SATURDAY was very much a combination of top-class Flat racing mixed with the very best of jumping, and two horses in particular catching the eye, the young and the old.

With Sea The Stars still fresh in the memory, the talk at Doncaster was we had already found his predecessor with St Nicholas Abbey, who romped to victory in the Racing Post Trophy.

This race is widely known as a top Derby trial with three future Classic winners taking this race since 2000 and bookmakers were running scared of the Aiden O’Brien trained colt, with the best price for next year’s Derby being as short as 3-1.

Top jockey Johnny Murtagh was full of praise for the twoyear- old, saying: “I’ve ridden a lot of good horses, but not quickened like he does at this stage of their careers. He’s the best I’ve ridden in a long time.”

Further west, Aintree, the home of the Grand National, staged their first meeting of the year, and the feature race of the day went to the popular grey, Monet’s Garden.

Now 11 years young, Nicky Richards’ charge showed his younger rivals a clean pair of heels to land the Old Roan Chase under Barry Geraghty.

Richards was delighted by the win, saying: “He’s still the best chaser in the North! I thought there might not be much pace on, so I told Barry to get on with it.”

Howard Johnson’s Tidal Bay ran a good race to take second place and his owner Graham Wylie said: “I’m pleased the way he ran.

“He had a big weight, but he jumped well and kept on well.”

It’s a low key start to this week’s proceedings. Catterick stage an eight-race card tomorrow, getting underway at 1pm.

In the second race at 1.30 Simple Jim bids for his fourth success this season and his third at this track.

Trained by James Hetherton, the five- year-old should go close under useful 5lb claimer Barry McHugh.

Next week’s high-profile meeting at Wetherby has received the all-clear with the British Horseracing Authority issuing a positive review.

The course has come in for plenty of criticism over the past 12 months and four equine fatalities at the first meeting of the new National Hunt season on October 14 left officials searching for answers.

However, with a bit of rain forecast during the week hopefully everything is back to normal for their two-day fixture, which starts on Friday, with the highlight coming up on Saturday with the Bet365 Charlie Hall chase.