MORE of the Cheltenham hurdle races than chases were falsely-run, and the joint-fastest winners over the smaller obstacles – Coole Cody on Saturday and Elgin in the Greatwood Hurdle on the Sunday – only got as high as 144.

It was impossible not to be impressed by the British debut of Apple’s Shakira in the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle on Saturday, as the well-backed sister to Apple’s Jade forged clear to beat Gumball by 17 lengths.