SPOOF MASTER AN ABOVE AVERAGE BROCKLESBY WINNER

SPOOF MASTER (36) ran a very fast time to take the Brocklesby Stakes by four lengths. In fact the only other Brocklesby winners I've rated as fast in recent years were Shuffling Kid and Mind Games who went on to win in Grade 3 and Group 2 company respectively.

Spoof Master ran second off an unusually slow early pace on his debut on the Polytrack, and that at least shows he can probably handle a faster surface than the quagmire he ran on at Redcar. This being so I'd be optimistic about the horse's prospects in better races than this.

YARDBIRD (37) ran a good fourth in one of those freakishly fast chases won by Sonevafushi in January, earning a Listed class speed rating from me. And he certainly franked the form of Venetia Williams' charge when winning a strongly run handicap chase at Newbury, while again earning a Listed class speed rating.

That loss to Sonevafushi is the only defeat Yardbird has suffered in five starts over 2m 6f or more. I see him as a good candidate to win something better than this, quite possibly at the Aintree Festival.

RODALKO (37) pulled well clear of the third to run Yardbird to a head and was unlucky to run up against such a smart rival in a class 3 contest. He'd looked a very promising chaser a couple of seasons ago when he would have won his first five chases if he hadn't tipped up when eight lengths clear on one occasion. Despite a two year lay-off he's clearly as good as ever and, like the winner, looks a good candidate to win better races.

LES ARCS IS GROUP CLASS

LES ARCS (41) won the Listed Cammidge Trophy at Redcar in a time that would be good enough for most Group 2 contests. He's now won all five times he's run for his new trainer Tim Pitt.

Clearly Les Arcs is a smart sprinter. I wouldn't want to be opposing him right now.

Old QUITO (40) showed that he's as good as ever by running a close second. He always manages to win something decent in the Spring and I'd bet on him continuing that trend soon.

REVERENCE (40) ran a big race on his seasonal debut to finish third. He'd actually earned a rating of 42 from me on his final start last season, which is Group 1 class. I see him as a great prospect for the top sprints. Right now though it does look like he needs cut in the ground. This was his first defeat in five tries on yielding or faster ground. He's run much below his best the two times he's run on fast going.

DON'T UNDER-ESTIMATE BLYTHE KNIGHT

I dare say a lot of people are going to view the Lincoln victory of BLYTHE KNIGHT (39) as something of a fluke seeing that he'd lost 21 in a row beforehand. But this isn't the first time he's run humungously fast. In the Spring, especially on soft ground, I reckon he's a very useful horse, well capable of winning a Listed or even a Group 3 contest. I like his chances of winning again soon.

Runner-up ROYAL ISLAND (38) is a smart performer that has been unlucky to run up against really smart rivals in several races over the past year. Otherwise he'd have won far more often. I'd bet on Mark Johnston placing him to win something decent before long.

DETROIT CITY THE BEST JUVENILE HURDLER IN YEARS

Three runs back DETROIT CITY (42) earned the joint highest speed rating I'd given a juvenile hurdler in five years when scoring at Newbury. He ran even faster next time at Sandown, earning the biggest speed rating I've ever awarded a juvenile. Now he's gone and run faster still to take the Triumph Hurdle.

When he won at Sandown Detroit City ran a near impossible 1.7 seconds faster than Champion Hurdle candidates managed in the Agfa Hurdle over the same course and distance later on the card. This time he did something similar, running an amazing 1.5 seconds faster than the County Hurdle. In fact he actually broke the course record, an incredible feat for a juvenile.

I simply can't believe that Detroit City's connections will really go for the World Hurdle next season. Nothing in the horse's pedigree suggests he has a chance of staying that sort of trip (his sire's never had a winner at three miles or more). Besides there is now a vintage crop of staying hurdlers around while the two mile division is beginning to look noticeably weak.

In the last 19 Cheltenham Festivals only four Triumph Hurdle winners have run a faster time than the County Hurdle. One of the four was Kribensis who went on to win the Champion Hurdle. Another was Oh So Risky who twice finished second in the Champion Hurdle.

Detroit City has the same owner and trainer as another grey called Rooster Booster who of course won the Champion Hurdle. Surely, now that Rooster Booster has sadly gone they'll have a re-think and aim this brilliant young horse at the same race. My ratings say that he actually ran faster than the Champion Hurdle winner did this year. With another year to mature there's no saying how fast he could run. As I see it the 25-1 now offered by Victor Chandler and Totesport for Detroit City in next year's Champion Hurdle is way too big.

