Gazump - will stick to around two and a half miles.

By Carl Llewellyn

I was up at Doncaster on Friday and the journey was made worthwhile with a win on Native Ivy in the novices' chase.

He was the highest rated in the field over hurdles but had been a bit disappointing on his last few starts.

Switched to fences, he had reportedly schooled well and then jumped very well in the race itself.

He won as he liked with a fair bit of authority so hopefully he can go on and win again.

I rode Tates Avenue for Nigel Twiston-Davies in the novices' hurdle and we have always thought a lot of him since he first started racing.

But he has not been getting home in his races so I rode him differently this time by taking my time at the back in a bid to get him relaxed and breathing properly.

He has galloped through some beaten horses up the straight and finished well, which is the first time he has done that.

That was much more pleasing and now we have discovered how to ride him then he can go and win a race.

It was Gazump's minimum trip at Newbury on Saturday in the novices' handicap chase but he still mananged to win.

He was outpaced all the way down the back straight and I was thinking we were going to be in trouble.

But the rest have gone quickly and then stopped up the straight and he has come there going well two out and won nicely.

They were coming back at him a little bit at the line but he kept plugging on.

Hopefully that will set him up for the Cheltenham Festival next week.

I think that he will run in the Jewson at the Festival as the Kim Muir might be a bit too far for him at this stage.

He is quite a free horse and can get quite wound up before racing so I am not sure he will get three miles at the moment.

He tends to get in a real worry prior to a race but is not so bad once he is running.

Harrycone Lewis ran a really good race to finish second in a very competitive handicap chase.

He tried to run out at the second last, which some people did not notice, and I have had to yank him back in to jump the fence.

Consequently he was very slow at it which lost a length or two and probably cost him the race.

He would have won bar that.

Whereareyounow was disappointing in the Vodafone Gold Cup but has come out of the race fine and in good shape.

The trip was two and ahalf miles on good ground and he has won over further on heavy going so this just confirmed that he needs a longer distance.

The good ground and shorter trip were against him.

He will now go for the William Hill Chase at the Festival back up to three miles on a track he has won at before so hopefully we will see him back to his best.

I was a bit disappointed with Va Vavoom's third in the novice hurdle.

I was hoping he would be better than that as this was his easiest opportunity this season.

He has been running in some high-class company and hopefully he will make up into a good chaser for next campaign but overall I was dispapointed with the third.

I was on Rimsky in the bumper and was very impressed with his second.

He had been in training on the Flat with Mick Channon but had never run.

This was a high-class bumper with a lot of talk beforehand about some of the runners and I thought if we finished in the first six or seven he would have run a really good race.

The winner (Sworn In) looked to be exceptional as he quickened up very well so I was very pleased to finished second.

Hopefully with no superstars in his next race, he should be winning.

I won at Kempton on Sunday aboard Red Georgie but it was quite a poor race by the track's standards.

There was only one of Robert Alner's (Miko De Beauchene) with a bit of form so basically my horse only had to give his true running to win - which he did.

He has got a few engagements at the Festival and will just be out of the handicap in the Coral Cup with his penalty so may well go to the Festival for that race.