THE star of the British hunter chase season to date is the 2017 Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up, Minella Rocco, who is trained for J.P. McManus by Jonjo O’Neill. During the period under review, the 10-year-old Shirocco gelding won twice.

On January 22nd at Warwick, where he was ridden by Áine O’Connor, the bay beat Kashmir Peak, who was making his seasonal debut, by seven and a half lengths. At Wetherby last Saturday, when Derek O’Connor was in the saddle, Minella Rocco, who was in receipt of 4lbs, saw off last year’s Cheltenham Foxhunter Chase winner, Hazel Hill, by one and a half lengths.