With only two weeks to go the runners and riders for this years Aintree Grand National are still very sketchy. The race will be worth £800,000.00 this year and not surprisingly 115 entries stood their ground at the second forfeit stage this week. The maximum field of 40 runners looks assured which means 75 horses will have to come out. The next confirmation stage for the Aintree Grand National is the five-day stage on Monday 31st March. The colours of Trevor Hemmings could hold the key to finding the winner of this years race. He has the current favourite Cloudy Lane. Cloudy Lane has won his last three starts for trainer Donald McCain whose father Ginger trained the winner of the race four times, most famously with Red Rum in 1973,1974 and 1977. Trevor Hemmings also has that old favourite Hedgehunter, trained by Willie Mullins, who will carry top weight and has an excellent record at Aintree. Willie Mullins also trains Snowy Morning. It will be interesting to see if Ruby Walsh rides either of these. I guess we will know a bit more after 31st March. Heres counting down. For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".

With the Cheltenham Festival over for another year this week has seemed very "flat". The time has been spent enjoying the recordings on my Sky+ box of Channel 4's excellent coverage of the meeting. Even when the second day was abandoned the program they put out to "kill" time was highly entertaining. We then had the feast of six races from the course on Thursday and Friday. For me the highlight of the meeting was the performance of Inglis Drever in the World Hurdle. He showed what a tough horse he is by winning his third World Hurdle. The record books show that no other horse has achieved this, although Baracouda and Crimson Embers who both won two came close to making it three. Baracouda's attempt in 2001 was foiled by the meeting being cancelled due to foot and mouth. He won the subsitute race at Sandown and then proceeded to win the Stayers Hurdle in 2002 and 2003. He also finished second in 2004 and 2005. In 2005 he was beaten by the new kid on the block, Inglis Drever. Crimson Embers won the race in 1982 and 1986 and was unlucky in not being awarded the race in 1985 after being badly hampered by his stable companion on the run-in. Inglis Drever missed the race in 2006 due to a tendon strain in his near-fore. It shows what a tough horse he is to come back from that and what a great job the Howard Johnson team have done with the horse, especially his devoted lass, Ginny Wright, seen in the picture chasing Inglis Drever up the Cheltenham hill. Who knows he might well be back in 2009 to make it four wins. For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".

For those of you old enough to remember, Denman reminds me so much of Mill House who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1963 when only a six year old. Denman was mighty impressive last Friday when he won the Cheltenham Gold Cup and proved that he is a real stayer. On the softened going and with the strong gallop that Denman set, the rest of the field would have needed to be able to stay three and a half miles. Kauto Star is a super horse over three miles. He was fortunate in the Gold Cup last year that his stable companion Neptune Collonges set a steady pace which allowed about eight horses still to be in contention when they turned into the straight. Kauto Star was able to use his turn of foot to win the race and beat Exotic Dancer by two and a half lengths. Neither of those horses were able to get anywhere near Denman this year. I doubt if we will see a re-match. On soft ground at Cheltenham and if he stays fit and free from injury Denman will always beat Kauto Star over the Gold Cup distance. However Clive Smith has another super horse in Master Minded. It will be very interesting to see how he is campaigned as a six year old. For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".

The Queen Mother Champion Chase unveiled a new two mile champion in Master Minded. I first went to Cheltenham in 1963 with my good mates Colin and Pete. We were there in 1964 when Flyingbolt appeared on the scene winning the Gloucester Hurdle. In 1965 he won the Cotswold Chase over two miles and then in 1966 he won the Two Mile Champion Chase by fifteen lengths before finishing third in the Champion Hurdle the next day. Flyingbolt was breathtaking over two miles, but he did stay as well. He finished his season in 1966 by winning the Irish Grand National under 12-7. For a five year old Master Minded's performance last Thursday on Day 3 of Cheltenham was equally breathtaking. He romped up the Cheltenham hill having seen off some very good two mile chasers. He looks as though he will stay further and could be anything. What a lucky man Clive Smith is to own this horse as well as Kauto Star. The countdown has already started to next years Cheltenham Festival. Lets hope all the stars stay fit and well so we can enjoy another great feast of National Hunt racing. For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".

The waiting is nearly over for the clash between Kauto Star and Denman in the £450,000.00 Cheltenham Gold Cup which will be the centre piece of a nine race card on Friday. I have already mentioned in previous blogs that I am a Denman fan and I expect him to make the race a true test of stamina and outstay Kauto Star. A race to watch and savour I think, but I am hoping Halcon Genelardais makes the frame. Earlier in the afternoon Aigle D'or in the Ballymore Properties Novices Hurdle and Franchoek in £120,000.00 JCB Triumph Hurdle should give J.P.McManus two more winners. Heres hoping and be lucky. For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".

