Encanto Bruno another winner for OJA

On an afternoon when Irish raiders dominated the second day of Cheltenham's showcase meeting with 5 victories from 7 races, it was another decent day on Saturday for followers of One Jump Ahead. The unbeaten Encanto Bruno (2/1) provided Declan Phelan's Irish Pointers section with another winner when taking the concluding bumper. Trained by John McConnell, the Mahler gelding won his sole point for Colin Motherway before being bought for £210,000 at the Aintree April Sale. Successful in a bumper at Cork during the summer, he was well positioned here under Tom Scudamore and quickened away rounding the home turn. Kept up to his work, he was full value for his four lengths win and is a useful prospect for the future. It will be interesting to see if he returns for the Listed bumper over C&D next month (13th November). 

Lucinda Russell continued her excellent start to the season with a double at Kelso. Snake Roll (4/1) was acquired for £60,000 having run in three Irish points. The five year old was making his Rules debut in the two miles maiden hurdle and made all the running before powering away to register a 15 lengths win. A gelded son of Jet Away, connections view him as a stayer in the making but he didn't look short of speed at the Borders track outclassing Captain Broomfield. The Grand National winning trainer completed her double later on the card when Corrigeen Rock (5/2) atoned for falling on his chasing bow at Perth last month. Racing handily, the Westerner gelding was forced to dig deep before registering a length victory in the novices' handicap chase off a mark of 117. 

Switching codes, subscribers to the Autumn Update will recall that both Mujtaba and Totally Charming were selections for the Cambridgeshire Handicap at Newmarket. The drying conditions on the Rowley Mile played against the pair finishing eighth and sixteenth respectively. Both horses reappeared on Saturday and won easily at Doncaster and Newbury - each one relishing the much softer ground. Those same clients will also remember that Knight (10/1) was nominated as an unraced two year old to follow. Simon and Ed Crisford's son of Mehmas made a winning start to his career at Yarmouth a few days later and then produced an even better display to win the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury. David Egan's mount was always going well and only had to be pushed out to score by a length and three quarters. A real mud lover, he is likely to be trained with the Guineas in mind next year and it is possible the French version could be more suitable than the English one. 

I will update the Diary early next week - I am working at Aintree on Sunday and it promises to be a terrific day with the Grade 2 Old Roan Chase being the highlight. The supporting card isn't bad either with a cracking two and a half miles handicap hurdle, plus a two and a half miles maiden hurdle which has been won by the likes of Wichita Lineman (2006) and Cue Card (2010). The rain has arrived and the ground is easing - there are some exciting young prospects entered at Uttoxeter and Wetherby at the end of next week. 

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