Good 1st day. Happy to win the Champions Hurdle for the second year running. BMX Bandit almost managed to get up in Coral cup despite traveling wide and Avicenna didn't seem to stay as his run petered out, not really surprised as he is a 2m5 horse but still a good run none the less.

Anyway I would take the champion hurdle win and nothing else on the first day every time, Cliffhanger just held on but justified the mid season upload, hopefully Namibia can do the same tonight in the Queen Mother

Ecstatic to have won The Queen Mother with Namibia and the Stayers Hurdle with Shylock. Today has been the highlight of my season so far. The only thing that could top this would be to win the Gold cup

Well done to all winners especially Martyn with 5 winners some achievement in your first season

Well.......It's been a good week for me with another winner and it's the first time I've had 2 winners over the three days so I am more than happy and on a personal note my transfer horses have done really well - good to see I am heading in the right direction.
Congrats to Leon taking some handy silverware and PJRhodes as well.

But I guess the happiest happy chappy in here is Martin with 5 winners on the flat on day two! With my winner and Martin's 5 that gave the commentators 6 winners on the day.

Chatted with Martin on the phone last night and he kept a lid on his big day so I had no idea about it - he must have been bursting to say something lol

Well done to all involved.

Just the one winner for me on day two, with some crediable performances from others at Chelts.

Great 2nd day for me 2 winners in the shape of "Dansili Blue" winning the national hunt chase and keeping its 100% upright no pull-up 2 season run & "Loving Spirit" winning the Brown G3 Handicap coming from nowhere. "Kimiko the Grey" picked up third in the Pertemps so a top day.

Only won the one at Cheltenham last year and "Greyemkay" goes again in the Kim Muir today and I fancy its chances although out of the handicap this time round. Quiet shouts for "Party Doctor", "Canopa" & "Kamikaze Light" all in with a chance for some money & then there's "Libranno" in the last, be surprised if its in the money, hates Cheltenham but I am looking forward to the 3rd day.

The flat was dire as all my handicappers came up against Martin who incredibly picked up 5 wins and looking at today's I think he may have more, so well done Martin, people like you are no good for the handicapper league LOL

Well done to all winners & placers, good luck today.

Delighted to get a SO6 festival winner at last with Ice Maiden in the Fred Winter and Free Kisses was still tanking along when crashing out at the 3rd last in the Brown Advisory Plate. Who knows what would have happened if she stayed upright. Not sure what the racekit has against me but race comments are that she was pulled up! Same thing also happened with Ramses who fell on day 1.
Best chances for me on the final day are Close Action in the Kim Muir who is on a very handy mark and Dirty Den who is much better than he has shown so far in the County Hurdle.

On the flat China Doll ran a blinder in the Cambridgeshire just getting chinned on the line. Freeze The Secret ran well in the 10f nursery as did Funofthefair in the 11f hcap.

Well done to all winners and placers.

After a dire (was expected) first day things picked up on day 2 although it was a case of what might have been.
Got a decent 5th in the Cambridgeshire and a good 2nd in the 10f nursery. I was hoping to win that but was caught close home by one of Martins supercharged machines (fantastic 5 winners Martin).
The jumps carried on from yesterday with fallers galore to start with but steadily improved. A decent 4th in the Pertemps (fancied my chances) but Gray's horse is better than a handicapper methinks, then Vanguard Dream came agonisingly close to repeating last years win in the Byrne Plate getting collared on the run-in. Immensely proud of a gamebred who over 2 seasons has 3 wins, 2 seconds and a fourth in big Celtenham 2m5f handicaps.
I have place prospects in all the final day handicaps, especially the Vincent O'Brien, but it's highly likely I will be winless this Cheltenham, mind you one of the leading trainers may be joining me in that club (enjoy the hols John ).
Congrats to all winners and good luck tonight.
Darren

Best week for the league for me ever with Hereditary Rule winning the gold cup. Had no problems with extra 2 furlongs and was definitely my highlight of the Cheltenham. Congrats to all winners and placers. Good to see John finally getting a Cheltenham winner, congrats to Martin on your first Cheltenham winner, well done to Paul for been top Cheltenham trainer all the time put in has been rewarded

Two wins this week and two seconds. The rest did nothing. Ellis Island got a much deserved win after collecting 4 seconds so far.

Three weeks left.

A poor third day for me, with some small place money on the Hunt & Flat but a good week, 2 winners at Cheltenham and the "Prawn" picking up his back to back wins on Monday.

Great work from all involved and well done to all who took part, there was some good races.

Big shout to Mr Leedham with an astonishing 8 wins over the 3 days, for most newbies that's a seasons total

When I took over the league we changed the top trainer to prize money and not wins to prevent top trainers hunting wins in lower graded races. Looking at the comments this season I think next season we should go back to prize money as the deciding factor for the championship.

It really doesn't matter as a top trainer if you give lower rated races a miss then as the prize money won't really impact on the championship push. There was a vote and it was decided to go for wins but I do think we should have a new vote on this as exactly what I said would happen is happening. Obviously we can't change things this season, but it really needs to be looked at for next season.

As a push to be top trainer you really have to run your horses in every feasible race now where as before you could give loads of races a skip, which is fairer on the lower ranked trainers. After listening to all the moans this week the exact reason why it was changed to prize money is relevant again. At present you can't fault trainers for entering their horses in every race, but if its prize money then you can as some of the lower graded races don't have enough prize money to have a bearing on being champion trainer. Maybe we should open a new vote on this

Awful Cheltenham for me with no runners placing.

Still stuck on 9 wins, will be difficult to beat my NH record of 13 now.

Remain winless on the flat and there's only 3 weeks left

Massive congrats to Leon for winning ALL 4 championship races, monumental achievement and well done to all festival winners and placers

GN next week.....

Totally agree that we should have a vote. I'm all for prize money as that's what I look for when judging my performance even as a lowly trainer