Mark Howard on the recent action and his horses to follow

• METIER and ZANAHIYR both appeareed in Mark's five-to-follow on the site, published in October.

Where do you start after a weekend like that?

The most popular victory over the last few days came at Newbury on Saturday when Cloth Cap ran his 17 rivals ragged in the Ladbrokes Trophy. The diminutive eight year old hadn’t been in the winners’ enclosure for a couple of years but had been placed in the Scottish National and wasn’t disgraced at the Cheltenham Festival in the meantime.

Fitted with cheekpieces for the first time and racing off a mark of 136, he was given a typically aggressive ride by Tom Scudamore and was never headed throughout the three and a quarter miles contest. Jonjo O’Neill may have enjoyed 26 Cheltenham Festival winners and Don’t Push It provided Jackdaws Castle with Grand National glory, but Saturday must rank as one of the most satisfying days in his training career.

The Irishman has enjoyed a resurgence in recent seasons, attracting a number of new owners to one of the finest training establishments in either Britain or Ireland, and Cloth Cap’s win further underlines his desire to return to the top table. Owner Trevor Hemmings, who parted company with the vast majority of his string a couple of months ago, has another live National contender in his bid to win the world’s greatest race for a fourth time.

In terms of pure class, Fairyhouse was the centre of attention with Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott taking it in turns to dominate the two days fixture. Saturday’s meeting couldn’t have got off to a better start for Ireland’s champion trainer with Monkfish making a seamless transition to fences.

Last season’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle winner looked a natural throughout and only had to be nudged clear after the last to beat stablemate Ontheropes by a hard held four lengths. A £235,000 purchase out of the pointing scene, the six year old never stopped improving over hurdles last winter and is all set to reach another level over fences, if his initial effort is anything to go by.

Entered in Grade 1s at Leopardstown and Limerick over Christmas, it is possible the Stowaway gelding will be kept to intermediate trips for the time being before returning to three miles at Cheltenham in March. He looks tailormade for the Grade 1 Flogas Novice Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown in early February, a race which was won last season by the legendary Faugheen in the same silks.

Douvan and Vautour were magnificent chasers for Rich and Susannah Ricci over shorter trips but Monkfish could be their best yet, in terms of proper stayers.

Along with Monkfish, both The Big Breakaway and Shishkin have produced exemplary chasing debuts in recent weeks. Envoi Allen sets the standard in the novice ranks though and the six year old made it two out of two over fences extending his unbeaten career record to eleven in the process when treating his three rivals with contempt in the Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase on Sunday.

The dual Festival winner has foot perfect throughout before powering away after the penultimate fence. Gordon Elliott has suggested the Cheveley Park Stud owned gelding will have one trip to Punchestown in January before making his way back to Prestbury Park in mid March for the Marsh Novices’ Chase. At this stage, only an injury looks likely to deny him his third Cheltenham Festival success. He is bombproof.

The three-times Grand National winning trainer currently has a stranglehold on the ante-post market for the Triumph Hurdle, a race Elliott has won twice.

Stablemates Duffle Coat, Quilixios and Zanahiyr are unbeaten in nine starts between them over timber and are rightly at the forefront of the betting. The last named, who was acquired privately during the summer, made a lasting impression in the Grade 3 juvenile hurdle on Sunday and looks the best three year old we have seen thus far.

Formerly handled on the Flat by Mick Halford, he was workmanlike in victory on his jumping bow at Ballinrobe last month but made a marked step forward over the weekend. Taking on three previous winners, the Nathaniel gelding brushed them aside with the minimum of fuss to win unextended by fourteen lengths.

A 12 furlongs winner on the level, he is blessed with speed and stamina and the fact the Nathaniel gelding handles both slow and quicker ground is a bonus. Indeed, there is a strong belief he will be even better on a sounder surface. That Graded contest has produced subsequent Grade 1 winners Our Conor (2012) and Espoir D’Allen (2017).

Interestingly, his sire produced two Festival winners last spring, including the Triumph Hurdle winner Burning Victory. Zanahiyr will take some stopping next March, if in the same form, and I wouldn’t mind knowing what price he is for the 2021 Sky Bet Ebor either (cue Michael Shinners).

Mullins was responsible for the runner-up on Sunday courtesy of French recruit Saint Sam. Look out for two compatriots in the juvenile division who have yet to run for the Closutton outfit, namely Bring On The Night and Haut En Couleurs. Both will be sporting the silks of Joe Donnelly and the pair could be high-class hurdlers for their new connections.

Talking of Mullins, just consider the stable’s possible contenders for the Dawn Run Mares’ Novice Hurdle at the Festival – a race the yard have dominated winning all five renewals since its inception in 2016. They include Finest Evermore, Gauloise, Hook Up and Shewearsitwell. The quartet have all looked outstanding talents this Autumn and, in all likelihood, there are probably more to be unleashed.

Gauloise made a striking start to her new career in Ireland when winning easily at Thurles last Thursday.

An AQPS Flat race winner in her native France in an event which has worked out well, the daughter of Samum – the same sire as Grade 1 winner Notebook – defied an absence of 578 days to win on her jumping bow by five and a half lengths.

Her jumping was electric for a first timer and she displayed a good turn of foot to quicken clear after the second last. She is a Graded mare in the making and another to add to owner Kenny Alexander’s collection of smart fillies.

Finally, it was a good couple of days at Newbury for Philip Hobbs with Thyme Hill emerging as a live contender for the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle. A Grade 1 winning novice last winter, the six year old was unlucky in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham meeting traffic problems on more than one occasion in the home straight.

Making his reappearance in the Grade 2 Long Distance Hurdle, he stayed on strongly to beat former crown holder Paisley Park by a length and a half. The Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle is likely to be next and he appears to have all the credentials to add his name to the roll of honour next March.

The Minehead stable were also responsible for my eyecatcher of the two day meeting at the Berkshire track. Musical Slave was a slow burner over hurdles racking up a win at the Punchestown Festival last year and it has been a similar story over the larger obstacles.

A winner at Exeter on New Year’s Day, the Getaway gelding was subsequently third behind Grade 2 winner Caribean Boy at Haydock. Returning to the fray in a competitive two and a half miles handicap chase on Friday, the seven year old stayed on well under Richard Johnson finishing fifth behind the 151 rated Clondaw Castle.

Entered in the Caspian Caviar Chase at Cheltenham next month, the J.P.McManus owned gelding has only raced half a dozen times over fences and a big prize awaits. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he was given an entry in the valuable Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas, if Covid restrictions allow. Either way, he’s one to keep on side.