Horse racing tips: Ross Millar's bets plus weekend reflections

What a weekend! A few reputations enhanced, and a few dented. Jonbon confirmed that he is a two-mile chaser of immense potential when winning the Close Brothers Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown with a foot-perfect display of jumping.

The runner-up, Boothill, is a talented 147-rated performer and was made to look positively pedestrian as Jonbon flew home up the Sandown hill. It will take a special one to better him, but the wraps are yet to come off a few likely challengers housed in Ireland.

In the Betfair Tingle Creek, it was Edwardstone who took a giant step forward with a performance that surprised just about everyone, including his connections. He travelled and jumped with real zest, and deserves a crack at the reigning two-mile champion, Energumene.

The long-awaited return of Shishkin did not go to plan. He struggled to go the early gallop and, as a consequence, had a less than fluent passage in the early stages. His jumping down the back straight was the one real positive from the performance, though, as he produced a few awesome leaps, but was flat to the boards as they turned for home where a mistake at the third last halted his momentum. However, he’s still young, has time on his side, and Nicky Henderson suggested he’ll now be stepped up in trip. Could he add his name to the growing list of Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup hopefuls?

Noble Yeats certainly added his name to that list as he landed the BoyleSports Many Clouds Chase on his return to Aintree where he showed an astonishing turn of foot between the final two fences. It takes a strong stayer to win a Gold Cup, and he is certainly that.

Ahoy Senor once again failed to impress with his jumping over the early fences. As the race progressed, he did, to a degree, warm up, but was still far from fluent. In this more competitive open grade, his jumping frailty is a weakness that will be repeatedly exposed.

For a third week in a row, brothers Dan and Harry Skelton landed one of the feature races. Harry gave Ashtown Lad an assured, and intelligent, ride to win the Boylesports Becher Chase, and kept wide due to Ashtown Lad’s dislike of being in a pack. He travelled comfortably like the best horse before staying on well in the closing stages from the persistent challenge of Gesskille, who’s connections must surely be rueing the lengths he forfeited from the standing start.

The action in Ireland came from Fairyhouse where the stories mirrored those from England. Facile Vega produced an exemplary round of jumping on his hurdle debut and lengthened clear in taking style. I can’t remember his trainer, Willie Mullins, ever being as openly excited as he is about this impressive son of star mare Quevega.

On Sunday it was two mares that grabbed the headlines, for differing reasons. Lossiemouth jumped to the head of the JCB Triumph Hurdle betting with a slick display on her Irish debut. She looks talented, and uncomplicated, and will, of course, have that valuable mares allowance against the boys.

Unfortunately, Sunday saw the end to the unbeaten run of Honeysuckle as she finished tamely in the Bar One Racing Hatton's Grace Hurdle to finish third behind Teahupoo and Klassical Dream.

It’s true that time waits for no man (or mare) but lets not let this defeat in anyway diminish her reputation; she has been a gift to our sport. A word to for her connections who were as graceful in defeat as they have been in victory, something that some are yet to master.

Onto Monday's action and I have four selections across Musselburgh and Lingfield. Best of luck.

Freddy Robinson was not without talent when racing on the Flat and his maiden status, and official rating of just 62, probably aren’t a true reflection of his ability.

He took well to hurdles on his first attempt when finishing fourth at Newcastle and would likely have finished closer but for a mistake at the second last.

He was often ridden prominently when racing on the Flat but was given a more restrained ride at Newcastle where I’m sure the focus was on giving him a pleasant first experience over obstacles.

I’d hope that the in-form Johnny Burke would adopt more positive tactics here on a track where it pays to race in a handy position.

He does face a number of rivals who achieved higher Flat ratings, but he has the advantage of prior hurdling experience over them, and I’m hopeful he can make that count.

With just three starts next to his name, Pepe Le Moko is, by some distance, the least exposed in this line-up and, now that he encounters soft ground, I’m confident he is capable of taking a big step forward on his second outing in a handicap.

His third at Newton Abbot when finishing seven lengths behind subsequent Greatwood Hurdle runner-up Gin Coco is his standout piece of form. Even when accounting for the 7lb he received from that rival there, plus the easy manner of the victory, a rating of 105 looks lenient, especially given that Ivaldi, who is rated 124 and was second on his latest start at Ascot, was a further five lengths adrift in fourth.

At Cheltenham on his latest outing, he travelled well before getting outpaced down the hill, although he rallied well in the closing stages. That form looks solid as the fifth, Galahad Threepwood, was second on his next start at Sandown, while the narrowly beaten Explosive Boy looked destined for victory before falling late on at Fairyhouse on Saturday.

I’m sure that he’ll be better over further in time, but he should be capable of winning this en route to bigger targets.

On his seasonal return at Fontwell, Small Bad Bob shaped with promise as he moved stylishly through the race before a scrappy jump at the last, and possibly a small lack of fitness, resulted in him fading into fourth place, but finished only a length behind recent Newbury winner Abuffalosoldier.

His next outing was anything but promising as he weakened dramatically before being pulled up a long way from home. His trainer, Paul Henderson, attributed the poor showing to the quick twelve-day turnaround, and has given his charge plenty of time to recover since.

His slipping mark is now at 114, which is 3lb below his last winning mark and, crucially, he gets his preferred soft ground here.

A number of his opposition are in better form, but that should insure, that he is sent off at a decent each-way price.

I’ve had Reign Suepreme on my radar since his run at Exeter in February where he finished third behind the 155-rated Dusart, and the 130-rated Flash Collonges.

His next two outings were, on face value, backward steps but they were over an inadequate trip of 2m5f plus were prior to him being allocated a mark.

On his first start in handicap company at Warwick in May, he finished last of three but was just three lengths behind Ultimate Getaway, who has won since and is rated 120.

The handicapper was not impressed and has since dropped Nikki Evans’ gelding 11lb to his current mark of 105. His sole point-to-point win came on soft ground, and the return to three miles is certain to suit. It is true he has an unconventional profile, but I’m sure he’s better than this mark.