CHELTENHAM- THE BIG RACES: Day 2

Royal & SunAlliance Chase
3m 1/2f Chase Wednesday 17th March
2:40pm

The Royal & SunAlliance, or RSA Chase is one of the most eagerly anticipated of the year is it provides the ultimate test for top novice Chasers- 3 miles over the Cheltenham fences, with the winner invariably fancied to go on and leave his mark in the Gold Cup in later years.

Nicky Henderson's confirmed classy staying hurdler Punchestowns is the leading fancy at the time of writing after impressing on his introduction to the bigger obstacles with a comfortable display of jumping and cruising at Newbury in November. He walked the race but only had to see off three rivals of suspect quality in that race so it is yet to be seen what he has in the locker against a large and high class field as he will surely face in the RSA.

Another lively candidate with only one run on British soil over fences is Long Run...but this French raider has plenty of Chasing experience in France and has multiple victories to his name at Grade 1 level. He was staggeringly impressive on his British debut in the Feltham Novices Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, and he gives Nicky Henderson another lively contender in this race.

Weapons Amnesty and Pandorama have both impressed this season and will play a big part, as could Diamond Harry who is yet to run over fences but is another classy 3 mile hurdler.

A big danger though comes in the form of Mikael d'Haguenet. One of the most impressive winners at last year's festival in the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle, he followed that up with a scintillating victory at Punchestowns and he was tipped for great things this season. However, he hasn't been seen since and with time running out before the festival it is unclear if trainer Willie Mullins will be able to get the necessary preparatory run into him. If he does make it to the festival he will be a real contender for this crown though as his class is undoubted.

BHA Selection: Long Run
Alternative: Mikael d'Haguenet


Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase
2m Chase
Wednesday 17th March
3:20pm

A festival highlight and day two's feature, the Queen Mother Champion Chase is the most presitigious title in the 2m Chasing calendar, and combines jumping ability and a real test of speed and endurance up the Cheltenham hill

This year's renewal is another with a really open feel about it. The incomparable Master Minded has dominated the 2m Chasing scene for the last few years and won this race on both of its last renewals with consummate ease. If he was fully fit another success would almost have been a formality, however he has suffered from a bad rib injury this season and was beaten on his only appearance at Cheltenham in November.

He has been in recovery mode since then and will go straight to the festival without another preparatory run so how fit he will be must all be taken on trust. If he is fit and well then the 7/4 currently offered at the time of writing could be a gift about potentially one of the greatest 2m Chasers of all time, or alternatively it could be far too short a price about an unfit chance.

Another Nicholls horse Twist Magic seems to be in the form of his life at the moment and is one of the few horses who, on his day, could challenge a fully fit Master Minded. Claims that he doesnt enjoy running at Cheltenham could be proved to be false as the evidence of his 2007 run in the Arkle would suggest when he looked every inch the winner before coming down two out, and if he can control his lively temperament and run his race then he could take all the beating and add to his glittering list of Grade 1 successes, which includes two Tingle Creeks and an Irish Champion Chase.

Last year's Arkle 1 and 2 Forpadydeplasterer and Kalahari King are dangers but have perhaps not shown enough to suggest they can win at this very top level, while Petit Robin is an improving sort with bags of class and could be a lively alternative.

BHA Selection: Twist Magic
Alternative: Petit Robin

Handicapping Misconceptions- Head of Handicapping Phil Smith

My Handicapping team is often accused of discriminating against certain groups of horses and trainers so that they cannot win handicaps. Although we regularly deny this, certain theories often gather pace and become folklore. I thought it might be interesting to look at the winners of jump handicaps in Britain over the last week and try to debunk some of the more popular myths that we hear from trainers.

"If you go up for being placed you can’t possibly win next time". - Oiseau De Nuit up 6lbs. for finishing 2nd last time, Have You Seen Me up 4lbs for finishing 3rd at Plumpton, Rince Donn up 4lbs. for finishing 2nd last time and Qozak up 2lbs. for finishing 4th last time might have helped to quieten that one for a while.

"Once your horse gets to 10 years of age it won’t win another handicap" - Zanzibar Boy, Kinkeel, Wizard of Edge and The Sawyer amongst others make a healthy defence on ageism over the last week.

