Just another cracker on Cheltenham's card

On a card packed with future top-notchers, the 4.30 at Cheltenham is another race that looks chock-full of winners for the 2012/13 campaign. It's the Lemington Maiden Hurdle over an extended two miles and Population catches the eye immediately.

John Ferguson's representative was impressive in landing a couple of Ascot bumpers last autumn. Denis O'Regan takes the mount on the Aintree Festival sixth and one that finished in front of him there, Court Minstrel (fourth then) is also in the line-up.

Landscape represents Paul Nicholls and Ruby Walsh. The Master of Manor Farm Stables said of him in a recent stable tour: "Owned by Betfair Racing Club, he was bought at the Arqana Sales in France in November. A twelve furlongs winner on the Flat, we gave him plenty of time to mature last season and he is a nice prospect for novice hurdles."

Softsong is another that will be having his first start in England and his trainer Philip Hobbs said in Mark Howard's One Jump Ahead Top NH horses to follow for 2012/2013: "A dual winner on the Flat at St-Cloud last autumn over middle distances, he has been bought by Andrew Cohen with a view to going novice hurdling. He could be an interesting prospect."

Titan De Sarti is just one more in the twelve runner field to have begun life in France. He is also housed in a leading yard now, that of Nicky Henderson, who told OJA: "He has given Michael (Buckley), myself and everybody else any amount of headaches because we have always thought he was a high-class horse.

"He has shown glimpses of his ability when second twice at Newbury but, even so, I think he is better than anything we have seen so far. He has had extensive tests over the summer and I can only hope his gorgeous looking horse can show us his true potential."

The Romford Pele has had a recent run, just 20 days ago, and another that had an outing in the last couple of months, Rysbrack could be very interesting here at an each-way price.

In a preview of last season some good judges were touting this fellow, one saying: "A bumper winner at Worcester in June but known to be the apple of his trainer's eye. Versatile sort, highly-regarded and bred to be a Derby winner."

Well it was also reassuring to see Denis O'Regan (incidentally rider of Population here) give a thumbs-up for Rysbrack in advance of this season.

In One Jump Ahead O'Regan said of Paul Webber's charge: "I rode Rysbrack to win his only bumper at Worcester and he has been running well on the Flat since. Narrowly beaten at Windsor during the summer, he is likely to have another couple of races before going jumping. I have schooled him and he has attributes to make a nice novice hurdler." (EM)