Ross Millar: Cheltenham reflections and Monday tips

I enjoyed a short and unsuccessful stint riding in point-to-points, inhibited by my 6ft 3 frame and lack of ability. I did, though, meet plenty of 'characters', including a Welsh farmer who trained three horses of varying shapes and sizes. The one trait they had in common was a distinct lack of pace. Nevertheless, the riding instructions were always the same: "get out in front and let them mess about in behind".

This was certainly the case in the Support The Hunt Family Fund December Gold Cup Handicap Chase on Saturday. Alert at the start and sharply away, Sean Bowen soon had Glengouly, who raced from 7lb out of the handicap, at the head of affairs and jumping in a slick rhythm. He need only concentrate on his horse and his horse alone.

Meanwhile in behind, his nine rivals seemed intent on fighting over the same patch of the Prestbury turf, the result being that plenty of them struggled to find a rhythm in their jumping. The petrol Bowen saved riding off the front was the winning of the race, as the challengers arrived he was readily able to turn them away.

Vincenzo ran honourably in second, as he had when filling the same spot in the Paddy Power Gold Cup last month, but I wonder whether the undulations of Cheltenham are not truly to his liking.

Another worthy of mention was the well supported Kim Roque, his relative inexperience cost him hear with a few sketchy jumps, but he'll remain on a fair mark and is worthy of addition to your Racing TV tracker, particularly if upped in trip in the New Year. Another who's jumping needs improvement is Jagwar, though I'm not sure he's quite the horse many of his supporters hope he'll be.

Much has been written on racing social media this week on the apparent demise of British Racing. Small fields, poor prize money, a select number of super-powers dominating the training ranks. I wouldn't be so naive as to suggest these are not issues, of course they are.

However, on Friday, a three-runner novice chase provided an intriguing spectacle with Kielan Woods giving Sixmilebridge an excellent ride, barely making a mistake as he improved his fencing vastly on his chase debut at Ayr.

Faye Bramley demonstrated that small stables can train big winners at Cheltenham, as had Robbie Llewellyn on Friday at the same track. Meanwhile, up at Doncaster, Richard Hobson maintained his strong form as Docpickedme ran out a game winner of the Pennine Handicap Chase.

Maybe owners need to look away from the vast array of social media content the big yards can command and instead look at what some smaller yards can achieve?

On Monday, Champion Bumper winner Bambino Fever makes her much anticipated hurdle debut at Naas. I have three selections from Plumpton.

Gary and Josh Moore have their team in fine order and are currently operating at a 32% strike rate.

All Authorized won very easily the last time he visited Plumpton, staying on strongly to win a handicap hurdle over this trip. That win came off a mark of 104, a subsequent 6lb rise from the handicapper means his chase mark of just 100 makes real appeal at a track he likes.

He was soundly beaten on his seasonal return over fences at Ascot in late November, but that run will have brought him forward and the fitting of first time cheekpieces might help his jumping. The yard is in significantly better form now too.

Venetia Williams has endured a slow start to this season, no doubt in part due to the dry autumn and early winter, yet there were signs at Cheltenham and Doncaster this weekend that the yard is starting to find some form, with brave runs in defeat by L’Homme Presse and Alcedo and a strong performance in victory from Zertakt.

There can be no hiding the fact that Lady Pretender has been disappointing since arriving in the UK from France where her official rating of 57kg would equate to far more than her current BHA rating of 91.

She returns having had wind surgery in the off-season with this trip and ground potentially offering her optimal conditions. At what I expect to be generous odds I’m keen to chance her.

This Toby Lawes trained seven-year old is winless since rattling off a hat-trick of wins in early 2024, though he has run well on occasions off a chase mark in the mid-110s. 

Crucially, this is his first start at Plumpton since that final win and he returns off a lenient looking hurdle mark of 101.

His latest hurdle start came at this track when finishing third when sent off a well-backed favourite on is handicap debut over two-miles, he lacked the necessary gears on that occasion but this trip is far more suitable, I fancy him to run very well.