"No horse can ever run up a sequence under the current handicap system". - Noun De La Thinte (5 on the bounce), Rapid Increase (2 consecutive wins) Senor Shane (3 on the bounce) have managed to achieve consecutive victories in jump handicaps.

"The Novices are going in too high and can’t win off the marks they are given". - Gold Award, Shadrack, and Young Buddy are just three of the Novices that have overcome the marks my team have given them in handicaps against non Novices.

"You go up quickly enough but you never come down that quickly". - Dan Buoy won this week having dropped 22 lbs. in four months, Our Vic won a top handicap having come down 19lbs. in the last year despite winning only a few months ago.

"Horses get put up for running over a different obstacle but never come down for running poorly over a different obstacle". - Mr Floppy was dropped over fences for running moderately over hurdles and won over fences in a handicap chase this week.

"Once you get put up by a double figure amount you never win again". - It’s Teescomponents overcame a 16lbs. rise for an earlier win at Newcastle to win at the same venue this week.

"The rule allowing you to run in a handicap after two placed runs never leads to a win in a handicap". - The Rainbow Hunter and Volador have all been well placed by their trainers to win handicaps after qualifying by being placed on their first two runs in Novice races.

"It’s the kiss of death if you end up with top weight in a handicap" – Ballabriggs, and Too Forward both carried 11st. 12lbs. to victory on heavy ground last week.

"If you run well in a top race you are hammered by the Handicapper" – Mamlook was second in the Elite Hurdle earlier this season but won a top handicap at Ascot on Saturday off a 6lbs. lower mark.

"You should never go up in the weights for falling" – Richard’s Sundance was put up 5lbs. for falling two runs ago, another 7lbs. for winning a Beginners’ Chase at Exeter and as a Novice, carried top weight to win at Wincanton on Saturday.

This week there have been wins by northern trainers, lady trainers, novice horses, older horses, champion trainers, trainers with big strings, trainers with small strings, sons of champion trainers, horses that have gone up and horses that have been dropped but you can be sure that some people will think that they are discriminated against.

Sea The Stars' Rating

A great deal has been written over the last few weeks about the 2009 WTRR which assessed Sea The Stars at 136, not all of it totally objective. However many observers and racing enthusiasts have commented that this figure underestimates the ability of the horse and they may be correct.

Unfortunately Handicappers can only assess what the horse has done, NOT what it might be capable of achieving and it is difficult to see on the horse’s results how he could be higher. Most people agree that his best performance was in the Irish Champion Stakes where he beat Fame and Glory (129) by an easy 2.5 lengths and Mastercraftsman (125) by 5 lengths.

I attended the International Handicappers Conference in Hong Kong in December and all 14 delegates agreed that Mastercraftsman should be 125 and that the 2.5 lengths to Fame And Glory should be called 4 pounds as we normally would over that distance making him 129. It was then a question of what we should call the easy 2.5 lengths by which Sea The Stars beat Fame And Glory. In normal circumstances this would be 4 pounds but because of the ease of victory we called it 7 pounds making Sea The Stars 136.

Subsequently we have been accused of having Fame And Glory and Mastercraftsman too high and Sea The Stars too low. This is an interesting theory in that we called the 2.5 lengths to be worth 7 pounds over 1mile 2 furlongs. This gave Sea The Stars credit for a probable 4 length victory. If we expanded the differential any further we would have had to call it 5 lengths or even 6 lengths which would have put the committee into fantasy land and critics would have said our ratings lacked credibility.

There is often very vigorous and sometimes heated debate amongst the International Handicappers in our Hong Kong Conference when we are discussing each others horses and you have to put up a strong case to achieve the rating you want for your domestic horses. On Sea The Stars there was no disagreement, no need for a vote, no doubts about what he had achieved at his best. All 14 members of the committee were unanimous, a very unusual event. The fact that this figure placed him behind great horses of the past was not relevant, 136 was what he achieved at his best and we couldn’t get him any higher.

