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We experienced a frustrating time over the four days at Cheltenham. I felt my best chances were on the Wednesday but rain on watered ground changed the going to heavy and put paid to our plans.

The best thing was to not run Bravemansgame, McFabulous and Thyme White in those testing conditions and keep them fresh for Aintree. I pulled a couple more horses out on Thursday then Bob And Co fell at an early stage in the Hunter Chase on Friday.
That just about summed up our luck at the Festival. These things happen sometimes. You just have to take it on the chin and look forward rather than dwell on what might have been.
On Tuesday Bell Ex One ran a race full of promise on his debut for us in finishing well to take third place in the Boodles Four Year Old Handicap. He was unsuited by the steady early pace, was staying on strongly at the finish and is another who will be in our team at Aintree.
Unfortunately Frodon suffered a really bad cut to a hind leg when something jumped into the back of him in the Ultima Handicap Chase. He will have three weeks standing in his box and will not be running again this season. All being well he will return to Down Royal in November in a bid to repeat his great win in the Champion Chase.
On Wednesday Politologue bowed out with yet another creditable run at the Festival by finishing fourth in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. He has been an absolute legend for us, winning a Champion Chase, two Tingle Creeks, and over £1 million in prize money.
Politologue will return to his owner John Hales at the end of the season for his usual summer holiday and will then move to Dorset with Mike and Lucy Felton where he will join Big Buckson in retirement.
Two winners over the weekend took our score for the season to 122. With just over a month to go before the final day at Sandown it is a case of onwards and upwards as we gear up to have a big team for Ayr, then Aintree and all the good races in April.

For all the latest news on my Saturday runners please be sure to check out my Betfair column which goes live late on Friday afternoon.

The sparkling victory of Complete Unknown in the valuable EBF Final at Sandown on Saturday took the prize money earned by our horses this season past £2 million.

It is always nice to reach that landmark figure before the Cheltenham Festival. We haven’t done it too many times and it shows what a good season we have had.
With Milan Bridge completing a double with a cosy success at Hereford, and Hacker Des Places finishing third in the Imperial Cup it was a highly encouraging day for Team Ditcheat on the eve of Cheltenham.
Both our winners were ridden by young jockeys who play a big part behind the scenes every morning. Lorcan Williams has been with us for a few years now, and deserved his high-profile triumph on Complete Unknown.
After overnight rain I was in two minds about running Knappers Hill carrying top weight on soft ground in the EBF Final and came close to pulling him out in which case Harry Cobden would have switched to Complete Unknown.
I was disappointed for Harry and apologised to him because I got it wrong while at the same time I was delighted for Lorcan who works very hard, deserves more opportunities, and always gets it right.
I was also very pleased to see Tom Buckley ride his first winner for us on Milan Bridge. Tom joined us earlier in the season and is great value for his 5lbs claim.
Flic Ou Voyou was another of ours to run well at Sandown on ground that was softer than ideal for him. His jumping is getter better with practise and he should surely be winning soon after finishing a close second in the Listed Novice Handicap Chase.
Complete Unknown won decisively and is going to make a lovely chaser next season. Full marks to my daughter Megan and Tom Malone for picking him out and buying him. He is really progressive and I still don’t know how he was beaten last time at Ascot.
We have just the three runners at Cheltenham on Tuesday including Frodon who has top weight in the Ultima Handicap Chase and will then be a little busier as the week unfolds.
For the latest news on our runners through the week please be sure to check out my Betfair column each day.

A run of positive results sees Team Ditcheat in fine shape with just over a week to the start of the Cheltenham Festival. With the horses in form and looking really well we have good reason to be upbeat for the rest of the season.

We enjoyed doubles at Taunton on Thursday and Newbury on Friday and with luck would also have had two winners on Wednesday at Wincanton where Sabrina was successful before for the fall of Adrien Du Pont two fences out in the Hunter Chase as he was cantering clear of his rivals.
Several more performed well on Saturday at Newbury on ground that was softer than ideal for them. I was delighted with the run of Tamaroc Du Mathan in second place in the Greatwood Gold Cup. His jumping was very good as usual and I’m keen to aim him for the Topham Chase at Aintree. Drier ground there would be a big plus for him.
Irish Hill bounced back with a narrow defeat in the novice handicap hurdle and Wild Max ran with credit to finish third under top weight.
A day earlier at Newbury I was pleased with Shearer’s first success over hurdles in first time cheek pieces with the help of a good ride by Lorcan Williams. Shearer is still a bit of a baby, could be one for our team heading to Ayr early next month and will be chasing in the autumn.
Gelino Bello completed our double with an impressive success under a 7lbs penalty in a GBB novice hurdle over two and a half miles. He is smart, will go to Aintree now for the three mile Grade 1 Doom Bar Sefton Novice Hurdle and I can’t wait to see him chasing next season.
Next weekend our entries at Sandown will include Hacker Des Places and Samarrive in the Imperial Cup, Knappers Hill and Complete Unknown in the EBF Final and Danny Kirwan in a £50,000 novice handicap Chase.
For all the latest news on my Saturday runners please be sure to check out my Betfair column which goes live late on Friday afternoon.