Let's not forget second placed FAIR ALONG (40). He ran a terrific race to finish second and would have won any other Triumph Hurdle run in recent years.

It may well be that Fair Along needs a fast surface. But that's what we normally get in the Spring, so he should be well worth following in his next few starts. Indeed he looks the one they all have to beat in the Anniversary Hurdle at Aintree.

BLAZING BAILEY (39) ran fast for a juvenile to take third. He'd won two of his three previous starts over timber and run second to the useful Kasbah Bliss in a Grade 2 when losing. He looks capable of winning one of the big remaining races for juveniles.

MY WAY DE SOLZEN A WORTHY CHAMPION

In recent seasons we've grown used to the staying hurdlers being a somewhat weak group. But this season there have been some smart newcomers to the field. One of them is MY WAY DE SOLZEN (43) who won the World Hurdle in seriously fast time.

My Way de Solzen beat the brilliant Neptunes Collonges to win his first grade 1 at Chepstow a couple of runs back. And my ratings say he beat an equally smart horse in GOLDEN CROSS (43) here.

My Way de Solzen has done nothing but improve this season and is an exceptional staying hurdler if the clock is any guide. I'd be wary of opposing him in any long distance hurdle.

Golden Cross ran a magnificent race to go under in a photo. And it's clear now that he's much better over longer trips like this. He must win a Grade 1 race soon.

MIGHTY MAN (42) ran a big race in third and has a very progressive look about him. He's only run nine times so far, has won five and just keeps on running faster. In fact he actually ran faster her by my estimates than the majority of Grade 1 staying hurdle winners over the last five years.

CHAMPION HURDLE NOT UP TO STANDARD

Brave Inca (41) won the Champion Hurdle, but the time was hardly anything to write home about. He's earned speed ratings as big as 43 from me in the past and seems to be one of those horses that never wins by a big margin. So you could argue he'd have run faster if pressed. Still, I'll be inclined to take him on next time.

Macs Joy (41) banged out his usual speed rating to finish second and I'm not going to enthuse about him either. For me the horse to take out of the race is HARDY EUSTACE (39).

Hardy Eustace failed in his attempt to win his third Champion Hurdle, but he had an interrupted preparation. He's run a lot faster than the winner in the past according to my speed ratings and is still the same age Hatton's Grace was when he won the first of his three Champion Hurdles. In other words he could easily bounce back next year. Meanwhile I wouldn't want to bet against him at either Aintree or Punchestown.

CHAMPION BUMPER AS HOT AS EVER

I would argue that the Champion Bumper is the most strongly contested race in the world. The top bumper horses don't have many big prizes to shoot for and this race is far and away the most prestigious of its type. So it's not surprising that season after season it attracts an incredibly strong field.

Certainly I don't know of any other race where on average the whole field consistently go on to win a third of their next three starts.

This year's renewal of the Champion Bumper was as hot as ever. HAIRY MOLLY (43) was only a point slower than last year's winner Missed That according to my speed ratings. I would bet that he and all the horses that finished close up are going to prove well worth following. That means you should make a note of PRESSGANG (43), KICKS FOR FREE (42), PERCE ROCK (42), DANCING HERO (41), LORD OVER (40), FEMALE (40). WIND INSTRUMENT (39) and PANGBOURNE (39).

At this point it would be very hard to say which of these very lightly raced horses is going to do best when their attention is switched to hurdles and fences. All I can say is that in the past the Champion Bumper has produced stacks of future stars and that the time of this race indicates it will do so once again this year.

NEWMILL NEEDS A STRONG PACE AT TWO MILES

NEWMILL (42) clearly benefited from the fact that half the field tipped up in the Champion Chase. But he still clocked what I rate a Grade 1 time to score. Whether he'll be able to do so again at such a short trip probably depends on the pace.

Newmill's trainer now says that his charge is best fresh. And I think this explains those three poor runs he put in at the end of last season when he was, in hindsight, probably asked to race too often. Toss out those three runs and Newmill's record shows four wins from four tries at two and a half miles. So far he's only run in two races at the minimum distance over fences where the pace was strong enough to produce a good final time according to my speed ratings. The first was when he won at Clonmel. The second was his win here.