Part of the problem was that he never met another great horse, by that I mean another horse rated 130+. When Dancing Brave won his Prix De L’Arc de Triomphe there were 5 horses rated at 130+ running in the race. When Dancing Brave beat them out of sight he was always more likely to achieve a higher rating than Sea The Stars could have done. It was not the horse’s fault it was the lack of outstanding opposition which made it impossible to assess him any higher than we did, especially when he never beat that opposition by very far.

I hope this account helps to explain and put into context the difficulties when assessing top horses and comparing them year on year. To score highly they either have to win by wide margins or beat stellar opponents or both. Is there anybody out there who believes that Sea The Stars did that?

Handicappers Blog: Cheltenham Calling

"Some sparkling performances over the jumps for you this week as Cheltenham nears. John de Moraville waxes enthusiastic about Twist Magic, while Mark Olley puts some leading hurdlers under the microscope and Stephen Hindle looks forward to the RSA Chase. We also shine a spotlight on one of the all-weather's most eminent veterans, and conclude with a touch of far-eastern exotica..."
- blog editor Neil Young

A KIND OF (TWIST) MAGIC
Any lingering doubts surrounding Twist Magic's credibility as a serious Queen Mother Champion Chase candidate were imperiously swept aside with his 12 lengths victory in Ascot's Victor Chandler Chase on Saturday, writes John De Moraville.

In making handsome amends for his disheartening defeat when odds-on favourite for the same two-mile spectacular two years ago, the French-bred eight-year-old nailed irrefutably the accusation that he reserved his best for Sandown. This latest swaggering success was arguably on a par with Twist Magic's demolition job in Sandown's Tingle Creek Chase when he hammered last season's Arkle Trophy hero Forpadydeplasterer by 15 lengths, gaining an official rating of 173.

Cheltenham in March will, of course, be a different proposition altogether- a left-handed track with dizzying undulations- but, while his temperament got the better of him there last season, it is worth recalling that Twist Magic was running a blinder in the 2007 Arkle until capsizing at the second-last fence.

It remains to be seen whether celebrated stable-mate Master Minded (178 on the strength of last season's efforts) is fit to attempt a Champion Chase hat-trick. Either way though, Twist Magic, on his best behaviour and in his current form, would be more than capable of giving the reigning champ a run for his money.

While Saturday's latest Grade 1 victory was impossible to knock, it should be noted that Petit Robin, well-backed second-favourite and Twist Magic's main rival on the 'book,' failed, as he had in the race a year ago, to do himself justice.

Despite a sparkling success at Kempton over Christmas, a tendency to jump left under pressure again undermined Petit Robin's Victor Chandler chances. Third behind Master Minded at Cheltenham last March, Petit Robin, if reproducing his Kempton mark of 165, should be capable once more of making the Festival frame.

Alan King has endured a miserable time with his massive string under the weather for much of the season but recent evidence suggests that the corner has at last been turned.

The Barbury Castle handler celebrated three winners on Saturday and will have been thrilled by the return to form of one of last season's stable stalwarts, Oh Crick.

A revelation last spring with gutsy victories in Cheltenham's Grand Annual and the Red Rum Chase at Aintree- two of the hottest two-mile handicaps of the season- Oh Crick came from 'nowhere' to snatch third in the Victor Chandler. That was his best performance yet, earning a 7lb rise to 155.

CROSS MARKS THE SPOT
There were some interesting performances in the 2m hurdle division this week, writes Mark Olley, and none more so than Peddlers Cross who landed the Grade 2 Sportingbet.com Novice Hurdle at Haydock on Saturday.

The way he pulled clear of the consistent 130-level performer Scriptwriter and recent h’cap winner Radium (131) was something to behold. A four runner novice hurdle on heavy ground isn’t the most solid base for a high rating, but the 148 I have settled on makes him the joint highest rated novice we have seen this season and the basic figures suggest he could be higher.

Donald McCain hinted that he would be out again before Cheltenham and hopefully that will confirm my impression of a top-class novice.

Medermit’s hurdling was probably the decisive factor in his victory over Punjabi in the Grade 2 Sportingbet.com Champion Hurdle trial at Haydock and last year’s Supreme Novice runner-up has improved with virtually every racecourse appearance. He received 4lbs from Punjabi and as he beat him by 4 lengths they both now share a rating of 164.

