it's the thing this time of year, so why be different.

​Having given the subject long consideration, I have refined my thoughts about an English version of the Dublin Racing Festival. My initial reaction was to add a second-day to Cheltenham’s already existing ‘Trials Day’, if such a concept was accepted as part of the answer to rectifying the drubbing imposed on British trainers by their Irish counterparts last March. I was then swayed by Paul Nicholl’s idea of a festival at Newbury, building two-days around the Game Spirit and Denman Chases. I like Newbury, believing it to be Britain’s best dual-purpose racecourse and direly underused when it comes to major races.
Realistically, though, having heard so many varying comments, I think the sensible option would be to enhance the one-day at Cheltenham, perhaps extending it to 8 races and bulking up prize-money. Unfortunately, the loser if such a proposal came to fruition would be Newbury and I would deeply regret the devaluing of the Game Spirit and the Denman Chases. Perhaps a compromise would be to change the dates of these two fixtures so that a combination of Newbury and Cheltenham could become the English version of the Dublin Racing Festival, with Newbury on the Saturday and Cheltenham on the Sunday, with the Game Spirit being the 2-mile trial, the Denman the Gold Cup trial, with the Cotwolds Chase transforming into a trial for whatever the 3-mile novice chase at the festival is now called. Cheltenham could have a Champion Hurdle trial, Newbury an Arkle trial and so on.
Anyway, that is where I’m settling. Either an extended single day at Cheltenham, as is but with 8 races and better prize-money or a weekend combining Cheltenham and Newbury. That’s it; I’m giving the matter no further thought.
The most annoying phrase trending with trainers nowadays is ‘He goes well fresh, so we will go straight to Cheltenham.’ With the statement after failing to win, and you do hear this an annoyingly number of times. ‘Perhaps he could have done with a run beforehand to get the freshness out of him.’ Nicky Henderson started the vogue, with Paul Nicholls getting on board soon after and now it’s the thing, isn’t it? Trainers now have the idea that they are not a proper man/woman if they can’t win a Grade 1 with a horse that hasn’t run for 3-months. Paul Nicholls is of the opinion that Frodon ‘likes to be fresh’, yet he won all those handicaps without being ‘fresh’, when he won the Ryanair, he had won the Cotswold Chase previously. When he ran in both the Gold Cup last season and the King George this season, he was ‘fresh’ and his performance lacked, I believe, for it. One day, believe you me, we will have a Gold Cup or Champion Chase where no horse has run since Christmas. It’s coming.
So, who will win the 3 main events at this season’s Festival, the one Festival that truly matters.
This year’s Gold Cup, I believe, without Frodon to string them along, will be run at a slower tempo to last year, though as usual only a true stayer will prevail. During and after the Betfair I had no other thought than I was watching this season’s Gold Cup winner. Although on reflection he beat nothing of note, A Plus Tard looked formidable, a class apart and intuition insists I remain loyal to my thoughts back in November. I was disappointed he got beat at Leopardstown by Galvin but no one was saying A Plus Tard is the next Arkle.
The slower pace, I believe, will suit Al Boum Photo and I wouldn’t discard him, even if history and age are counting against him. I was impressed with Tornado Flyer at Kempton, and not only because I was alone in thinking he was not a forlorn outsider, recommending him as an each-way bet. When horses look one-paced, as is the case with Envoi Allen, by the way, it is a sure sign they want a longer trip.
On the each-way front, I recommend Fiddlerontheroof, currently 33 or 40/1. I thought his run in the Ladbrokes Trophy was impressive, even if the winner is a fence short of being anything other than a good handicapper. Chantry House’s jumping let him down at Kempton – not tried in a competitive race, with his Festival win due more to the failings of the horses he passed after the last than any brilliance on his part. Champ looks a million dollars but under pressure will only, I suspect, pay out a few shekels. One day Asterion Forlonge will learn how to jump fences in the home straight and will rattle in at long odds. He is a ‘cliff’ horse and by following him religiously you might lose more money than you ever win but it is going to happen for him, eventually. Minella Indo is either wrong or his heart is not in racing at the moment. Again, it looks like he’ll arrive at Cheltenham ‘fresh’.
To my eyes the race lies between A Plus Tard, A Boum Photo, Galvin, with as a genuine each-way prospect in Fiddlerontheroof. 
The Queen Mother Champion Chase is a match between Shishkin and Energumene, with the former preferred. If the ground is good, Sceau Royal would be worth an each-way bet. I also think Captain Guiness is going the right way, as is Hitman. I suspect Greaneteen has done his winning for the season.
If Appreciate It turns-up, if he runs beforehand, if he does run and wins impressively at the Dublin Racing Festival, if, if, if, of course, he is the danger to Honeysuckle. The only British hope, and my each-way suggestion, is Adagio, though again I would like to see him run beforehand, both to demonstrate his well-bring but also for experience. Can’t see Honeysuckle being beaten, though, as the 7Ib gender allowance gives her, in my estimation, an unfair advantage.
The Stayers Hurdle is a mystery, though I lean towards Flooring Porter over Klassical Dream. But it is only the middle of January and, as it is said, ‘all is to play for’.