Normal service resumed after the big freeze with the stylish success of Inthewaterside in his first handicap hurdle at Lingfield on Sunday.

Inthewaterside was our only runner of the day, the first for a week and made light of his opening mark of 120 with a fluent victory from the front. He was given a fine tactical ride by Harry Cobden who poached an early lead, dictated the pace throughout and kept enough in hand to see off the late challenge of He’s A Latchico. This bought up Harry’s 100th winner of the season.
Inthewaterside is a gorgeous horse with a big future and I blame myself for running him too soon at Ascot last time after he won on his hurdles debut at Aintree. He is going to be a cracking chaser. Meanwhile, I will find a nice race for him to gain more experience.
Team Ditcheat we’re kept busy last week in the yard and on the gallops even though jump racing was frozen off day after day.
My assistant Charlie Davis and the boys gritted the roads in the village early each morning, the gallops were fine despite the freezing temperatures and crucially the horses didn’t miss any exercise.
We worked loads and loads of horses at the weekend and will be rocking and rolling again starting at Cheltenham and Doncaster on Saturday. Then it will be on to Sandown and Musselburgh the following weekend all the way to the final day of the season back at Sandown late in April.
Horses under consideration for Cheltenham include Liari in the JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial, Il Ridoto in the £100,000 Paddy Power Podcast Handicap Chase, Rubaud in the Unibet Hurdle, Stay Away Fay in the Cotswold Chase, and Isaac Des Obeaux in the two and a half mile Ballymore Novice Hurdle. Ginny’s Destiny is another who is likely to be in the horsebox bound for Cheltenham.
At Doncaster Kandoo Kid might go for the Great Yorkshire Chase and Welcom To Cartries is a possible for the Grade 2 three mile Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle.
Before then we will have runners through the week at Newbury, Chepstow, Huntingdon, and Sandown on Friday.
For all the latest news on all my runners on Saturday please do check out my Betfair column which goes live the previous day.