THIS time last week, it was all over. Al Boum Photo had won the Gold Cup and Early Doors had won the Martin Pipe Hurdle. We were all a little wiser and we were all trying to assimilate what we had just seen and what it all meant. One week later, we’re still trying to figure it all out.

Racing kicks on though. The great triviality, as Phil Bull once said. The great continuum, as nobody really said. It is though. A continuum. It doesn’t stop. Not even on Good Friday these days. Limerick and Fontwell and Down Royal and Kempton and Uttoxeter and Newcastle and Wolverhampton were always going to go ahead on Saturday, whether the Gold Cup had been run at Cheltenham on Friday or not.

Gold Cup hero Paul Townend rode a winner at Down Royal on Saturday, and he rode a winner at Limerick on Sunday, and he rode a winner at Navan on Monday, and he rode a winner at Cork on Thursday. There’s the great continuum for you.

KING’S DAY

It could be a good day for Alan King at Newbury today. Sixty’s Belle has a chance for starters in the EBF and TBA Mares’ National Hunt Novices’ Hurdle Series Final. She was well beaten in her bumper last season, and she was well beaten on her hurdling bow at Ludlow last November, but she didn’t run badly next time at Warwick on New Year’s Eve, and she stepped forward from that last time at Huntingdon, when she stayed on well to take second place behind Loveherandleaveher.

She came under pressure as they rounded the home turn that day, but she kept on strongly from the second last flight. She wasn’t helped by a mistake at the final flight, and the winner was strong inside the final furlong, but Alan King’s mare still did well to get up for second place in front of Little Millie.

That was just her third run over hurdles, and an opening mark of 111 looks fair for this, her handicap debut. She should be better suited by the stiffer test that Newbury will present, and she should be happier going left-handed than she was going right.

Just a five-year-old, she has the scope to progress beyond the handicap rating of 111 off which she races today, and she could run a big race.

The White Mouse is a worthy favourite. She too is progressive, and she won the Doncaster race that Copper Kay won in 2017 before she went on to Newbury and finished second to Snow Leopardess in today’s race. The same race that Briery Queen won in 2016 before going on to win today’s race.

However, that Doncaster race was just a three-horse race this year, and Oscar Rose – who re-opposes today on 3lb better terms – wasn’t beaten far. The White Mouse is short, and Sixty’s Belle could be the value against her.

JUVENILE HURDLE

King’s horse Elysees could go well in the Be Wiser Insurance Juvenile Handicap hurdle. Winner of his two juvenile hurdles in November, the Champs Elysees gelding ran a cracker in the Grade 2 Summit Hurdle at Doncaster in December to go down by just a neck to Quel Destin. Paul Nicholls’ horse enhanced that form by then going and winning the Grade 1 Finale Hurdle at Chepstow, before going to Haydock in January and landing the Victor Ludorum Hurdle.

Elysees had a nice break after that, before returning on the flat at Wolverhampton last month. That run should have brought him forward nicely for today’s race, a race that Alan King said in his Weekender column during the week that he has had in mind for him for a while.

He has to give weight away to all his rivals, but he is talented and he is progressive and he has raced just four times over hurdles. He has the potential to continue to progress, and he could go well.

RECOMMENDED

SIXTY’S BELLE, 1 point win, 3.15 Newbury, 10/1 (generally)

ELYSEES, 1 point win, 2.40 Newbury, 11/2 (generally)