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The Triumph is tight as usual with a number of horses having a chance. Am hoping that Jim Culloty does not try to make all on Tusk. If Zimbabwe is going well would expect some sort of move on the final turn as it stays two miles well on the flat. Trouble at Bay may have had a hard campaign but it is tough. Tarque is a unknown quantity really. Cherub may have been inconvenienced by the mud in Sandown's straight more than the winner Tusk. Would have thought that Howle Hill would have gone to Aintree, the ground is ideal here though. Adopted Hero will probably suit Tony McCoys aggressive style. Chepstow was too agressive though, it should stay. Wild Passion is a classy flat horse, who will be suited by a strongly run race. Moulin Riche is the dark horse, highly regarded by the Doumen Team.

Stayers Hurdle should be Baracouda's yet again. A fit Iris's Gift would probably be the only horse with a chance of outgalloping the Doumen trained favourite. Crystal d'Ainay has probably got more speed than stamina at this trip. A tactical race would suit. Sh Boom beat it in a tactical race at Cheltenham. Solerina's connections will probably be hoping for some rain.

If Best Mate does not win the Gold Cup it will be a total anticlimax. Hard to predict who will come second (all being well) without knowing the shape of the race. There is no Valley Henry to help move things along this year. This could be against last year's placed horses Trucker's Tavern and Harbour Pilot.

Lord Atterbury is the mystery horse of the season. How will it perform. Will it head for the National after. Stable companion Omeminutetofive is a dark horse because I have not seen it win. How much it was eased when winning last time out is significant. I may have under-rated it. It is improving in leaps and bounds. Oh yes and by the way it is a stable companion of the favourite. The likes of Earthmover, Bright Approach and County Derry will be helped if something sets off at a good gallop from the start. Never Compromise jumps well, Castle Weir is not so proficient.

The Grand Annual could be tricky. Will St Pirran stand up? Will Latalomne recapture its form. Santenay looks fragile, no Ruby on board today. No Invisibility has been trained over 20f for this and been getting stronger.

The Cathcart looks as if it will be a small field. Would ignore the "p" against Iris Royal's name.

Another tight handicap. Could be plenty of non runners to mess the early odds up. Adamant Approach is well handicapped on Cheltenham 2002 form. Lilium de Cotte has the ability. Man O' Mystery is improving. There is probably another half dozen with good chances. All depends how fast the likes of Benbyas and Through The Rye set off. They did cut their own throats in the Tote Gold Trophy.

The Race Starts

In the Stayers' Hurdle Iris's Gift was at the head of the field when the race started. Baracouda was obliged to run an extra four lengths from its starting position. The time of this race was 3 seconds slower than last year, on my figures allowing for the ground. Baracouda in other words gave ground at the start in a slow race. There was not much between the two horses in a strongly run race last year. The start this year may well have made the difference. Incidentally the jockeys on Sh Boom, Gralmano, Holy Orders and Redemption were confident enough of their chances to give Iris's Gift a start of over six lengths.

My conclusion at the "rushed starts" at the meeting is I do not like them. A number of horses that have conceded ground, ie, raced further than the advertised trip have won. Many of those have compensated by racing on the inside and saving ground. In all cases they have been able to win because the horses in front have raced too fast. Rooster Booster lost ground in a slow race. Another horse to lose its race at the start (among many) was Got One Too in the Grand Annual. The starts that were more orderly and not rushed giving time for the horses to fan out a bit more, therefore reducing the gap between those in front and the rear were best. The old system of lining the horses up on the tape in a straight line was too fussy, the new system has swung the other way and was slapdash on many occasions.

Cheltenham Highlights, Going: soft side of good, easing to good to soft after the Gold Cup.

An ordnary day for the ratings.Gold Cup day is always difficult with the Triumph Hurdle and the County Hurdle to contend with. When one has two odds on shots in the two feature races options are limited. The early rain did make a difference to the going. With the showers that came after the Gold Cup the going finally ended up good to soft. Main casualty of adjusting the ratings for good ground was Our Armageddon who would have been second best without my interference.

Back to the Gold Cup, it must have appeared that I had been taking strange substances to put forward Sir Rembrandt as a potential player early this season and backed it. The mistake early in the straight at Chepstow not only caused the horse that race but is the likely source of the problems that besotted the horse in it next two outings. Whatever treatment it had been given, it certainly worked. Post race I felt a little guilty for shamelessly cheering home Best Mate when seeing the disappointment etched into the faces of Andrew Thornton and Paul Carberry. I may be guilty of criticising jockeys at times. The intention is not to be malicious. Jump jockeys are risking serious injury or worse every time they go out to ride. It can be rightly argued that the financial rewards are not equal to the risks. Winning Gold Cups, Nationals etc are what it is all about. Andrew Thornton and Paul Carberry gave it everything out there today and contributed to a great race, thank you.