I can see Newmill running well below this form if he's kept to two miles unless there's something in the race to ensure a strong early gallop. However, off a strong pace or over two and a half miles I suspect he'll be winning more Grade 1 races.

NICANOR SHOULD MAKE A SMART CHASER

NICANOR (40) won the Sun Alliance Hurdle in good time and is built and bred to make a chaser. His dam has only had one other foal to race so far, but she won over fences and is a half sister to five other chasers.

Right now I wouldn't be certain that Nicanor will get three miles. Nothing on his dam's side has and his sire's best progeny only get the trip about half the time.

But for jumping errors Nicanor might well have won all six of his starts over hurdles so far. Clearly he's a smart horse. My ratings say he's not quite up to beating the best staying hurdlers, and I can easily see something getting by him at Punchestown. However, when he's switched to fences it may well be another story.

Denman (39) ran as fast as he ever has to finish second. But I note with interest that Raceform say he was a bit dull in his coat and was keen early - normally two sure signs of a horse that's in need of a break. I've noted previously that horses which always run fast as Denman does tend to be best when fresh. This being so I'd be inclined to side against him if he's brought out again within less than six weeks. Long term though he remains a great chasing prospect.

DON'T UNDER-ESTIMATE STAR DE MOHAISON

Everyone seems to be knocking STAR DE MOHAISON (40) but I'm not going to. He ran about as fast as a novice chaser can go over three miles to take the Sun Alliance Chase.

I think the reason Star de Mohaison improved so much is the distance. He'd won by a street when he was stepped up to 2m 6f for the first time and improved again over three miles here. He's a brother to Billy De Bessac who won a Grade 3 chase over 2m 7f in France before finishing third in a 3m 1f Grade 1 event over fences in Italy. Clearly, even though he's a French-bred, his pedigree is geared towards longer distances.

The other horse to take out of the race would seem to be BACK IN FRONT (39) who was still only two lengths down and not stopping when tipping up two out. A multiple Grade 1 winner over hurdles, the switch to fences and step up in distance seems to have revived his form.

BLACK JACK KETCHUM MAY NOT BE QUICK ENOUGH FOR WORLD HURDLE

BLACK JACK KETCHUM (41) was the most visually impressive winner of the entire Cheltenham Festival and is obviously a very smart horse. He took the Brit Insurance Hurdle in a time that I rated better than that clocked by Nicanor in the Sun Alliance. He's now unbeaten in six starts and has been made ante-post favourite for next year's World Hurdle. However I don't see him as a great proposition for that race. The first three in this year's World Hurdle all ran faster than he managed by my estimates and they're all the same age as Black Jack Ketchum or less - so there's no good reason to assume he'll improve past them.

Smart as he is, I think Black Jack Ketchum is now being hyped as better than he really is and is well worth opposing when he tackles Grade 1 opposition - something he has yet to do.

FONDMORT LOVES CHELTENHAM

You don't have to be a genius to know that FONDMORT (42) loves Cheltenham. The old boy has a fantastic record at the course over 2m 5f and added to it by winning the Ryanair Chase in Grade 1 time.

Runner-up LACDOUDAL (42) had run his fastest previous race over an extended three miles at Sandown and looked in need of an extra few furlongs here. He got outpaced and was staying on strongly.

It could well be that Lacdoudal is at his best in relatively small fields over fences. He's now won four times out of seven with 11 runners or less but lost all four times he's hit a bigger field.

IMPEK (41) continued the tremendous consistency he's shown since switching to front running tactics, running yet another fast time despite getting upset at the start. He's run fast enough to take a Grade 1 before and I suspect he'll do just that sooner or later.

WAR OF ATTRITION HARD TO FAULT

WAR OF ATTRITION (42) wasn't that far off the track record when taking the Gold Cup, but on the fast ground it was only an average time for the race. Then again in October on his seasonal debut, at the longest trip he'd previously tried, and also on ground War Of Attrition ran humongously fast to beat last year's Gold Cup winner Kicking King. My speed ratings say Kicking King did not run below form that day. He simply came up against a faster horse. Now War Of Attrition has gone and validated that idea with his success at Cheltenham.

