AFTER the glitz and glamour of the Cheltenham Festival it's back to earth with a bump today, having to come to terms with more bread-and-butter action at Chepstow, Fakenham, and Wolverhampton.
Punters unfortunate enough to have left most of their money behind at Prestbury Park should consider a small saver on the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained Rockcliffe Gossip (3.45) in the Pickwick Bookmakers Handicap Chase at Chepstow.
Twiston-Davies started the season like a man possessed, but over the last couple of months his horses have been under a cloud.
Spotting signs of a revival before the crowd can be extremely beneficial and I've noticed one or two of his runners have performed with a little more zest of late.
Rockcliffe Gossip, a normally consistent if one-paced gelding, hasn't run for 57 days so should be nice and fresh for the three-mile-five-furlong marathon.
He's got a reputation for being a lazy individual, an ideal foil in fact for the young 7lb claimer Robert Biddlecombe, whose never-say-die attitude will ensure Rockcliffe Gossip gets plenty of urging from the saddle.
Tom George and his retained jockey Jason Maguire, still no doubt on a high following their inaugural Festival success with Galileo, will have to settle for a somewhat quieter reception should Rock'n Cold (2.00) oblige in the opening Pride And Prejudice Juvenile Novices' Hurdle.
He must defy a 4lb penalty incurred for scoring at Market Rasen earlier in the month, yet there is plenty of evidence to suggest the improving four-year-old is well up to the task.
Norman Mason and Richard Guest have been farming races at Fakenham with ruthless efficiency over the past few seasons and Mr Bossman (3.30) looks another strong contender in the Tim Barclay Memorial Handicap Chase.
The nine-year-old can do little wrong at present, having twice won at Musselburgh since Christmas.
"Guesty" was in the plate on both occasions and will be keen to complete the hat-trick on the dashing son of Jolly Jake.
There's a very interesting newcomer lining up for the closing two- mile Maiden Hurdle in the shape of Forest Heath (5.15).
Hugh Collingridge's representative rather lost the plot on the level and it might just be that eight flights of hurdles are required to buck his ideas up.
Former Autumn Newbury Cup winner Albebrich is nowhere near as good as he was in 1999, however there's still sufficient spring in his step to land the likes of the Littlewoods Classified Stakes at Wolverhampton.
Already a runaway track and trip scorer, the weights of the contest certainly favour Tony Newcombe's raider.
Habitual trail-blazer Diamond Rachael (4.30) will be a hard horse to pass provided she pings the gates in the six furlong Selling Stakes, while Champagne Rider (5.05) will be far fitter for his track and trip fourth placing to Invader three weeks ago.
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