Jumping round-up: 3 more winners for Talking Trainers

With Exeter being abandoned, Bangor staged an extra fixture and it proved a profitable afternoon for followers of the Talking Trainers section in One Jump Ahead. Shantaluze (8/1), Dandy Dan (11/8) and Mystical Clouds (10/11) all scored at the North Wales venue.

Heavy rain is forecast on Friday, especially in the West Country and South Wales which means the meetings at Newton Abbot (tomorrow) and Chepstow (Saturday and Sunday) are set to be run on soft ground. Trainers have been waiting for rain and their wishes are set to be granted. It should be a cracking few days for jumping fans. Arguably one of the most interesting races at Newton Abbot is the concluding bumper which has attracted a field of eleven. I suggest One Jump Ahead readers refer to pages 60, 61, 65 and 148 to get the inside word on three of the runners.

Blackbow was one of last season's leading bumper horses finishing fifth at the Cheltenham Festival and runner-up in the Punchestown Festival Grade 1 event. The Willie Mullins trained gelding belongs to the Roaringwater Syndicate and the same owners have taken charge of 22 lengths bumper winner Mt Leinster. A four year old gelded son of Beat Hollow, he was most impressive on his debut at Ballinrobe last month and is already prominent in the ante-post market for next March's Cheltenham Festival bumper.

In addition to some exciting action over jumps in the next few days, there is also some tremendous racing at Newmarket with a number of the selections in the Autumn Update set to line up, including in the Cornwallis and Oh So Sharp Stakes on Friday, plus my two fancies in the Cesarewitch and Autumn Stakes on Saturday. I am heading to York tomorrow, where the conditions are likely to be testing. There are 110 runners declared and it promises to be an enjoyable afternoon...... in the rain. Regardless of the weather, it is always a pleasure to work on the Knavesmire. Enjoy the weekend and I will be back to update the Diary once I have dried out.