There are a whole host of horses rated between 168 and 164, but with Alan King’s stable beginning to have winners after a lean season Medermit must be right in the mix in a very open Champion Hurdle year.

At the opposite end of the scale it was good to see Crystal Prince break his NH maiden tag at Plumpton on Monday, at the 20th time of asking. His new rating of 85 is still some 20lbs below the form he showed when runner-up at that same Sussex venue 14 months previously so there could be more to come now he has got his head in front.

A WORD ABOUT NOUN
Handicappers are often accused of “stopping” horses, as in putting them up in the weights by more than they really should be to prevent them running up a winning sequence, writes Stephen Hindle. Anyone who subscribes to that theory, however, is misguided, as the exploits of Noun de La Thinte prove.

Venetia Williams’ mare landed her fourth race in succession at Southwell, the last three of which have been over fences. She didn’t win any of her races by more than two and three-quarter lengths and therefore couldn’t be put up by large amounts, and she has kept improving just enough to keep her head in front. Whether another seven-pound rise following her latest success will be enough to stop her is debatable, as it can be argued that we don’t really know how good horses like this are until they get beat.

The RSA Chase at Cheltenham, which will hopefully feature Nicky Henderson’s star duo of Long Run and Punchestowns, was a mouth watering prospect before the weekend, but it looks even more exciting now, following a near faultless debut over fences from Diamond Harry in the Sportingbet.com Altcar Novices’ Chase at Haydock.

Faced with only three rivals, albeit useful ones, Diamond Harry largely jumped well in the grade 2 contest and coasted clear to score by sixteen lengths from the reliable Knockara Beau. His task was made easier, however, when Bensalem took a tumble at the third last.

It’s hard to rate such small-field affairs, but Diamond Harry looks likely to transfer all his 163-rated hurdling ability to fences. He won’t have to contend with his Long Walk Hurdle conqueror Big Buck’s if sent to the RSA and in most renewals would have an excellent chance, but it will be no easy task against the Henderson pair if they all turn up in March.

CHELTENHAM- THE BIG RACES: Day 1

Every race at the Cheltenham Festival is a big race, as every owner, trainer and jockey dreams of having a winner at the home of Jump racing.

However, here is our run down of the really massive races, the unmissable ones that are anticipated and talked about all year long and define the champions of the sport.

Also, see who we have tipped to shine on these biggest of stages this year.

Supreme Novices' Hurdle
2m 1/2f Hurdle
Tuesday 16th March
1:30pm

The opening race of the festival is always greeted by the famous 'Cheltenham Roar' as all the waiting, excitement and anticipation are finally over and 4 days of the world's best jump racing begins.

The Supreme Novices' Hurdle really kicks proceedings off in style as the top novices compete over a fast and furious 2m 1/2f to decide the Champion novice hurdler of the season.

Last year's Champion Bumper winner Dunguib looks to be holding all of the aces as he has built on his frighteningly impressive festival win last year by taking to hurdling like a duck to water and effortlessly sweeping away all comers.

Nicky Henderson may be the one to stop him as his promising sorts Bellvano and the unbeaten Oscar Whisky look top class, while Philip Hobb's Menorah looked a top prospect when beating Bellvano by 12 lengths last time out.

BHA Selection: Dunguib
Alternative: Oscar Whisky


Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase
2m Chase
Tuesday 16th March
2:05pm

The quality comes thick and fast on Day 1 as the second race of the day is the always eagerly anticipated and historic Arkle, which decides the Champion novice chaser over 2 miles.

It looks to be wide open contest this year with no outstanding favorite of note. Former Supreme Novice winner Captain Cee Bee heads the market despite his fall at the last when challenging Sizing Europe at Leapordstown on Boxing Day. Henry de Bromhead's Sizing Europe is another who is well fancied after 4 consecutive Chasing victories, but is by no means bombproof.

Miss Henrietta Knight's Somserby won over a lot of fans when comprehensively beating Crack Away Jack at Sandown, but there are question marks over that form and AP McCoy may not have the ride at the festival.

Paul Nicholl's Tataniano is the selection then after scoring comfortably in both his outings over fences so far, including an impressive 6 length victory over a class horse in Pigeon Island.

