TURNERS', NORTON, DOYLE & FROST.

​Cheltenham’s management have seen sense and changed the ‘Turners’, the 2-mile-4-furlong novice chase to a handicap. What they have not yet done, which I advise them to do, is transfer the ‘Turners’ as it was to what is known as ‘Trials Day’ in order to maintain a 2-mile-4-furlong championship race for novice chasers. This transfer would allow trainers to decide whether to target the Arkle or the Brown Advisory for their intermediate novice chasers at the Cheltenham Festival.
Cheltenham also propose to return the cross-country race to a handicap, thus denying the once highly-rated chasers, usually trained in Ireland, a race which is more or less a lap of honour for them. The notion that every race at the Festival should be a championship race of one sort or another has proved detrimental to the well-being of the meeting and opening-up the cross-country to every trainer in Britain and Ireland, allows the smaller trainer and owner an opportunity of Cheltenham glory and is to be applauded. 
Of course, the race most in need of revamping is the amateur riders National Hunt Chase, a race that might as well be confined to runners trained by Willie Mullins or Gordon Elliott given the recent record of the race or at least horses from Ireland. I remain convinced, as much of a traditionalist as I am, that the race has run its course and should be upgraded to a 4-mile Champion Chase, with novices receiving a weight concession and opened-up to professional jockeys. The meeting has lost two championship races, why not, perhaps as a three-year trial, give it one back in the form of a stayers’ championship race, thus allowing Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott to direct the horses that might have run in the cross-country to the new championship race?

Franny Norton is to join Jimmy Quinn in retiring from the saddle. Quinn intends to finish at the end of the turf season, while Norton will bring a halt to his successful career at his beloved Chester this coming Saturday. Franny Norton was one of those jockeys who bridged the gap between journeyman and highly successful, riding over 2,000 winners, along with a fistful of group winners and several major handicaps. His retirement will leave a hole in the jockeys roster at Kingsley Park Farm, which, as will always be the case in racing, someone will speedily step-up to fill. Not that there will ever be another Franny Norton riding for Charlie Johnson.

When it comes to Group 1’s and classics, though she has only a French Oaks to her name, I suggest that not only is Hollie Doyle the most successful female jockey currently but also the most successful throughout the history of the sport in all racing jurisdictions. In the U.S., Julie Crone outstrips her when it comes to number of winners in her career – she rode over 3,000 – and though big prizes came her way, I will be surprised if her tally of Grade I’s was higher than Hollie’s haul, which I believe to be 10 or 11, though on Sunday I was adding Trueshan’s Cadran success to the total when he was ridden by the other Doyle on that occasion due to Hollie being on a suspension. I have asked The Racing Post’s John Randall for clarification. Of course, in my shambolic way of things, I muddled my initial question by not stipulating Group and Graded races as my point of direction.

Finally, sadly, though pleasurably, it appears Bryony Frost has settled very nicely in France and considers the country her new home and is forging a successful career, winning races a plenty and no doubt pleasing her new employers no end. Soon, that 3Ib allowance females receive in France will become a talking point as giving an exceptional talent like Bryony a head start will not please the male jockeys she is competition with.
I hope or perhaps pray that when Daryl Jacobs calls time on his career, Isaac Souede and Simon Munir will consider appointing Bryony to the position as their number 1 and she will be repatriated to her home country and more importantly her home county. Having championed her since the day she won the Cheltenham Foxhunter, I will miss not seeing her name on race-cards, especially when Paul Nicholls has one low in the weights for a big handicap. It almost feels like the end of a love affair, albeit a one-sided, long-distance affair of the heart between two people who have never met and most likely never will. I wonder if Paul Nicholls will miss her?