Timeform ratings: Four key performances from Trials Day

JORDANS CROSS 141p from 133p

The Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase has an excellent record of producing Cheltenham Festival winners with, since 2020, Simply The Betts, Stage Star and Jagwar last year all following up in March after winning this contest. This year’s winner Jordans Cross should himself take plenty of beating in a Festival handicap, with the last-gasp nature of his last two wins likely to keep him ahead of the handicapper for a while yet.

As is often the case on the New Course, prominent racers largely dominated while plenty of those held up were at a disadvantage, which puts Jordans Cross’ effort in an even better light as he rather conceded first run. Bar a mistake at the third, his jumping in mid-division was largely assured, and he found plenty to overhaul the placed pair on the run-in, leading close home to beat Quebecois by a nose.

Unlucky not to be unbeaten over fences – he was a faller at the last at Cheltenham in November when looking the likely winner - Jordans Cross had won by the same margin at Doncaster the time before and is likely to go on improving, looking worth a try over three miles or more, too.

JAGWAR 155 from 152p

As noted above, Jagwar was bidding to win on this card for the second year running, and while he failed narrowly to do so in the Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase, he duly took a step forward from his encouraging third in the December Gold Cup here when coming from a poor position.

Ridden a bit nearer the pace this time, but not always fluent, Jagwar was going well when closing two out and was pressing leader Donnacha when again not fluent at the last but held every chance from then on, edged out by a head by a rival carrying more than a stone less but pulling ten lengths clear of the third.

Jagwar seems sure to go well again when bidding for back-to-back Festival wins, and while his only entry at the moment is the Ryanair Chase, he’s yet to be tried over longer trips which may put a bit less pressure on his slightly flawed jumping technique.

SPILLANE’S TOWER 166 from 155+

Just four runners made it the smallest field for the Cotswold Chase since 2001, with Betfair Chase winner Grey Dawning sent off the even-money favourite. However, with the race still taking shape he ruined his chance with a mistake two out, leaving last year’s winner L’Homme Presse to battle it out with Spillane’s Tower who was getting 6 lb from both those rivals.

Back over fences after two runs over shorter trips over hurdles previously this season, Spillane’s Tower showed he retains all his ability to record his first win since the 2024 Punchestown Festival. Waited with and travelling well, Spillane’s Tower led on the bridle between the last two fences and was shaken up on the run, always holding on by three quarters of a length from L’Homme Presse who stuck to his task.

Spillane’s Tower now has his old rating restored, his career best coming the only other time Jack Kennedy had ridden him when he was beaten half a length by Fact To File in last season’s John Durkan. On his only previous start in Britain, a well-run race had found him out in the King George following that run at Punchestown, so that would be a slight concern regarding his Gold Cup chances, even with the possibility he has a bit more to offer.

MA SHANTOU 151p from 145

The Cleeve Hurdle was run at a truer gallop than the other ‘trials’ on the card and in emphatically beating favourite Impose Toi who had been much shorter in ante-post betting for the Stayers’ Hurdle beforehand, Ma Shantou clearly put himself in the picture for the Festival for Emma Lavelle.

He might not be a Paisley Park just yet, who won the Cleeve three times for the same stable, including prior to his Stayers’ Hurdle victory in 2019, but he’s an improving seven-year-old, clearly goes well at the track – this his third win at Cheltenham this season – and has plenty of stamina to go with his smooth-travelling style.

Leading on the bridle on the home turn, Ma Shantou kicked on in the straight, was threatened briefly on the run-in but then forged away to more than double his advantage through the final furlong to seven lengths. He was in receipt of 6 lb from Impose Toi, but emerged as the best at the weights regardless.

Love Sign d’Aunou new joint-leader in the bumper rankings

Two years ago, Jasmin de Vaux was a wide-margin winner of a bumper at Naas before going on to win the Champion Bumper for Willie Mullins, and the same stable’s Love Sign d’Aunou is now widely the 7/1 favourite for that race after winning the same Naas bumper by a still greater margin, 24 lengths, on Sunday. Also the winner of his only point last spring, Love Sign d’Aunou has been given a rating of 112 which makes him comfortably the highest rated among a clutch of bumper winners his stable has unleashed in the last month or so.

Bentraghhill (98p), The Irish Avatar (103p) and Quiryn (100p) made their successful debuts at Leopardstown, Navan and Naas respectively and are all prominent in the Champion Bumper betting behind their stablemate.

Love Sign d’Aunou is therefore rated alongside Oh My Word who has won both his bumpers for Thomas Cleary and impressed when beating three other winners in a listed contest at Navan in December.

The highest-rated bumper horse in Britain is Chris Gordon’s Bass Hunter (111) who made it two out of two when winning a listed event at Ascot just before Christmas, while Diamond Street (109p) looked potentially smart when an impressive ten-length winner on his debut at Doncaster for Dan Skelton on Saturday.

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