Another one to note though is actor James Nesbitt's 6 year old Riverside Theatre who is trained by Nicky Henderson and has not put a foot wrong in two chases so far this season, winning both by a combined total of 40 lengths

BHA Selection: Tataniano
Alternative: Riverside Theatre


Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy
2m 1/2f Hurdle
Tuesday 16th March
3:20pm

The feature race of day one, the Champion Hurdle is one of the most prestigious and exciting races of the year as the Champion 2 mile hurdler is decided.

Usually attracting big fields and run at a demanding pace the Champion Hurdle is noted for providing exciting close finishes as the cream of hurdling charge up the famous hill cheered on by the enthusiastic crowd.

This year's edition looks to be one of the most exciting for many years as a vintage crop of hurdlers look set to take their chances.

Nicky Henderson's 5 year old Zaynar heads the market and is unbeaten over hurdles in 5 attempts, including a stunning victory in the Triumph Hurdle at the festival last year. He does look the one to beat but will need to adapt to the drop back in trip to two miles after racing over 2 1/2 this year.

Keen to overcome the favourite will be last year's Supreme Novices' hero Go Native who has impressed this season seeing off some of his Champion Hurdle rivals in both the WBX.com Fighting Fifth Hurdle and the Stan James Christmas Hurdle. Success in the Champion Hurdle will means he completes the WBX.com triple crown and pockets a cool £1m in bonus prize money for his owners!

Both behind Go Native in that Fighting Fifth hurdle but who are real contenders are Solwhit and last year's Champion Hurdle third Binocular- both are top class on their day and have been aimed to peak at the Festival.

Last year's Champion Hurdle victor Punjabi is also in the mix, as is Cheltenham specialist Khyber Kim. Another who impressed when being beaten by Go Native however was Starluck who was finishing strongly in the Christmas Hurdle and looks to have progressed and could trouble the field in what should be an outstanding and close race.

A further selection who could cause a great upset is the outstanding mare Voler la Vedette who is unbeaten this season, which includes a 13 length smashing of Go Native over the same trip in Ireland. She also holds an entry for the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle, but if they decide to take the Champion Hurdle route she could well become the first mare to claim the prize in many a year.

BHA Selection: Zaynar
Alternative: Voler la Vedette / Starluck if Voler la Vedette doesn't run

Handicappers Blog: And the nominations are...

BHA Handicapper Neil Young provides his own 'awards' of the week based on the all weather racing which has survived the snow:


QUALITY TURN: Wicked Daze, winner of a 1m4f claimer at Kempton with a rating of 85. He didn't need to reproduce that figure to oblige - I assess his performance around the 76 mark - and this, his first win since July 2008, may well prove a decent little confidence-booster.

OLD STAGER: Black Falcon, who obliged in the 1m3f seller at Southwell on Sunday (10th January), nine days after his official tenth birthday, breaking a losing run of 21. His "present" from the handicapper is an 8lb rise from 47 to 55 - that's still a pound less than his BHA rating a year ago this week.

FASTEST RISER: Russian Music, who bolted up by six lengths in the 2m handicap at Southwell to complete a quickfire hat-trick. He ran off 60 that day, including a 6lb penalty, but his actual BHA rating at the time was "only" 58. His rise is therefore into double figures: 10lb, taking him to 68.

TIGHTEST FINISH: The 'Sponsor A Race By Calling 01902 390000' Handicap over 1m4f at Wolverhampton, in which the eight-year-old Fantasy Ride held off a late challenge from seven-year-old Crimson Flame to prevail by a short head. The winner goes up 4lb from 51 to 55, the second 3lb from 48 to 51.

TRICKIEST PUZZLE: The 'Bet In Running - Betdaq' Maiden Stakes over 1m3f at Southwell, in which the 62-rated Ask The Oracle beat twice-raced Dubai Creek by three quarters of a length, with the 65-rated Laureldeans Best, in receipt of a 5lb sex allowance from the front two, a length back. I went through three different sets of figures before settling on a 5lb rise to 67 for the winner - and each one of them might yet turn out to be correct.

