Cheltenham Festival eye-catchers: eight horses to follow

This son of Walk In The Park ran six times for Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm last year, winning impressively ahead of the ill-fated Precious Man on debut as early as last March, before chasing home crack juvenile Leopard Du Berlais at Auteuil in the autumn.

Having joined Dan Skelton for €145,000 in November, he was gelded and given a wind operation, and had already entered plenty of notebooks when finishing third on his reappearance and stable debut at Haydock last month.

Dropped 3lb to 131 for that run, he shaped with promised in Tuesday’s Fred Winter, reversing form with Haydock winner Manlaga, and this was despite being keen under Harry Skelton for much of the race.

I’m also not sure the fast ground would have played to his strengths, and he is sure to want slightly further going forward, as he did his best work late on, closing to finish just four lengths behind the front trio.

In fact, outside of the front pair that pulled over three lengths clear of the rest, he recorded the fastest final five furlongs in the race. If he can learn to settle, there is a big race to be won with him, and would be of interest back on softer ground over an intermediate trip.

Jagwar continued his frustrating season by finishing a close second in Tuesday’s Ultima over 3m1f on his first run at the trip. His form figures this season now read 322, all of which have been at Cheltenham – in fact his last five starts have all been at Prestbury Park, but Tuesday’s was his first race on the Old Course.

Ridden patiently by Mark Walsh, he recorded a very respectable Jump Index of 8.2, yet was inconsistent, making errors at a number of fences and jumping others with aplomb.

He ultimately found Johnnywho half a length too strong, but he certainly got this new trip and he has a huge stride – the Grand National in four weeks’ time looks the obvious next target, for which his odds were quickly cut to 16-1. At the time of writing, he has shortened into a general 12-1 chance.

He is hugely consistent and would hold every chance should he line up at Aintree off a lovely racing weight (rated 152).

Sent off at 150-1, the Dan Skelton-trained Soldier Reeves ran a mighty race to finish fourth and, in another half a stride, would have got up for third too. Who knows where he would have finished had he broken on terms and not surrounded several lengths when the tapes finally went up at the third attempt.

Ridden in last by Tristan Durrell for much of the contest, he still had most other the field in front of him with one to jump, but flew up the hill to only narrowly miss out on a place. He topped the RaceiQ stats on both Finishing Speed Percentage (104.44%) and time in the final half-mile (55.49 seconds).

He had previously been well beaten by Old Park Star at Haydock, but on this evidence, is still a very useful novice and a step up in trip would seemingly do him no harm either – he was a close second in a three-mile point-to-point.

Well fancied for the hugely competitive 2m5f BetMGM Cup on Wednesday on his second start in handicap company, Storm Heart looked to be well-treated up in trip following two wins on softer ground and ran a huge race to finish third.

Although he was beaten over ten lengths by the impressive well-backed winner Jingko Blue, this was a better performance that the bare result. His RaceiQ Jump Index of 8.6 was the best of all 20 finishers, yet he made a bad mistake two out and was then on the back foot.

He ran on well after the last and it looks a matter of time before he gets his head in front in handicap company, with any easing of the ground sure to be in his favour. It is worth remembering he was sent off the 7-2 favourite for the Triumph two years ago and he has yet to run a bad race in five starts since.

This four-year-old filly was one of my main fancies of the day on Wednesday and beat all 20 rivals, bar The Mourne Rambler and Colin Keane.

She was not particularly strong in the market on the day, however she is clearly highly thought of by connections, who scrued her for €710,000 in the Autumn after winning an AQPS bumper at Lyon Parilly by eight lengths.

Her only defeat from three starts in France came at the hands of Mondialito d’Huez, who subsequently won a Group One, so the form was there and, being a juvenile filly, she received plenty of weight in Wednesday’s finale – it was the best result for a four-year-old since Blue Sari also finished second seven years ago.

Settled towards the rear, Mets Ta Ceinture took a keen grip under Harry Skelton and cruised into contention around the outside turning for home, but was ultimately beaten by a horse with a smarter turn of foot on ground that had been changed to good all over an hour or so before. Painfully for me, she traded at evens in running, too.

She rates a hugely exciting prospect for novice hurdles next season, with softer ground sure to help her cause.

Well supported in the market building up to Thursday's feature, 4-1 chance Kabral Du Mathan looked to have the Stayers' Hurdle sewn up when he traded at 1.23 in running approaching the final flight, only to weaken towards the line, shaping like a blatant non-stayer.

He led over the last and looked the likeliest winner, but he failed to pick up under Harry Skelton and somehow finished unplaced in fourth.

After winning the Relkeel so impressively at the course in January, three miles was definitely worth a try, especially as the yard had one of the market leaders for the Champion Hurdle, but it is hard to imagine he will be back in this race in 12 months time.

Trips between two and two and a half miles seem more likely going forwards, although it is worth mentioning that Kabral Du Mathan did lose a shoe during Thursday's race. Still highly-raced, he is not one to give up on in Grade One company over shorter trips.

The defending champ did not travel and jump with the same enthusiasm that he did 12 months ago, but his third-placed finish in this year's Gold Cup was still a hugely promising return to form given how lifeless he had looked in his first three starts of the season.

Out the back for much of the race, he looked awkward at times, jumping to his right and being niggled along at halfway, and was a couple of lengths adrift at one stage, but he saw his race out really well and came home strongly to finish just two lengths behind runner-up Jango Baie.

The time for the race was nearly 11 seconds quicker than standard and Inothewayurthinkin's FSP was a high 106.61% - second only to impressive winner Gaelic Warrior.

It was no massive surprise to see an upturn in form from Gavin Cromwell's star given he seems to save his best for Cheltenham and the spring festivals, but this was a much better run that most anticipated.

Still only eight, he has time on his side, but is a concern that he is yet to win over fences in Ireland. Perhaps connections will target some 'easier' assignments in Britain next season in order to get his confidence back.

It was clear that the hurdles course on Friday was much more testing than the chase track and Jump Allen had already proven himself over further than this, having finished second over an extended three miles at Ayr in April.

He then won at Sandown on the final day of the season, but crucially he had not been seen since.

Making his first start in 11 months, the Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old was held up by Anna McGuinness, but had made some progress heading into the straight towards the final flight, although he still had half the field in front of him over the last and no room to make a serious challenge.

He was out of camera shot for much of the run-in, but ran on strongly late on to get up for a remarkable third, clocking the fastest final half-mile bar the winner, plus recording the highest FSP (108.16%).

He was also the only horse to run his final furlong quicker than his penultimate furlong, recording a 14.76 second split towards the line -  the fastest finish of the race, and by some way.

Rated 133, he looks much better than that mark, handles good ground and will be of huge interest wherever he goes later this spring.