WITH the weather dreadful, the next few weeks light on clues and the entries out for the first Cheltenham Festival races, now seems as good a time as any to dip my toe into the ante-post markets for March, and I’ll try to keep myself honest by documenting those bets here.

So, I took the plunge on Tuesday and backed Corach Rambler each-way for the Gold Cup, and while he is likely to turn up in March without a run since the Betfair Chase, that won’t be a bother and I noted after that run that he would potentially enter the Gold Cup picture via the Cotswold Chase. That prep run is now unlikely to happen, but he beat Fastorslow in the Ultima at Cheltenham last year after more than three months off, and clearly goes best in the spring.

Given events at Kempton and Leopardstown over Christmas, it was no surprise to see both Galopin Des Champs and Fastorslow tighten in the betting while a number of other contenders drifted, but with the latter tied in closely not just with the Gold Cup favourite but with the horse who beat him a neck at the Festival a year ago, I thought 33/1 was too big for the Grand National winner, who ought to be better suited by the Gold Cup’s longer trip and stiffer track having twice won the Ultima on the Old Course.

Corach Rambler was only third in the Betfair Chase but jumped well and closed up late under fairly tender handling to suggest he would do much better another day, and he would have beaten Fastorslow by further last March but for idling badly in front, as is his wont. He received 4lb that day, but there can’t be much between them at level weights, and I doubt that Martin Brassil’s charge wants a slog over the Gold Cup trip.

I thought the Savills Chase showed that Gerri Colombe lacks the gears to win a Gold Cup, and he looked uncomfortable down the hill when beaten by The Real Whacker in the Brown Advisory.

That horse is hard to consider after two heavy defeats this term, and Bravemansgame, while still consistent, hasn’t repeated his standout effort in last year’s King George. He’s been on the wrong end of a few hard scraps, too, and that must tell at some stage.

Appreciate It will surely head to the Ryanair after a blatant non-staying effort in the Savills, and ditto Allaho after the King George. Shishkin is likely to go the other way after his luckless defeat in the King George, but he has looked moody at Cheltenham for the last two seasons, and I really can’t trust him to turn up on his best behaviour.

Considerable interest

One I’m not pressing the button on, but who will be of considerable interest going forward, is Gavin Cromwell’s Inothewayurthinkin, who has been handed an IHRB rating of 144 on the back of his third to Gaelic Warrior in the Grade 1 Faugheen Novices’ Chase at Limerick. The well-related six-year-old is still a work in progress over fences and would be a risky proposition for ante-post bets given the question of what his target might be but also as he has been largely kept to testing ground so far and – well, the rain must stop eventually, right?

He’s twice seen a rear view of Gaelic Warrior and is unlikely to keep banging his head against that particular brick wall, and I fancy if he races at Cheltenham it will be against seasoned handicappers in the Festival Plate. Given he’s been plying his trade against the best, there should be no great difference in his Irish and British marks, which takes some of the guesswork out of proceedings.

What really makes Inothewayurthinkin of interest, however, is the exceptional recent record of Gavin Cromwell’s runners in the UK and Cheltenham in particular. Figures of 12-54 since taking out his licence are impressive enough, but he’s beating both Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls in terms of winners at the track this season, with his seven wins from 17 runners putting him at the top of the trainers’ table at Cheltenham this season.

Stumptown was his latest winner on New Year’s Day and that horse was notably progressive this time last year after losing his first five starts over fences. It’s easy to make the narrative of Irish success all about Mullins and Elliott juggernauts, but Cromwell’s success has been remarkable in its own right and shows no sign of abating.

WATCHING racing is a privilege but when you’re looking for clues in Class 6 all-weather handicaps it can be a chore at times. Then again, at its purest it can stir the soul and as a child who grew up watching horses like Monksfield and Night Nurse, I was lucky to become a fan during jump racing’s most exciting era.

I have been rather downbeat about much of the racing in the UK over Christmas and the New Year, largely because the British challenge to Irish supremacy at the top of the sport looks weaker than ever. It worries me that the British racing establishment talks about premierisation while gearing for mediocrity, and while there may be some hollow laughter should Irish stables plunder the vast majority of the silverware in March, such utter domination would give little true satisfaction. Think Willie Mullins as “Homie The Clown” and Nicky Henderson as “The Krusty Burglar” (one for hardcore Simpsons fans only, but you’ll see the meme).

Thank goodness for Constitution Hill, the cynical might say, but that’s exactly right, although not in the way imagined. Constitution Hill is not merely a symbol of Britain’s resistance at Cheltenham, but he’s a reminder that Cheltenham – nay, the entire jumps pattern – isn’t us against them, but a celebration of the best there is, wherever the stars are stabled.

I must admit that I sometimes forget to watch the sport as I did as a child, not through the lens of a battle between racing superpowers, but purely as an opportunity to see something which made my heart race with anticipation and enjoyment. Four horses did that for me over the past fortnight, and while their names are easy to guess, I feel that they need to be mentioned as to pass them over as obvious is to deny their ability to transcend the usual parochial outlook.

Constitution Hill and Galopin Des Champs were superb, and both showed that easy wins at the top level don’t need to be labelled as boring or predictable when the victors are so blessed with charisma.

Even more exciting, however, because of the abundant promise they offer for a future as yet unchartered, were the wins of novice chasers Marine Nationale and Il Est Francais at Leopardstown and Kempton respectively, both of whom were utterly compelling from the very first fence. If you’re beginning to lose the joie de vivre of Christmas, or you’ve already broken your New Year’s resolution, just go back and watch the full replays of those two races again and remind yourself why you first fell in love with this sometimes frustrating, but always beguiling sport.