CHEEKIEST TRAINER: David Pipe, who e-mailed me asking if I might consider dropping his charge Estate 7lb from 67 to 60 following his defeat in the 1m5f194y handicap at Wolverhampton. Admittedly, the horse hasn't won since 2007, but as he finished only a smidgin over two lengths behind the winner on Thursday - off that mark of 67 - the most I can really offer Estate is a pound's reduction. Still, as we say here in the north-east, "shy bairns get no jam on their bread."

Handicappers Blog: World Beaters

BHA Deputy Head of Handicapping Dominic Gardiner-Hill talks about some of the top horses announced as a result of last Tuesday's World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings press conference

WORLD BEATERS
Last Tuesday saw the culmination of a couple of month’s hard work when the 2009 World Thoroughbred Rankings were published at the annual press conference at BHA headquarters. The year had been heralded as one 'of Exceptional Racehorses' by the 14 man panel, with the mighty Sea The Stars leading the way with an impressive figure of 136, writes Dominic Gardiner-Hill .

The two categories in which I specialise on the committee, the sprinters and the milers, also saw some star performances.

The Hong Kong trained Sacred Kingdom (122) has now been either top or joint top rated sprinter in the world for the last three years - his best performances in 2009 being in the Krisflyer International Sprint in Singapore and in his own back yard when taking the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Sprint.

He had to share top spot this year with Australian trained Scenic Blast whose best effort came when taking the Coolmore Lightning Stakes at Flemington back in January and then blitzing the Europeans in the King's Stand at Royal Ascot.

The European sprinters lagged behind their Australian and Asian counterparts, but did have 'safety in numbers' with top rated Fleeting Spirit, Kingsgate Native, Regal Parade and Total Gallery all being given a mark of 118.

The miling division saw two of the year's best competing. French filly Goldikova put up a scintillating performance of 130 when taking the Jacques Le Marois by 6 lengths at Deauville in August and she finished up as the second highest rated horse in the world on the basis of that performance.

It was one of my great regrets of the season that we didn't see Goldikova and Rip Van Winkle take each other on over a mile. The Irish colt confirmed his rating of 129 from the Eclipse when beating Paco Boy in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood and then didn't have to reproduce that level of performance when taking Ascot's QE II later in the campaign.

Interestingly, at the press conference, poor old Rip took a bit of stick for his lofty rating but I firmly believe it is correct and he is unfortunate to have raced in the same season not only as Sea The Stars but Goldikova as well. She pipped him to the crown of World's best miler, a title he would have taken in all bar three of the years since 1994 with a mark of 129.

Let's hope the two of them take each other on at some point in 2010!

A week in the life of a BHA Handicapper

Sunday 9th Jan
Breathe a sigh of relief when I see that the 15-20cm of snow that was forecast for Saturday night failed to materialise. Its the World Thoroughbred Rankings Press Conference on Tuesday and we are also due to have a BHA Handicappers meeting on Wednesday - both due to be held at BHA headquarters in London- but I have started to become slightly concerned that both may be affected by the weather.

The situation is not helped by the fact that two of the major players for the Press Conference are due to fly into England on Monday afternoon and the airports have been in chaos. Garry O'Gorman, Senior Flat Handicapper of the Turf Club in Ireland and Co Chairman of the WTR committee is due in from Dublin, whilst BHA Head of Handicapping Phil Smith is due back from his holiday in Australia.

Head into the office at lunchtime to check emails and find a somewhat aggressive communication from aggrieved connections of a horse I have been dealing with - decide against answering there and then and go outside to work off my frustration with two hours of snow clearing from my drive.

I always do four to five hours work in the office every Sunday afternoon/evening and today is no exception. Finish off my domestic handicapping duties by doing five AW races, sorting out a couple of rotas for the boys working on the flat and swap a couple of texts with Smithy who is sitting on the runway ready for take off!! So far, so good.

Monday 10th January
Wake up expecting to find a text from Smithy saying he's missed his connection in Hong Kong and won't be back until goodness knows when, but it doesn't happen and, along with a slight thaw, provides an upbeat start to the day.

First hour is spent phoning all the BHA handicappers to get their views on whether they are likely to make it London on Wednesday - I am keen for the meeting to proceed as we have very few opportunities to get together and we always have a bit of fun as well as thrashing out relevant handicapping matters. All the guys say they will give it a go, although I'm not entirely sure what Senior Handicapper Martin Greenwood says as he's into about his fifth week with the 'lurgy' and sounds as though he's got a snowball down his throat and a peg on his nose!

