A SINKING FEELING...

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Ebaziyan (centre) stunned the punters.

By Will Hayler

New approach, same end result.

This year I vowed not even to look at Southwell and Sedgefield.

It's almost impossible to watch the racing there anyway as virtually every television screen at Cheltenham is understandably concentrating on the main event.

And I managed it. As I write I don't even know what was running, let alone what the results were.

Similarly last night I spent a good couple of hours going through the form of every runner so that there would be no missed opportunities today.

But by five past two I was left with the usual sense of bewildered frustration after seeing 40-1 chance Ebaziyan ease home in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

Trained by one of my favourite Festival trainers and clearly blessed with some of the Flat speed that his pedigree suggested he might possess, he relished ground that bore little resemblance to the quagmire so heavily advertised only days ago.

So how did he slip through the net?

There was little time to wonder because quickly came the Arkle, where Richard Johnson turned in a baffling performance as he allowed Fair Along to steadily drop back through the field before the pair picked up all too late to finish second.

If the first two meet again at Aintree on similar ground, I will be all over the runner-up to reverse the placings.

It wasn't a bad day. I'd backed Granit Jack each-way at 33-1 after Paul Nicholls gave it a good talk-up a couple of weeks ago.

I'd had a few quid on Gaspara to take the Sunderland bonus in the excitement of seeing her come from an impossible-looking position to win at Sandown on Saturday.

I'm also with Irish-trained runners at the meeting having nibbled at seven, eight and nine or more. Three from six is an excellent start.

But overall the first day left me feeling a little deflated.

That was until I remembered I'd had a heavy each-way bet on Sublimity. It was in a Listed race at Goodwood in 2004. He came fourth. Then I felt worse.

Will Hayler is racing correspondent for the London Evening Standard.