The next time we'll be racing at Cheltenham will be for the Cheltenham Festival. This Saturday's Festival Trials meeting was full of action, but did we see any future festival winners and which races in March are starting to become clearer?

The opening Novices' Handicap Chase has a good record of producing Festival clues; of the last five winners of this race, three have gone on to win in March, with the other pair finishing runner-up.

Jordans Cross continued his upward trajectory over fences and was gritty in a battle up the hill as he gamely reeled in Quebecois. He clearly has plenty of stamina and maybe a step-up in trip for the Ultima might give rise to further improvement.

Maestro Conti was another who stayed powerfully when winning the Triumph Trial. He looks promising for the future, particularly when eventually tackling a fence, but I think others will have more gears in the Triumph itself.

Donnacha has been a tremendously consistent horse for Nigel Hawke and was a brave winner of the 2m4f Handicap Chase. He has earned a day out in the spring, but his trainer suggested this was his Gold Cup. Jagwar was disappointing in second and again produced some scrappy leaps, he'll be of interest over further, particularly when being partnered by Harry Cobden who may well posses the talent to improve his jumping.

Javert Allen weakened into fourth having raced with tremendous zeal, if we get a wet week in March he'll be worth a second look in the Grand Annual.

The switch of the Festival Cross-Country Chase to a handicap means that the trial has become more relevant. Favori De Champadou skipped to victory here, but will receive a hefty rise in the weights. Final Orders found life tougher up 9lb in the weights and on slower ground, he might get a small bit of relief from the handicapper, and on genuinely nice ground he'll show more next time. However, Keith Donoghue is a significant benefit to any horse in this race and he might well be on last year's victor Stumptown.

The Cotswold Chase was billed as a chance for Grey Dawning to announce himself on the Gold Cup stage and in only finishing third, he slightly flufffed his lines. Though it was evident Harry Skelton's main priority was not to give him an overly hard race, I'm still of the opinion others will finish stronger up the hill in March.

The winner of this race, Spillane's Tower, certainly posses plenty of stamina, he was favoured by the weights here and would need to improve again to win a Gold Cup - he certainly wouldn't get away with dropping his hind legs in the open ditch as he did twice on Saturday - however, he's relatively lightly raced over fences and may be capable of better still.

Runner-up L'Homme Presse ran well conceding weight to the winner, his jumping is measured, low and slick and he gallops strongly. If the handicapper leaves him on 162, he'd be of tremendous interest if skipping Cheltenham and heading to Aintree for the Grand National.

The Champion Hurdle trial was the disappointing race of the day, as the highly exciting Sir Gino suffered what looks like being a career-ending injury. Talented but fragile, it's a pain felt my all racing fans that we'll never know just how good he could have been.

His non-completion left a fairly easy task for The New Lion, however I was underwhelmed he appeared to lack synchronicity at the hurdles with pilot Harry Skelton and, while he ultimately quickened up nicely, I felt he took too long to find that burst. I'll be staggered if he's quick enough to win a Champion Hurdle.

Emma Lavelle nursed Paisley Park through the handicap ranks before he established himself as a top-class staying hurdler, his role of honour including three wins in the Cleeve Hurdle. Her winner on Saturday, Ma Shantou, is following a similar path and showed greater stamina on testing ground than favourite Impose Toi, but similarly to Grey Dawning, it was evident Nico De Boinville was willing to accept defeat when it became apparent and left something in the tank for March. If getting his preferred sound surface, he'll comfortably reverse form with the winner to who he was conceding 6lb.

The final race of the day saw farcical scenes as a collapsed drain necessitated in a re-railing of the course. Run in near darkness it was won by Kripticjim, though the official photo finish image was less than clear.

At a time when horse sport of all disciplines is continually under scrutiny, it seemed perverse to me that such risks were deemed acceptable. It also seemed illogical that participants, all of who would have personal agendas, were seemingly part of a decision making group. Lydia Hislop made some excellence observations in her interview with Cheltenham Clerk of the Course Jon Pullin. I hope the necessary learnings are made ahead of March.

Racing TV cameras are at Punchestown on Monday, but I've looked closer to home with selections from Plumpton and Hereford.

Kerry Lee's gelding was sent off a big price on his hurdling debut at Warwick, but showed up well before getting tired on the home turn.

It maybe that handicaps see him in a better light further down the line, but I think it's of interest that he steps up in trip here. He might well outrun his odds.

He ran with promise at Huntingdon on his return from 515 days away from the track, only weakening late on having raced exuberantly. The drop in trip will suit and with fitness behind him, he can strike.

Did some strong late work over what looked like an inadequate trip at Exeter last time. Back up in trip, he remains on a workable mark providing the relatively quick turnaround of 17 days doesn't work against him.