Phone BHA Media Relations Manager Paul Struthers about the Press Conference and put contingency plan into place should handicappers and journos not be able to make it tomorrow.

I seem to spend most of the rest of the day answering and sending emails to Nigel Gray (the other WTR committee Co Chairman) in Hong Kong, putting the finishing touches to the World Rankings lists. It's unbelievable how many minor changes are made right up until the last moment and life is not made any easier by the time differences between the 14 countries involved!

Receive texts from Garry and Smithy saying that they have both arrived in the country safely, although Smithy concerns me slightly by saying he's going to drive home to Worcestershire and come back the next morning rather than staying in London overnight.

Answer aforementioned aggressive email!

Tuesday 12th
Early start as I leave home for London at 6.15am and drive my nice new, recently delivered company car for the second time in eight days!! Have agreed to meet Phil Smith in town for breakfast to go through final preparations for the Press Conference - a plan that only just about works out as Smithy gets stuck at Didcot for half an hour.

The weather doesn't put the country's finest racing journalist off attending the Press Conference and it's a good turn out. McCririck sits himself at the end of the table and declares that he's feeling under the weather, doesn't understand ratings and will have very little to offer in the way of questions!! Some hope!!

As predicted the early questions are very much centred around Sea The Stars rating of 136 and why that leaves him behind some of the greats of yesteryear - whilst some won't believe the detailed answer given by Garry most seem to accept his explanation.

Poor old Rip Van Winkle (129) then gets some unwarranted McCririck led stick (cue myself leading the case for the defence) before we move on to extolling the virtues of the the three brilliant fillies Goldikova (130), Zenyatta (128) and Rachel Alexandra (127). Garry rightly makes the point that last year we felt spoilt to have the top three fillies in the Rankings at 128 (Zarkava) and 125 (Zenyatta and Goldikova) and yet this year has surpassed even that achievement.

McCririck eventually runs out of steam and the Press Conference comes to a close with all concerned feeling it went well - now we just have the anxious wait for the websites and tomorrow morning's papers to see how our words of wisdom have been interpreted!

Quick sandwich lunch and then it's upstairs to grab a desk in the Racing Department where myself, Phil and Senior Handicapper Matthew Tester (BHA 2yo guru and the fourth handicapper on the morning's panel) start to work our way through the agenda for tomorrow's Handicappers meeting. I get the feeling there should be the usual lively debate!

Quick trip up to the Human Resources Department to check a couple of things and make a (feeble) effort to get a new company mobile as mine is falling apart - will have to wait until September apparently!

Head out for a quick drink with Head of Stewarding William Nunnelly, Smithy and Camilla Tabor from the Racing Department. Nunnelly appears in a mischievous mood and Smith tells tales of eating bugs in Australia that had a detrimental effect on his digestive system - poor Camilla must have wondered how she ever fell into such disreputable company! Couple of pints and we go our separate ways.

Wednesday 13th
Woken up in my hotel room at 6.52 by text from colleague Mark Olley telling me he's standing on the platform at Worthing station and that there are major problems with the trains because of the overnight fall of snow. This wasn't supposed to happen! The forecast had said there might be snow in the West but it wasn't going to get this far East!! Look out of my window and it's true...... there's an inch of snow on the ground and somebody's emptying a feather pillow from above. Meet Smithy for breakfast and discuss how many handicappers won't make it to our meeting!

As it turns out the boys make a valiant effort to get to London. The 'Northern contingent' of Martin Greenwood (with the help of a milk float!!), Stewart Copeland and Stephen Hindle all arrive around 10.45, whilst 'Iceman' Olley finally appears to a generous round of applause sometime after midday.

The handicappers usually only get together as a group twice a year so there is always plenty to discuss - items on today's agenda include the current Weight for Age scale, the use of our ratings in racecards, the manner in which we deal with complaints from trainers, the conversion of French jump ratings onto our scale and a paper from staying handicapper Neil Young on the performance of hurdlers returning to race on the flat and whether or not we should consider the possibility of taking into account their jumps form when allotting them a flat rating. We decide to continue with the current policy of keeping the two codes separate.