A ten race card will be a marathon for everybody this afternoon. Channel 4 are covering six races so us armchair viewers are in for a feast of racing. The £250,000.00 World Hurdle for long distance hurdlers should be won by Inglis Drever if he can show the same form he produced on Cheltenham Trials day when he beat Blazing Bailey. Ruby Walsh rides Blazing Bailey this afternoon as Robert Thornton rides My Way De Solzen. I hope the £200,000.00 Ryanair Chase is won by The Listener. He has been in great form this season. All his runs have been in Ireland where he has been finding the softer ground. It will interesting to see if the ground has dried out at all after the strong winds of yesterday. I do not think there will be any falling asleep in the armchair this afternoon! Be Lucky and enjoy some fabulous racing. For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".

With day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival abandoned due to high winds there will be a ten race card on Thursday and a nine race card on Friday. This will be a marathon for all concerned but at least no races will be lost. Unlike in 1975 when Cheltenham was waterlogged and the first day was abandoned. I was driving to Cheltenham on the Tuesday morning with my good friends Steve, Colin and Doug when the news came over the car radio. We were stopping on route at Windsor to collect another good friend Pete. We finished up spending the day there before setting off Tuesday night for Cheltenham via Cirencester where Doug had to be dropped off. Doug, the supplier of our entrance tickets was working for the press and had to file copy that evening. Fortunately racing went ahead on the Wednesday with eight races on very heavy ground. Conditions were like a bog come Gold Cup day and few of the runners appreciated the ground. However Steve and I were keen on the chances of Ten Up ridden by Tommy Carberry with an each way saver on Soothsayer. They finished first and second, Soothsayer's starting price being 28/1. We finished the meeting in good spirits, the abandonment had not bothered us. Happy memories! For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".

On form the runners with the best chances for the £310,000.00 Queen Mother Champion Chase are Master Minded, Twist Magic, Voy Por Ustedes and Tamarinbleu. With more rain forecast the going will become softer favouring those who stay further than two miles. Tamarinbleu trained by David Pipe and to be ridden by Tom Scudamore looks as though they can follow up their win with An Accordian on Day 1. Tamarinbleu does stay three miles and can handle the testing conditions. Tony McCoy could ride the first two winners. In the first race, the Ballymore Properties Novices Hurdle, he rides Aigle D'or for J.P.McManus. Aigle D'or won nicely on Trials Day and is a course and distance winner. The second race is the £250,000.00 Royal and Sun Alliance Chase and here he rides Alberta's Run for Trevor Hemmings, another great supporter of National Hunt Racing. I will again be glued to Channel 4's excellent coverage of the first four races. Be lucky. For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".

Day 1 belonged to John P. McManus and Robert Thornton who both had two winners. Robert Thornton booted home Captain Cee Bee in the first race to give J.P.McManus a deserved 1-2. He has over two hundred and fifty horses in training and for all the money he pours into N.H.Racing and pleasure he gives to the rest of us he deserves success. Last season he had horses with thirty-three different trainers in Ireland besides those he had with trainers in Britain. His main base in Britain is at Jackdaws Castle where Jonjo ONeill is his trainer. His second winner of the afternoon was Garde Champetre in the Cross Country Chase ridden by Nina Carberry and trained by Enda Bolger. The same team won the corresponding race last year. Robert Thornton's second winner was on Katchit in the Champion Hurdle. This was a gruelling race and a very gutsy performance by Katchit who outstayed everything else in the race. The softened going had made the race a real test of stamina which did not suit the more fancied runners. For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".

Well 12 months of waiting is over and at 2.00pm on Tuesday afternoon as the tapes rise the roar will go up from the Prestbury Park crowds to announce the start of the 2008 Cheltenham Festival. The centre piece on Tuesday will be the £360,000.00 Champion Hurdle run over 2 miles. Looking through the runners and riders the race looks an open one to me although there is a warm favourite in Sizing Europe. Three years ago Harchibald looked as though he should have won the Champion Hurdle when being beaten by Hardy Eustace. He was in fine form in a recent Flat race at Dundalk and I hope this year Paul Carberry can deliver him at the last moment to win the race. I know he is a "monkey" of a horse but I am prepared to take a chance with him. Punjabi ran a tremendous race under top weight in the Totesport Trophy Hurdle at Newbury when not fully fit and could be the each way value. In the William Hill Trophy at 4.00pm last years fourth Mon Mome goes again and could be a big price winner for Venetia Williams. Ashkazar will be a warm order for the last race run at 5.20pm. I did not see his win in the Imperial Cup at Sandown last Saturday but records show the Pipe stable are top class in following up with another win at the Cheltenham Festival with the same horse to claim a £75,000.00 bonus. For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".