WE HAD just the four runners last week and it was great to get a win with Gold in the Rivers at Market Rasen on Sunday.

He is a lovely big old fashioned chasing type of horse and he took to fences well earlier this season with two good runs at Lingfield. We then gave him a wind op and put blinkers on him at Newbury on his first run back and Jack Tudor felt he didn’t ‘face’ them.

We always try them at home first and he seemed fine but this can happen on occasions; the same happened I imagine with Solness in the Champion Chase at Leopardstown on Sunday! Returned to hurdles and with cheek pieces replacing the blinkers he seemed a much happier horse from the start at Market Rasen.

He travelled and jumped well and responded well to Jack asking for his effort at the home straight. He always looked in control when taking the lead but it is a very long run in at this track and it felt even longer on Sunday with some rivals closing in!

I do think he was just idling on his own but it was lovely to get a win from him and I am sure this will have done his confidence the world of good. He will find life tougher going back up in the ratings going forwards but I hope there is more to come with this win under his belt.

Royal Mer ran his usual honest race to be third at Hereford but the ground was not soft enough and the track too sharp. Turenne didn’t do much wrong in finishing third at Ffos Las on Friday. He was favourite and galloped all the way to the line but was not good enough on the day.

Bashful Boy ran his usual honest race as well, and while he finished unplaced on the flat at Lingfield, he was not beaten that far and he will win one of these contests in the near future.

It is a quiet start on the runner’s front for us this week but it gets busier towards the end of it and over the weekend. On Thursday, we have entries at Doncaster, Huntingdon and Lingfield while on Friday Kingston Queen has an entry in the Jane Seymour novices hurdle at Sandown.

While initially disappointed with her run at Cheltenham back in December, hindsight is a wonderful thing and with the winner now favourite for the Supreme it wasn’t too bad a run at all! She is in good form at home at present and while I hope there is not too much more rain at Sandown before Friday, she also has an entry at Warwick on Saturday and she is likely to run in one of these.

Phantomofthepoints also has two entries coming up at Sandown and Warwick while Itseemlikeit will either run at Newbury or Uttoxeter on Saturday. No Walkover has an entry in the Listed Bumper at Newbury on Saturday. Gentleman Toboot and Gericault Roque have entries at Exeter on Sunday among others, while recent Uttoxeter winner Eton Mes has an entry at Newcastle.

Keep checking the Daily News on the website for all the latest news on the stable runners.

David Pipe was talking to racing correspondent Richard Walsh.