• The Triumph Hurdle was a headless chicken race, winner Made in Japan 137, was ideally placed and ridden by Richard Johnson. No luck about winning it was a good ride. It took the lead at the last from Chief Predator 137, who was impeded at the start and kept on under pressure to the line. Top Strategy 134 stayed on for pressure to be nearest at the finish. It shapes like a three miler. Cherub 132 kept on at one pace, a fine effort considering it was the only one amongst the principals to race close to a suicidal pace. Howle Hill 129, a pacey flat performer, briely led on the run to the last. The move was too soon on a course that would not have suited particularly on the rain eased ground. The Aintree Juvenile would suit it better. The performances of Tusk, Mondul and Zimbabwe in particular are best forgotten.
• The Stayers' Hurdle was not as strongly run (though not slow) as last year with Solerina 126 making the running until headed by the always close up Iris's Gift 159 soon after two out. The winner quickly went three lengths went clear followed by Baracouda 160 who set off in pursuit. The Doumen Champion was able to get within a neck of the the Barry Geraghty ridden grey on the run-in. The effort of making up the ground took its toll and Iris's Gift pulled clear near the line as Baracouda's challenge faded. A great ride from Barry Geraghty, no telling how good the horse is. Without a Limestone Lad in the field we may never know how great the winner is against the clock. Last year told us it was very good, will pencil in 173 for now. It could notch up a hat trick of Stayers' Hurdles if staying sound. No plaudits for the rider of the second he gave away ground unnecessarily against the best rival Baracouda will ever meet. Normally the opposition has been considerably inferior. For the future it is hard to envisage it regaining the title if Iris's Gift turns up. There are plenty of other prizes to be won. Will be ten next Cheltenham a little late in the day to start chasing. Crystal d'Ainay 145 never far away could not live with the first two in the straight when the heat was turned up. It stayed the trip ok it was just not good enough against the best two staying hurdlers seen for many many years. Solerina is better over a shorter trip. Sh Boom fell at the ninth but had never been competitive upto that point and had given both its major rivals a start.
• Some good news a Great Competitive Gold Cup
  
  The 2004 running of the Cheltenham Gold Cup will always be remembered for the fact that Best Mate 172 secured its third victory in the race, emulating the achievements of Arkle almost forty years earlier. It may be remembered for the winner scraping home by only half a length from Sir Rembrandt 171 with Harbour Pilot 169 and Beef Or Salmon 167 not far behind. Yet this was a truly run event and a great contest, thanks to the front running First Gold 158. If Jair du Cochet had not tragically died on the gallops a few weeks earlier and been present in the field, this race could have been one of the greatest races of all time. Best Mate did not jump as perfectly as it had done when winning the previous two years. It was raced on the inside where it did not have much room at times, simply because the ground there was better than on the outside. After jumping three out entering the final bend Jim Culloty wanted to pull out from behind First Gold. He was trapped on the rail has Paul Carberry with a combative piece of race riding manoeuvred Harbour Pilot to block his path. Sir Rembrandt was on the outside of that horse. Suddenly The race was beginning in earnest and and the champion was stuck behind a tiring rival with no where to go. It probably cost Best Mate two lengths at that stage as Harbour Pilot went on. As soon as Best Mate saw daylight it immediately quickened approaching two out. Flew the fence and was suddenly in the lead. Here Sir Rembrandt was untidy losing a length and some momentum. The race was not over, Paul Carberry was in no mood to surrender and had his mount still within a length at the last. Both jumped it well, though try as Harbour Pilot might it could make no impression. Meanwhile Andrew Thornton on Sir Rembrandt had galvanised his mount to stay on well up the hill. They were still closing at the line only a half length down. The indifferent jump two may have been very costly. Finishing just off this trio was Beef or Salmon. It had not got quite got into contention though this was a vast improvement on its early exit last season. Such was the progress of the placed horses this season it will not be easy for Best Mate next year, particularly if the ground has some give in it again.
       Apart from the first five the rest were well beaten with no obvious excuses for Keen Leader, Therealbandit, Irish Hussar (pu) and Truckers Tavern (pu). They were just not good enough.
• The Foxhunters went to previous winner Earthmover 126 who had too much stamina for improving "youngster" Never Compromise 122. County Derry 112 stayed on without threatening. Oneminutetofive 107 had every chance two out but did not get home. The easier ground may have counted against it. Lord Atterbury was said to be only 90% but ran worse than that. It was in trouble with nearly a cicuit to go, eventually pulling up.
• Great wating ride from Ruby Walsh to win the Grand Annual on St Pirran 136. The rain came just in time for Ground Ball 132, though did not have the pace to cope with the winner on the run to the line. Reiziger 119 ran a fair race out of the handicap. The rain probably made it more of a test than desired. No Visibility 107's recent form has been on fast ground on a flat track (20f).
• The Cathcart was the race for Our Armageddon 145, the rain probably help. Given a good ride from the front by Larry McGrath. Iris Royal 142 may not have been totally sharp for this having been off since December. As stated before Impek 136 is not one to trust in a battle.
• Another mad crazy gallop in the County Hurdle. The first two came from off the pace. Sporazene 159 eventually winning from Hawadeth 145 who was 13lb out of the handicap. Copeland 147 ran its best race this season in third. Balapour 143 enjoyed the strong gallop to stay on for fourth despite being 8lb wrong. Harchibald 143 travelling easily led entering the straight but was worried out of it when the pressure was turned up, finished fifth despite being 7lb wrong. In a slower run it would have been an easy winner.