Timeform Weekend Review: After the Lord Mayor's show

Weekend Review / Timeform / 17 March 2009 / Leave a Comment

With the Cheltenham Festival over for another year, the focus of the weekend action took place at Uttoxeter, with the feature John Smith's Midlands Grand National on Saturday going to dour stayer Russian Trigger under a strong ride from Jack Doyle, writes Timeform.

Russian Trigger was far from fluent in following up his Kent National win two and a half weeks earlier but despite mistakes he battled on tenaciously to grind out a two and a quarter length victory over Flintoff. Doubts about his attitude and a further rise in the weights means he's far from certain to follow up next time.

Up at Wetherby, Ballybriggan initiated an across-the-card double for trainer Victor Dartnall when successful in the closing 'hands and heels' bumper. It was a promising debut from the five-year-old, and by Flemensfirth, his future undoubtedly lies over jumps. In the meantime, it would be no surprise to see him follow up under a penalty. Howard Johnson's Striking Article picked up an easy success in the novice chase, and the chestnut gelding is clearly held in high regard by his trainer, having contested last year's Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham. Although the race took little winning, it may provide the confidence boost Striking Article could thrive on. The following race saw the same trainer and jockey combination thwarted when Dancing Dik snatched victory by a nose from Whispering Death.

The opening novice hurdle at Fontwell on Sunday saw Alan King's Santia winning well and Greenbridge initiated a double for the Barbury Castle handler when taking the following maiden chase. King was also on the mark at Southwell when taking both divisions of the bumper, on a day which may have provided some compensation for his sole winner at the Cheltenham Festival. In Ireland, winning Festival trainers Noel Meade, Charles Byrnes and Willie Mullins all had winners at Navan on Sunday, the last-named enjoying a treble.