IT has been quite a back-to-earth, depressing post Cheltenham week. Nothing but rain outside, summed up by Peter Roe’s Wednesday tweet - When was the last time 3 racemeetings @ClonmelR @GowranPark1 & @WexfordRacecour were cancelled on the same day.

Staying inside and it was no better, social media no longer being a humorous pastime and a huge amount of racing accounts just give the impression they would often like to fight with themselves!

Post Cheltenham crisis talks, online betting issues, the lack of British runners in the Irish Grand National, the lack of British runners getting a run in their ‘home’ Grand National, and this while both fields have a look of lesser class races about them.

Whatever the likelihood of the bigger owners dominating the Grand National at Aintree, there is usually hope that some hitherto unlikely hero will emerge at Fairyhouse. Since 2010, Bluesea Cracker, Lion Na Bearnai, Liberty Counsel, Freewheelin Dylan and Lord Lariat were among the most unlikely winners and outstanding moments for their connections.

Even some of the better fancied winners were well received – Organisedconfusion (Nina Carberry/Arthur Moore); Thunder And Roses (Katie Walsh/Sandra Hughes; Rogue Angel (Mouse Morris); Our Duke (Cooper Family Syndicate, Robbie Power/Jessica Harrington; I Am Maximus (Paul Townend’s ride) all brought very welcome successes.

It’s becoming clear that these big days are the only ones to get crowds to the tracks and lets hope it’s a Monday winner worthy of plenty of cheers.

And who might it be? Intense Raffles is too young? Any Second Now too old? Good Time Jonny would create interesting celebrations with his trainer Tony Martin in the headlines this week, while horses like Street Value and Where’s Frankie would provide the smaller trainer/owners with that cherished feel good story. It’s sure to be a slog over this distance and stamina the key. Good Time Jonny gets in at Fairyhouse off 132 for 9st 13lb, and a light weight could prove key in what will surely be bottomless conditions.

AS we are in the times of seeing the next crop of two-year-olds appear and new names are being registered – it might be nice to think positively and have some nice encouraging, feel good names.

I cannot see the names Unfortunately and Arrest beginning a racing headline without an initial sense of alarm!

WATCHING the action on SkyRacing from the Golden Slipper meeting at Rosehill last Saturday, one could not but be jealous of the summer weather and height of fashion as well as some pretty decent action on the track, with many familiar names in action. One particular also-ran horse caught the eye in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes over seven furlongs.

When New Energy was sold last summer to go down under, there were some pretty disparaging remarks made about his training here in the northern hemisphere and what an Australian trainer might do with him. Watching him last weekend, finishing 14th of 18th in that Group 1, the thought occurred that this is still very much the same old New Energy rather than any vastly improved version.