BHA Chief Executive Nic Coward joins us for the last half hour or so and the boys appreciate the opportunity to listen to his views on certain topics and firing a few questions at him.

Weather plays havoc with my planned journey home as my car is stranded in Milford station car park and finish up heading across London to Racing Post headquarters at Canary Wharf to meet up with best mate Ian Heaney who kindly gives me a lift home. That'll cost me a pint or three!!

Thursday 14th
Day in the office - only interrupted by the need to dig my car out of Milford station car park and the dogs needing a couple of walks!

Start the day by amending the Duty Entries Handicapper rota on the flat as discussed by the team at yesterdays meeting. Under the entry system used by the BHA there are closings six days a week and the DEH is the system by which one handicapper in the team looks after all the closings in any given week and then hands the baton to somebody else for the next week - this means that, at the current time, each handicapper working on the flat spends one week on entries and four weeks off. It is an attempt make the work/life balance a little more bearable for the guys.

Also start the week's handicapping by looking at three races on the All Weather. We work on a racing week which runs from Sunday through to Saturday and all rating amendments from that period have to be with Weatherbys by 7am the following Tuesday morning. This means we can be pretty flexible as far as our working practices are concerned as long as everything is in by that deadline.

A couple of handicaps at Kempton are pretty run of the mill, but a maiden at Southwell is a real brain teaser - as the majority of the field is made up of three year olds I will have to consult with Matthew Tester before finalising my figures for the race - probably just as well me thinks!!

End the day by looking at a number of American Graded races, taking my eleven year old son Adam to play with a mate of his and getting stuck in the snow again. Why won't it go away!!

Friday 15th
Given everything that has been going on earlier in the week I'm a bit behind with one or two things so get into the office just before 8am - knock off a couple of races, answer a couple of emails and make and take a number of phone calls. I'm on duty as part of the raceday team of officials at Lingfield later so time in the office is limited.

Leave the office around 9.30, grab a slice of toast, give the dogs a quick walk, shower and shave and I start the 40 minute drive to Lingfield at around 10.30.

The handicappers race around twice a week on average at the height of the two seasons, but at this time of year the guys working on the flat will be in attendance once a week. Once at the racecourse we are based in the Steward's Room along with the Steward's and the BHA's Stipendiary Stewards. Our primary function on raceday is to advise the Stewards and the Stipes on all form matters, i.e. possible running and riding offences, improvement in form etc.

Another of our functions is to pass on relevant information from the day to other members of the team that may impact on the re-handicapping of any individual horses or races. Paddock inspection sometimes throws up horses that are blatantly unfit or getting themselves in a pre-race lather, whilst the camera coverage on course is obviously a lot more extensive than that we get in the office so incidents such as interference are more easily spotted.

A further advantage of being on course is to liaise with trainers. I have had plenty of the training fraternity lose their temper with me over the phone but have yet to experience a similar situation when talking face to face (tempting fate, I know!). Barely a trainer present at Lingfield, however, so little liaising takes place today!!

Spend evening in the pub paying off my transport debts to Ian!

Saturday 16th
Try to get up early to do some work but fail miserably so eventually get into the office around 9.30 and do an hour just fiddling about answering a few emails and tidying a few things up. I'm not racing today and want to try and 'switch off' as much as possible.

With racing taking place 7 days a week for virtually the entire year you do have some sympathy for the mouse on his wheel at various points and, other than when I'm on holiday, I don't think a days goes by when I don't work in some way shape or form - there's always something going on.

Carry out various 'domestic duties' such as transporting Adam to a mate's house, going to the bottle bank, picking up the papers and trying to take the dogs for a long walk. Thwarted in the latter activity as snow is melting quickly and normal routes are flooded to the point where the dogs won't walk through it.

Have a brief look at the afternoon's racing action and then end the day by heading into Guildford to watch the Guildford Flames ice hockey team take on the Manchester Phoenix - thumping 9-2 victory for the Flames and a couple of decent scraps thrown in for good measure. Great entertainment and thankfully, for a couple of brief hours, racing couldn't be further from my mind!!