

Mullins came away from the two-day fixture with just a handful of places to show for his efforts to retain his crown, and it looks increasingly like Sandown’s season finale will hold extra significance this year, just as it has a couple of times in the past.

Cheltenham Thursday

There were other Irish representatives at the fixture, however, and the opening race on Thursday’s mares-only card saw victory for Andrew Kinirons as 28/1 chance Lagoon Nebula (Sean O’Keeffe) gave him his first winner at the home of National Hunt racing in a race where one-time Triumph Hurdle fancy Saint Lucie flopped again. Maxios Prime was third in the contest for Philip Rothwell.

Henry de Bromhead has enjoyed a fairly fruitful spring and was on target with the Kenny Alexander-owned Theatre Native (Rachael Blackmore) in the feature handicap chase, with the hooded winner given a good ride to conserve energy having been very keen in the early stages.

Once again, Willie had to settle for minor money with A Penny A Hundred finishing a 10-length second to the easy winner.

Mullins, Elliott and Colin Bowe were all represented with fancied runners in the Changing Young Lives At Jamie’s Farm Listed Novices’ Hurdle, but victory, and redemption of sorts, went to the well-regarded Jubilee Alpha (Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden), who disappointed in the Dawn Run Novices over two miles here last month, but fully confirmed the promise of her previous runs by coming from the rear of the field to win by a length and three-quarters from La Pinsonniere (Nicky Henderson/Nico de Boinville), with the pair pulling well clear of a good field.

The winner, returned at 4/1, seemed to benefit from more patient tactics than were utilised at the Festival, and remains a bright prospect for the Ditcheat trainer, who was celebrating his birthday.