Performances From The Weekend

Arguably the performance of the weekend was given by the Dan Skelton trained Allmankind under a super ride by Harry Skelton to land his second Grade One event of his career.

Having been trained on the flat before his national hunt career many thought that the four year old would stay over hurdles but his handler made the decision to take him over fences this term and it is a move that has paid off.

Having been disappointing at Cheltenham over hurdles on his seasonal debut, Skelton sent him to Warwick next for his chase debut and he bolted up by 13 lengths.

The form of that win had since been franked with second placed Zanza winning next time out at Newbury in a Handicap Chase and it set him up perfectly for the Grade One event.

Taking on a decent field of runners that included the likeable Hitman for Paul Nicholls and Grade Two winner Eldorado Allen for Colin Tizzard, Allmankind went from the front in his normal front running style and was not for catching.

For a horse coming from the flat, his jumping is absolutely superb and his sectionals for his run have came back quicker than that of the Tingl Creek, which is very impressive.

He has now been given the Arkle as his main target at the Cheltenham festival.

The feature race on Saturday was the Tingle Creek and having landed the event back in 2017, the Paul Nicholls trained Politologue landed the event for the second time.

The likeable grey entered the contest having landed the Grade One Champion Chase at the Cheltenham festival in March and with Altior being pulled out before the race, he became the horse to beat.

His handler explained that his preparation had been different to that of other seasons and as also said to be in some of the best form of his career at home.

This all proved to be right as again under a superb ride from Harry Skelton, who landed both the black type events on the card, went to the front in final stages of the race and kicked clear of the rest of the field.

He is now 9/1 to retain his Champion Chase title at the Cheltenham festival and he looks in as good as form as we have ever seen him.

The final top performance of the week came on Sunday in the Grade Two Hilly Way Chase at Cork and it saw the return of the the Champion Chase favourite Chacun Pour Soi.

Having been a leading contender for the Wednesday feature at Cheltenham last term, he as ruled on by the vet on the day due a to slight problem.

He has been a very fragile horse with the eight year old only having five starts for the handler since joining from France back in December 2016.

Having landed two Grade One events so far during his career, he offers some of the best form heading into the Champion Chase this year and made a very pleasing return on Sunday.

He went on to land the Grade Two event with ease, never really being asked for much form Paul Townend and it looked a perfect starting point for the season.

It saw him slashed for the Champion Chase and is now a best price of 11/4 for the Grade One at Prestbury park.