Irish Pointers 16/1 winner & 50/1 runner-up

Storm Darragh played havoc with the sporting programme on Saturday with Aintree, Chepstow and Wolverhampton all being abandoned. Thankfully, the action went ahead at Navan, Sandown and Wetherby. Jonbon provided Nicky Henderson with his fourth victory in the Tingle Creek Chase and, with the exception of a minor error early on, the eight year old never looked like getting overturned. Recording his second win in the two miles event, it was his eighth Grade 1 victory and his fifth success in as many visits to the Esher track. The Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March will be a different ballgame but expect the eight year old to take some stopping in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot (18th January).

The other feature event at Sandown was the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices' Chase and L'Eau Du Sud extended his unbeaten record to three over fences with a comfortable three and three quarter lengths win. The grey was winning at the highest level and wasn't hard pressed to beat Gordon Elliott's pair Touch Me Not and Down Memory Lane (didn't look battle hardened enough for such a test). Dan Skelton's County Hurdle runner-up is expected to have one more run before the Arkle Trophy with the Grade 2 Kingmaker Novices' Chase at Warwick (8th February). At the moment, the ex-French gelding sets the standard as far as the British contenders are concerned but whether he can trouble the likes of Ballyburn, Firefox and possibly Majborough in the spring time will tell. Either way, fair play to Dan (Skelton) for nominating L'Eau Du Sud as his horse to follow in One Jump Ahead.

Talking of OJA, the Irish Pointers section capped a tremendous week with the victory of Goraibhmaithagat (16/1) on his Rules debut in the second division of the two miles maiden hurdle at Navan. The four year old won his sole point for Derek O'Connor and J.P.McManus in February before joining Colm Murphy during the summer. Racing handily on the outside, the Flemensfirth gelding made steady headway in the homestraight before mastering French import Autoportrait (included in the French Revolution section) on the run-in. Pushed out for a two lengths victory, he looks a useful prospect. It won't be long before the runner-up goes one better, possibly over further.

The day nearly got even better for followers of the section with Backmersackme (50/1) denied by a short head in the Listed handicap hurdle. Trained by Emmet Mullins, the Getaway gelding had run well when finishing fifth in the Betfair Stayers' Handicap Hurdle at Haydock a fortnight earlier before getting tired late on. Despite the short turn around, the five year old raced with plenty of enthusiasm and held every chance after the last. He will hopefully gain compensation in a similar event this winter.