Oli Bell with horses to follow this season

Conundrums, question marks and intrigue - the 2000 and 1000 Guineas were full of all three and have left us wanting more. 

It was great to get the first Classics of the season under our belts, with both of the Newmarket showpieces certainly living up to their billings.

The Opening Show on Saturday morning was an enjoyable start to the weekend with Frankie Dettori as our guest who was brilliant fun and thanks to Francesca Cumani we all had a good laugh at a picture of the jockey from his (much) younger days looking like he was auditioning to be Marty McFly in Back To The Future. 

We haven't heard if Michael J Fox is particularly worried just yet...

We were also very lucky to have a few video reports sent in and our huge thanks go to Richard Hannon, Jim Crowley and Roger Charlton for taking time out from their schedules on what will have been a busy and nervy morning to show us exactly what they were up to on the morning of the race. 

Seeing Jim drinking tea in his kitchen with his young son Sam doing the loser sign at his dad makes him a normal bloke, not just the man we usually see in a helmet, goggles and in the saddle. 

It was a welcome addition to the programme and something that hopefully we will be able to incorporate more of in future programmes.

Ballydoyle masterclass makes weekend to remember

It was a brilliant performance from Churchill in Saturday's QIPCO 2000 Guineas and a demonstration of tactical excellence. AP O'Brien and Ballydoyle got it absolutely spot on and if Godolphin had the opportunity to plan the race again they'd maybe do it differently.

In this instance it was Ballydoyle who got their tactics exactly right, as they seem to do so often. It helps having extrememley talented horses and Churchill is clearly a freakishly good horse. He only ever seems to do just enough to win his races, but he will take an awful lot of beating in the mile division this year.

I don't see Churchill as a Derby horse. His sire may be Galileo and as a racing fan I would like to see him tested over farther than Saturday, but there's a concern for me on his dam side as to whether he'll stay or not. 

He does show a lot of speed, and from what he's done as a two-year-old and now aged three he doesn't strike me as a typical Coolmore Derby winner.

For me he's a miler, the latest in a long list of great horses over that distance that the powerhouse stud has produced. 

Barney Roy may have finished closer had he had a stronger pace to aim at and handled The Dip better so he is clearly a horse with tremendous potential over the next few months, and Godolphin’s Dream Castle is also one to take from the Guineas as perhaps being one for the Commonwealth Cup at Ascot. 

In those two Sheikh Mohammed's team have two really good horses to go to battle with. They may not have won a Classic, but there are exciting times ahead.

The first three in the 2000 Guineas are excellent horses and I thought on paper it looked a really good race for the Classic generation. Ballydoyle got everything right.

Winter warmer for AP O'Brien 

Had Rhododendron not been checked in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas on Sunday, she may well have pulled alongside Winter. But casting ifs, buts and maybes to one side, there can be little getting away from the fact that Ballydoyle have two very good fillies on their hands.

John Gosden's Daban also caught the eye in third and a drop back in trip could work well for her. Seven furlongs may be her ideal distance, but that doesn't leave too many options so they may try six -  either way, shes got plenty of ability.

Reflecting on the two Classics, I was equally impressed by both as races for the future. They set up the three-year-old season really well with plenty more certain to come.

Names for the notepad

Horseplay is one I'm looking forward to keeping an eye on as the summer unfolds. She showed a really good attitude to win Sunday's Tweenhills Pretty Polly Stakes over 1m 2f for Andrew Balding. With a further step up in trip she could have a big race in her.

Mike Bell has had a strong start to the season, with Ronald R showing his credentials under Joe Fanning in Saturday's QIPCO Racing Welfare Handicap. The three-year-old is worth considering on his next appearance.

Interviewing Sir Mark Prescott at the weekend was definitely a personal highlight from the weekend. I love speaking to him, he's an absolute legend and in Marsha he has the latest from a conveyor belt of excellent sprinting fillies. She was impressive in winning Saturday's Palace House Stakes and will head straight to Royal Ascot.

It's always entertaining hearing from Sir Mark as he often has that exciting twinkle in his eye. Whenever I see him I ask him if he has a good handicapper to follow. His answer? Every time: "I don't think so at the moment, Oli. But as soon as I do, you'll be the first to know."

Also, a big well done to Tom Clover for his first win as a trainer, with Declarationoflove taking the honours in Monday's British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes at Windsor. When I used to live in Newmarket, he was my flatmate for a while and it's great to see his and his partner Jackie Jarvis's hard work paying off.

Click here to add these horses to your My Stable

The end of an era, the start of a new chapter

Jockey Dougie Costello parting ways with trainer Karl Burke just shows the highs and lows of racing. Dougie handled it really well, showing genuine grace, humility and professionalism by staying as positive as possible and showing that there is no ill-feeling between the two. 

I was in the winners' enclosure when Quiet Reflection won the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot last year and it was one of my highlights from the meeting. It clearly meant an awful lot to them. I do think given Dougie’s acheivements with the horse to date that he deserved to keep the ride on this filly.

I wish him all the very best for the future, as well as to Martin Harley who now takes the ride. Karl has said that Quiet Reflection's work hasn't been breathtaking this year, so that's something to keep in mind for when she next runs.

All eyes turn to Chester

Live racing from Chester comes to ITV4 on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoon this week with Johnny Murtagh a special guest for the first two days - and I can't wait to make the most of the coverage from the comfort of my sofa! It's an unbelievable place to visit and I love the city which makes me very envious of everyone who will be enjoying the action on the Roudee. 

Being there or watching from home, you get a real sense of what this week and the Flat season as a whole means to the city. 

I'll be at Ascot on Saturday, with The Opening Show on ITV4 from 10am to 11am. Hayley Turner and Martin Dwyer will be in the studio, along with a special guest. Martin is known as being a bit of a joker in the weighing room so im relying on him to bring the one-liners with him! 

After that, all roads lead to York and the Dante meeting next week as the action continues to come at us thick and fast.

And finally – are you reading this Eugenie Bouchard?

I've been keeping a close eye on the tennis recently with Roland Garros just around the corner and I have to admit now that my celebrity crush is the tennis player Eugenie Bouchard. 

My celebrity crush was quite vocal in her disapproval of Maria Sharapova's return to tennis following a drugs ban and it was clear to see just how much it meant for the Canadian to win when they clashed in this week's Madrid Open. 

I will be backing her in France off the back of that big win and in the men's draw I think this years French Open will be the Rafa Nadal show continuing this renaissance period for men's tennis.

Regardless, I'll be watching keenly when the Roland Garros French Open is on ITV4 later this month.