Aintree

2.50pm

Mister Fisher

It all began to go wrong when he left his back legs in the water jump at Cheltenham, and you just can’t make those kind of mistakes in the highest grade and expect to get away with it. But that was only part of the problem. The other was trying to keep up with Allaho, and that mistake at the water was just the start of us beginning to feel the pinch. But at least we can safely write that run off – and I do think it was a far better run than the bare result would suggest – the ground looks like it has come perfectly for him, and his win under a penalty in the rescheduled Peterborough earlier in the season gives us definite form chances. And I don’t think we have seen the best of him yet, either.  It’s another tough race but we are very happy with him. I schooled him on Monday and all was A1 and, while the longer trip is an unknown, I can definitely see it suiting him.

3.25pm

Buveur D’Air

The boss decided to play the long game with him by missing Cheltenham, and the extra time he has since Haydock can surely only be a good thing. Clearly, he was nowhere his brilliant, Champion Hurdle-winning best on his return after a long, injury-enforced absence at Haydock in January but I liked the way he travelled into his race there and I wasn’t hard on him. I guess we won’t know if he retains all his ability until after the race but we know his back-class and he has won twice at this meeting – in fact, his win in this race in 2017 on this type of ground was probably his best performance – so let’s get back out there and see what he can do. We are hopeful.

5.15pm

Mind Sunday

She didn’t beat a horse home in her two bumpers in Ireland, so we were very pleasantly surprised by her at Newbury. Not only with the win, but the manner of it. She travelled superbly for me, and pulled well clear in the closing stages for hands and heels. I am not sure how strong that race was, and this is clearly another level or two up the ladder taking on the likes of Eileendover and Elle Est Belle, but she deserves her chance in this grade after what she did at Newbury.