A Valentines weekend, or was your heart broken?

We're getting closer and closer to the start of the festival and in less than 4 weeks time we will finally know the answers to all the big Cheltenham puzzles. This Valentines weekend was one where a lot of love went to Li Forrit who got up in the dying strides to claim the Grand National Trial at Haydock (however he isn't even entered up at Aintree!), we had new partnerships built as Barry Geraghty delivered Carole's Destrier to victory at Ascot and we had dates made as Simon Munir confirmed he will be represented by Peace and Co and Top Notch in the Triumph. No room on that hot date for Bristol Du Mai, who flopped at Sandown when last seen and doesn't get invited back this time. Let's look at some of the action with Cheltenham races in our minds.

Saturday

The Ryanair Chase gained a couple of interesting participants in the shape of Balder Succes and Ma Filleule who came first and second in the Ascot Chase over 2 and half miles. The winner jumped beautifully and was a well deserved winner in the hands of Wayne Hutchinson, however he will have to improve on his patchy Cheltenham record if he is to taste victory over the likes of Don Cossack and Cue Card. Henderson said he expects his filly to come on for that outing and she is certainly game, battling all the way to the line on Saturday, however I see no real reason why she would turn around this form with Balder, I'd certainly rather be with Alan King's charge at 8/1 than the filly at 10/1. The Ryanair is actually shaping up into a decent race this year!

Balder Succes continues his upwards trajectory over fences and a 2.5 mile trip winning the Ascot Chase

Ballycasey was a big disappointment, he jumped really well and then just seemed to stop coming round the home turn, as if the engine had just run out of petrol, strange for a horse who has won a bumper over 2.5 miles and shaped like a stayer all last season. He gets taken off his feet over 2 miles and doesn't stay 3 so I'm not sure where Mullins will go with him now. Ptit Zig reverts to Novice company in the JLT at the Fez, if I was a backer I'd rather him not have fallen today but Nicholls didn't seem overly concerned in the aftermath and he remains a 4/1 shot for that race.

I doubt we saw any potential Champion Hurdle winners on Saturday but we did get a boost to the form of the favorite Faugheen as Blue Heron , whom Faugheen dispatched with ease at Kempton over Christmas, beat Champion hurdle hopefuls Irving and Sign of a Victory by 6 lengths and a huge margin respectively. Blue Heron doesn't even have an entry in the Champion, Skelton taking him out the race earlier in the week, but this really was the final nail in the coffin for the hopes of Irving and Sign of a Victory.

Kitten Rock could prove a lively outsider and he won the Red Mills Trial Hurdle over at Gowran Park, although with his main rival Abbyssial falling at the last what could have been an interesting finish really was a stroll in the park. He is a 25/1 chance for glory at the Fez. Tiger Roll; what on earth has happened to this horse? Last year's Triumph Hurdle winner has gone backwards this year and was once again hugely disappointing again in this race. What they do with him from here on in is anyones guess, could they step him up to the World Hurdle trip or do they draw stumps and try again next year?

Also at Gowran we saw Champagne Fever confirm his wellbeing when winning the Red Mills Chase, beating not very much but at least putting in a clean round of jumping. We are still no closer to knowing his target, be it Ryanair or Champion Chase, I personally hope they go for the latter though! He looks so much better being allowed to bowl along at a fast pace, not being held on to, so I really think the 2 mile trip will see him at his best.

Champagne Fever is a beautiful horse to watch bowl along at a good pace, send him for the Queen Mother Willie!

At Fishers Cross flopped again up at Haydock, being well beaten and fading out of sight after the final hurdle. Curtis seemed at a loss to explain this performance, saying things like 'he seems to have lost his zest' before saying he would still go to Cheltenham in hope rather than expectation. He certainly has no expectation from me any more thats for sure. Seeyouatmidnight ran well into 2nd considering it was his first run off for so long and he also goes to Cheltenham for the World Hurdle (25/1). He will come on for this no doubt and goes into an open renewal with a live e/w chance.