I always like to try and explain the form of a horse. But I confess it's hard to see any clear pattern to the form of War Of Attrition. However I can see a couple of possibilities. First you could say that two miles is too short for him unless there's cut in the ground - but that he doesn't get longer except on fast ground. Or you could say you should count his first two runs as workouts where he was grossly unfit and that thereafter he's run best when fresh. I rather favour the latter idea so I wouldn't be that keen on War Of Attrition's chances if he comes back quickly and runs at Aintree.

I'm not that keen on the chances of runner-up Hedgehunter (41) at Aintree either. I'd rather he'd have finished a chugging on fourth or fifth than run this fast the race before his big target of the season. Maybe the tough race won't knock him off form but these days, with the Grand National a much faster run race than it used to be, I worry that it's much harder to carry a big weight to victory. Only the great Red Rum has managed to score with the kind of weight Hedgehunter will be asked to carry when he bids to win his second National in a few week's time. And it's worth noting that the last 70 horses to carry 11-2 or more in the big race have all lost (Hedgehunter looks likely to carry 11-12). This being so, the 4-1 offered by some bookies about Hedgehunter looks ludicrously short.

IMPERIAL CUP WAS BELOW PAR

The Imperial Cup only has Listed status, but it's usually run in the sort of time needed to take a grade 2 event. Not this year though. Victram (37) only ran a Listed class time to score. I'd be dubious about his chances of winning another big hurdle race anytime soon. The same applies to those who chased him home.

FUSILI CAN WIN AN OAKS TRIAL

In all the time that there has been AW racing at Lingfield only a couple of three year olds have clocked a faster time than FUSILI (36) ran over 10 furlongs last week. They managed the feat in November and December respectively - in other words when they were almost four and much more mature than Fusili is now.

Fusili is clearly a very useful filly. She earned a speed rating only just shy of pattern class when running second in a mile nursery at Newmarket last August. And she ran a time here that would win most Listed races for three year old fillies and many Group 3's.

It's amazing that Fusili's previous owners ran her in a claimer as not only had she run seriously fast, she also has a terrific pedigree that makes her a great broodmare prospect. Nine of her dam's ten previous foals were winners (the sole loser finished second from a few starts). One won a Group 2 and a Group 3 and two were Listed placed.

Fusili's sire and dam both stayed a mile and a half and she's clearly crying out for that distance. She's been outpaced when the gallop quickened at shorter trips and was aided by an unusually strong early pace over the ten furlongs here. I look forward to getting a nice price about Fusili in an Oaks Trial when the season begins. But I'd be wary of betting her on anything but good or faster ground. She's handled yielding ground at shorter trips, but almost all the wins scored by her dam's progeny were on fast ground. So I suspect it was simply the greater test of stamina the yielding ground provided that enabled her to run well on it at a mile and less. Over middle distances I'd need to see her show her form on softer ground before betting her on it.

Runner-up DIRECT DEBIT (36) pulled clear of the rest and looks a very interesting prospect. He ran green and failed to score on his racecourse debut over a clearly inadequate 7f. Then he just got up over a mile on the Polytrack next time. Now he's gone and improved for the step up to 10f here. My ratings say he'd have a shot in something like the Classic Trial at Sandown. So if he runs in any lesser races I would not oppose him.

WATERSIDE DOES IT AGAIN

WATERSIDE (39) ran really fast when only half a length behind the Group class Capable Guest a short while ago. And he did so again when winning at Southwell.

I don't know why Waterside has suddenly hit this rich vein of form at age seven. But he's surely going to be tough to beat in any race he contests in the near future.

Poor old TE QUIERO (38) was seriously unlucky to come up against such a smart horse in a race of this class. He buried the rest of the field by five lengths and must surely win soon if he can be found another opportunity on Fibresand, the only surface he seems able to show his best on.

WISE OWL STILL WORTH FOLLOWING

WISE OWL (37) earned a write up from me here a while ago when running a Listed class time to score on the Polytrack. He did it again at Wolverhampton when stepped up to two miles and still looks worth following.

This time hold-up tactics were employed on Wise Owl, presumably to ensure he got the trip, and they worked well.

Wise Owl's big problem on the Polytrack is that so many races are slow run, which doesn't suit him. This will not be such a handicap on grass where most races are truly run. So I can see him thriving when the turf season opens in a few days.

Runner-up TRANQUILIZER (36) also looks worth following. She's improved as she's been stepped up in distance and would be a near slam dunk to win one of the low grade handicaps she's eligible for on turf.

