Ross Millar: weekend reflections and three selections for Monday

The Christmas Meeting at Cheltenham has long been one of my favourites and signals the start of an exciting month of festive racing. 

Undoubtedly, one of the festive showpieces is The Coral Welsh Grand National. It could be that Haiti Couleurs, winner of the novices’ handicap chase at Cheltenham on Saturday for west Wales based trainer Rebecca Curtis, has the Chepstow centrepiece on his dance card for next year. 

He certainly stayed strongly up the hill over the 3m2f trip, but he’s not devoid of pace and his jumping was wonderfully slick. 

The Browns Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Festival in March was suggested as a potential target for later in the season.  I think that would be a stretch and I’m sure when the adrenaline has subsided cooler heads might consider that with careful placement, between now and March, a Festival handicap may be a more suitable objective. 

That same sentiment applies to both the runner-up, Transmission, and third placed Peaky Boy. The latter sent off favourite wasn’t blessed with the smoothest of trips before possibly not staying this extended trip. 

The feature race of the day, the Nyetimber December Gold Cup, went to Gemirande for the inform team of Charlie Deutsch and Venetia Williams. 

Always towards the front, he held the lead from the fourth fence and thanks to his pinpoint jumping and well-judged fractions he was comfortably able to fend off the persistent, if potentially half-hearted challenge of well-backed favourite Madara. 

Fugitif, a standing dish in these Cheltenham handicaps, and winner of this race last year, possibly found the ground lively enough but still ran his usual consistent race and finished third.  

Gemirande’s win continues the fine run of form for the Williams yard. She has plenty of entries through the Christmas period and is certainly a trainer I will be keeping onside. 

At Fairyhouse, it was Majborough who stole the show with a most impressive display of jumping and galloping as he ran out a comfortable winner on his chase debut in a race that looked, on paper, as competitive as you could expect to see for a beginners’ chase. 

Before this return, I had wondered whether this would be a transitional season for him. We are aware that Triumph Hurdle winners are often stayers later in their career so I’d questioned whether he would possess the necessary speed for an Arkle while equally I struggled to believe that connections would run the risk of bottoming a five-year old in what can be a gruelling Browns Advisory. 

The gear change he showed when quickening away from the last fence answered that question emphatically . . .  he’s got more than enough pace for two miles. 

The Racing TV cameras are at Naas on Monday, with Slade Steel in action in the opening race. However, my selections are over jumps at Southwell and Plumpton. 

Mistymal had proved frustrating to follow last season when over hurdles but got his chasing career off to the best possible start when winning over this trip at Hereford. 

Off just a 4lb higher mark, he was well backed to strike over the same course and distance on his second start and looked the winner when jumping to the front two from home, only to collared and eventually finish third. 

It was a solid run, although I wondered whether it was a lack of focus and dare I say it desire rather than a lack of ability that saw him fade late on. 

Connections clearly share that opinion, and he lines up here under first time cheek-pieces. 

The short run-in at Southwell should help hold his focus and additionally I am sure Alan Johns will be aware that he will not want to be in front too soon. 

This does not look a deep contest and any form of improvement for the application of the headgear should be enough to see him gain a second career win. 

Previous hurdle winners Epic West and Touquet set the standard here, but I’m not sure it is an insurmountable one, especially as Touquet performed badly when racing too freely at Ascot las time. 

Meanwhile, the form of Epic West’s win has been solidified but not boosted. This two-mile trip on a sound surface is also a vastly different test to the 2m1f on soft ground at Carlisle over which he gained that hurdling victory. 

I am keen to take them on with the hurdling newcomer, Andashan. He showed plenty of pace to win a Kempton bumper on debut and then improved on that effort when third at Newbury behind the exciting Regent’s Stroll. 

Trainer Chris Gordon took a while to find form with his string this season, but the last two weeks have seen a significant improvement with three winners from his past 12 runners. 

Rex Dingle knows Andashan well, having ridden him on both starts last season, and the combination can make the most of the 7lb that Epic West and Touquet must concede. 

Last time out course and distance winner Lady Balko is sure to be well fancied here, even off an 9lb higher mark. 

That rise might well be manageable, but last time she enjoyed an uncontested lead and was able to set her own fractions under the excellent Jack Tudor. 

She might not be afforded that luxury this time with habitual front-runner Northern Poet in the line-up.  

Consequently, I’m prepared to give Village Master another chance. He produced a dismal effort on his seasonal return at Ffos Las, where he looked lethargic throughout, but that was surely too bad to be true. 

He had finished last season in a vastly different vein of form, winning five on the spin. It might be that this mark of 112, which is a whopping 34lb higher than his winning spree started off, is beyond him but I am always prepared to forgive a horse one poor run. 

The fitting of first-time cheek-pieces may well be the key. He represents a trainer and jockey partnership that are going well and I’m keen to side with him.