Quickly wrapping up the rest of Saturday

• Top Notch put in a top round of hurdling to win at Haydock, beating nothing to be fair as his sp of 2/13 would suggest. However he goes to Cheltenham off the back of a win, a fluent round of jumping and with confidence high, and as a 10/1 chance for Triumph glory.
• Definitely Red beat the highly touted Fletchers Flyer in the Albert Bartlett trial at Haydock but will only go to Cheltenham if the going is softer than good as he is a chaser in the making and needs soft conditions.
• Teaforthree could only finish 4th in the hunters chase and will now fact a test to qualify for the foxhunters at Cheltenham.
• It was a bad day for Tea backers as Tea for two was also beaten at Ascot in the opener on their card, perhaps the step out of handicap company was not to his liking and it will be interesting to see where connections aim him now.
• Wait for me was a good winner of the Ascot bumper that looked a hot race before and if he goes to Cheltenham won't be without a chance after beating a few previous winners in this field. 

Sunday

The main action on Sunday was, as per usual, over the Irish Sea where Navan played host to a good card. We had a 3 mile chase, a 2m 1f Hurdle and a 2m 5f hurdle all of which had runners who had Cheltenham hopes, let's see who came out of these on top.

Dedigout was the winner of the first Grade 2 on the card, the 2m 5f hurdle race, but his task was made a lot easier after the fall of Briar Hill at the last, no doubt Briar Hill would have been involved at the finish but as it was Dedigout was a comfortable enough winner over Zaidpour in 2nd and Gerdago in 3rd. It's hard to see Dedigout even going to Cheltenham unless the ground comes up soft however he is a 20/1 shot for World Hurdle glory and certainly would be in with a chance if we were in for a soft ground festival. This was another setback for Briar Hill, who looked set for his best run of the season before this fall. After taking a pearler of a fall at the festival last year I wouldn't be keen on following him now, especially with confidence lowered again off the back of today. However if you think the fall won't have dented his confidence too much this did look like Briar Hill was at the very least getting back to his form of last season and you can be encouraged by this but for me not much to take out of this given good ground at Cheltenham.

In the Flyingbolt Novice Chase Gilgamboa was sent off an odds on favorite but proved hugely disappointing as he went down to the outsider of the field Rawnaq. Unfortunately it looks like the monster Un De Sceauz has broken Gilgamboa as this was a massive shock and one I was not expecting, Bolger's charge never really jumped well at all and this was definitely not his true running. The thing we must decide is was it just due to being turned out too quickly or has being hammered by UDS last time out really affected him? If you fancy him for Cheltenham even on the back of this you can get some very fancy odds, 20/1 for the JLT and 40/1 for the Arkle.

Performance of the day must go though to Very Wood who produced a taking performance under Bryan Cooper to romp to victory over 3 miles. Very Wood will definitely head to Cheltenham now, for what race we do not yet know, but with his course form (won the Albert Bartlett last year) and this victory under his belt he goes there with a really live chance. Noel Meade fancies the 4 miler for him, and with the wealth of talent Gigginstown stud have in the chasing division I think he could slot very nicely here allowing Don Poli to go for the RSA. Bryan Cooper shares my thought's I reckon, he was dead keen to tell us that Very Wood would be a lovely ride in the 4 miler...because he wants Don Poli for the RSA!!!

Very Wood...VERY good!

This Tuesday will be 3 weeks exactly until the start of the 2015 Cheltenham Festival and the Cheltenham preview night season is just round the corner, indeed many venue's have begun hosting theirs already. These are always great fun so get along to one if you can, although don't believe everything you hear! Use the information to go alongside your own opinions of the races, don't discard what you thought just because one of the preview panel say something different; Remember, if the experts knew it all they'd have long retired by now!

Thanks again for reading and good luck if you have any Cheltenham ante-post bets now that NRNB time is really kicking into gear. Exciting news broke today that we may see Sire De Grugy in action at Chepstow this coming weekend, lets hope so and lets hope for a better round of jumping from him than on reappearance. Another fall and I doubt we will be seeing him at Cheltenham.

Alex