COUSIN NICKY IS A SMART NOVICE CHASER

COUSIN NICKY (38) ran away with a novice chase at Exeter in seriously fast time on his first try over the bigger jumps. Trainer Phillip Hobbs told reporters that the soft ground and the switch to fences helped the horse because "he was just getting outpaced over hurdles."

My going allowance indicates the ground was very heavy, and it may be that Cousin Nicky needs it this way to perform to this level. It's hard to tell at this stage. All I can say right now is that this run marks him out as one of the better novice chasers.

MADISON DU BERLAIS DOES IT YET AGAIN

I know I keep on writing about MADISON DU BERLAIS (40). But he keeps on running faster, keeps on winning and keeps on being ludicrously well handicapped. Now he's gone and won the Geoffrey Gilbey Trophy at Newbury by six lengths in a time close to the track record. This was his third win in a row. And yet his official handicap rating is still so low it's doubtful that he'll make the cut for any of the handicaps at the Cheltenham Festival. If he does, I'd be wary of opposing him, particularly in the Jewson Novices' Handicap Chase.

Runner-up BONUS BRIDGE (37) showed again that he goes well fresh. He'd been off since November before this run. So he ought to have one more good race in him before he needs resting again. That being so I'd be very interested in his chances next time out.

PRESENTING EXPRESS CAN WIN AGAIN

PRESENTING EXPRESS (39) won a class 3 handicap chase at Newbury in a time that would take most Grade 3's. He's a progressive, lightly-raced young horse that has now won four on the bounce. If I translate my rating for Presenting Express to the official scale it works out to 150. Yet the horse won this off a mark of 111. In other words he's still set to be more than 30 pounds well in after this win. That makes him a seriously interesting prospect for the three mile handicap chase at Aintree won next month which is apparently his next intended target.

Runner-up PARSONS LEGACY finished third in the Kim Muir last year and ran a better trial for that race here than he did in the same contest last year.

CAPABLE GUEST IS GROUP CLASS

CAPABLE GUEST (39) ran one of the fastest times of the Winter to take a red hot mile handicap at Lingfield. He started at big odds, but his form says the win shouldn't have come as such a shock.

It seems to me that Capable Guest was over-raced towards the end of last season and that's why he lost form. Prior to that his form indicates that he needs good or faster ground and only gets a mile when it's around a turn. His form before he had all those runs close together last back-end showed nine runs in what I think are his favored circumstances. He won, or placed in pattern company, six of those nine times. One of the losses was a second to a Group racer, another was a short head loss in Group class time. In other words eight times out of nine he won or got beat by a pattern racer.

Capable Guest ran a huge race on his seasonal debut last year, going under by only a head to Rebel Rebel who went on to finish second in the 2000 Guineas a few weeks later. Now he's gone and run another huge race first time up this year.

You could argue that gelding is what has improved Capable Guest. But I'm sticking to my theory which says he doesn't last a mile on a straight course. If I'm right he'll not get home in the Lincoln but will be a good bet to win something decent on fast ground at 7f up the straight or a mile or less around a turn.

OBRIGADO (39) dead-heated for second and is clearly very useful. He looks to be what I call a rest pattern horse. That is he's good for his first two starts off a lengthy break (around ten weeks plus) but then needs a rest of around five weeks or more to run well again. He clearly needs a fast surface too and may prefer running around a turn and a mile or less. He's now won three of the four times he's run around a turn at a mile or less on fast ground when fresh and would have made it four out of four if he hadn't come up against a high class rival here. Obrigado has also run well four of the five times he's been fresh and racing on fast ground up the straight at a mile or less too - so I may be over-interpreting his form here. In any event I'd say he now needs freshening up. If he'd off for more than a month and returns on a fast surface next time I'd be very interested in his chances.

If there was a Lincoln winner in the race I'd say it was SEW 'N' SO CHARACTER (39). He ran really fast to dead heat for second. As I see it, basically Sew 'N' So Character is a ten furlong horse. But he also does very well in strongly run races at a mile like this one. Last year he ran a good third, despite meeting traffic, in a big field for the valuable Spring Mile up the straight at Doncaster. In similar circumstances he looks a strong candidate for the Lincoln this time around.

WATERSIDE (38), NORTHERN DESERT (38) and OUTER HEBRIDES (38) finished close up, all running their best races in ages. I'd expect all of them to be winning soon.