Cheltenham

Thursday

HENRY de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore enjoyed successful Cheltenham Festivals and had further reason to celebrate when Havingagoodtime came home well clear in the Junior Jumpers Fillies’ Juvenile Hurdle on a card restricted to mares’ races.

She was taking on her own sex and clearly found this a good deal more straightforward than her previous run at Naas when she finished fourth of six to subsequent Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle scorer Band Of Outlaws. The form of the British youngsters looked ordinary and she pulled 18 lengths clear of Via Delle Volle, who deprived So Enjoy of second late on.

Backers relied on the Irish form and Havingagoodtime was sent off 3/1 favourite despite shouldering 11st 10lb.

Mags Mullins looked like adding to the Irish haul with Agusta Gold, who always travelled well and led between the final two flights in the Catesby Estates PLC Mares’ Handicap Hurdle. However, Nicky Henderson’s 14/1 chance Sunshade, having clearly benefited from a wind operation, joined issue under Nico de Boinville and forged clear on the run-in to give the Queen a winner.

TALENTED

Trainer Paul Webber is quiet these days but has a talented mare in Indefatigable, who was second to the prolific Lady Buttons at Doncaster before a very good fifth to Eglantine Du Seuil in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival.

In a four-runner race for the Listed Glide Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle she was made 5/4 favourite to beat Alan King’s The Cull Bank, 6/4, an easy winner at Fontwell and Plumpton. Many punters got it right but were probably surprised to see Indefatigable win so easily – 10 lengths at the line despite some slipshod jumps.

3,000 up for nicholls

Paul Nicholls is only a week away from regaining the trainers’ title and is still sending out plenty of winners. The Westerner six-year-old Kupatana defied 11st 12lb in the EBF/Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Chase Series Final, making all the running and holding Philip Hobbs’ Little Miss Poet by just over a length. This win was another milestone for Nicholls, his 3,000th winner in Britain.