Strong character needed

Tackling four miles for the first time in his burgeoning career around the twists and turns of Prestbury Park will indeed be character building for John Quinn's progressive gelding, who will have the assistance of top Irish amateur Derek O'Connor in this £50,000 novices' event, which is confined to amateur jockeys.

It is a measure of Quinn's meticulous planning that when Character Building had his final preparatory race, at Market Rasen last month, the Norton trainer invited O'Connor over from Ireland to take the mount, with the idea of him then also partnering him at the Festival.

The first part of that plan went perfectly.

Character Building bounded home under the stylish O'Connor, winning with something to spare. Come Thursday, the duo will be performing on jump-racing's major stage.

"Having an experienced man like Derek riding for you is a big plus, " said Quinn, who, explaining his decision to go for the National Hunt Chase, as opposed to the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Chase, run over a mile shorter, added; "We were always leaning towards the longer race, and the main reason the Kim Muir came into the equation was because last week the ground at Cheltenham threatened to be very testing and I feared the four-miler might become too much of a slog."

Character Building faces a formidable rival on Thursday in Gungadu, handled by champion trainer Paul Nicholls, and the certain red-hot favourite. But the Ryedale raider is an improving performer and he is fancied to provide Quinn with his first Cheltenham Festival success.

Quinn will also be represented by Crow Wood in Friday's Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle, the concluding race of the meeting.

A classy horse, both on the Flat and over hurdles, the eight-year-old is expected to acquit himself well. "With Desert Quest at the top of the weights, there won't be that many of the runners in the handicap proper, but that'll suit us with 10st 9lb. I'm hoping for a good run, " says Quinn.

Malcolm Jefferson, 12 years on from notching his last Cheltenham Festival success, with Dato Star in the Championship Bumper, has no ground worries for any of his runners this week.

"No matter what the weather does, it's not going to become quick ground, which is the main thing, and which was a regular happening at Cheltenham in other years, " said Jefferson.

Tot O'Whiskey is his main hope in the Championship Bumper, the last race on Wednesday. Unbeaten in three starts, the sixyear-old is held in high regard by his trainer, who feels his ability to travel well through a race will stand him in excellent stead in this fiercely competitive event, for which the Irish are usually strongly represented.

According To Pete was denied a run in Wednesday's Coral Cup, having failed to beat the 28-runner elimination point for the race.

But on Thursday, Roman Ark will carry Jefferson's hopes in the £100,000 Racing Post Plate as he bids to gain his third win from his last four outings, while Calatagan will represent the Newstead trainer in Friday's Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase, the eightyear-old, a previous course winner, having already enjoyed a fine campaign, which includes winning the Castleford Chase at Wetherby's Christmas meeting.

A broken collar bone has denied Dougie Costello the chance of riding at this week's Cheltenham Festival.

One of the country's top conditional jockeys, Costello, who has strong links with John Quinn's Ryedale stable, had been due to team up with Crow Wood for Quinn in the Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle, the same partnership having clinched the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton earlier this season.

Costello, however, has been frustratingly confined to watching this week's Cotswolds action unfold from the comfort of his armchair, following a crashing fall at Catterick last week.

Riding Niza D'Alm, a rank outsider in the novices' hurdle, Costello was injured when his mount blundered badly at the second flight and sent him into orbit.

The accident came just a matter of days after Costello had come in for wholesale praise from Quinn for his riding of the trainer's Bellaney Jewel, on whom he won the valuable Scottish Borders National at Kelso.

Costello is aiming to be back in the saddle sooner rather than later, and certainly in good time for the next big Festival meeting, the three-day Grand National fixture in the middle of next month.

Just how good has Loulou Nivernais become?

It's a question the handicapper must be asking himself as he struggles to keep pace with the Norton gelding, whose rate of improvement this winter, and particularly of late, has been nothing short of extraordinary.

Since joining Brian Ellison, the eight-yearold has seemingly taken on a new lease of life.

He has won his last four starts and his latest victory at Newcastle last week had to be seen to be believed. Despite having been raised 26lb by the handicapper for his three previous wins, Loulou Nivernais under regular rider Tom Dreaper, defied that rise by winning by no less than 26 lengths!

"Tom gets on really well with him, " said Lorraine Ellison, Brian's assistant daughter.

"He was a very nervous horse when he came to us, but he has got his confidence back and is still improving."

Quite how much further he can climb up the ladder before the handicapper nails him is anyone's guess, but Loulou Nivernais may head to Wetherby on Saturday for the Betfair Handicap Chase in a bid to complete a notable five-timer.

Peter Beaumont left punters open-mouthed at Newcastle last week when producing a 1001 winner.

King Mak, who had been well beaten in two bumpers, and also on his debut over hurdles, showed dramatic improvement to make all the running under Malton jockey Anthony Ross in the novices' hurdle, winning by nine lengths.

Brandsby-based Beaumont was delighted at the outcome. "He'd improved mentally as well as physically since his first run over hurdles, and we decided to ride him positively and let him make the running."

Not only was King Mak returned at 100-1, but he produced a win dividend of just over 125-1 on the Tote!

Bright Sparky lived up to his name at Catterick last week by coming out on top in the handicap hurdle.

The gelding, trained at Sheriff Hutton by Mick Easterby, landed some tasty bets when prevailing at 4-1 under Tom Greenall, who got him home by one and a quarter lengths from Only Words, trained by Alan Lockwood.

Bright Sparky was not the only Ryedale winner on the card. Noel Wilson, who recently moved into a new yard at Flaxton, sent out Primus Inter Pares to win the maiden chase, while Brian Ellison's Sedgefield winner John Forbes made every post a winning post to justify odds-on favouritism in the novices' hurdle.