HOWARD JOHNSON has enjoyed a fine run of form of late, with his yard churning out plenty of winners, ten in as many days, And on Saturday, he was at Cheltenham to watch stable star Tidal Bay win the Betfair Cleeve Hurdle at the odds of 14-1.

The nine-year-old, who is better known for his exploits over fences, having won the Arkle Chase Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival back in 2008, was having his first run over hurdles since April 2007 and relished the chance to take over from the former star of the yard, Inglis Drever.

Brian Hughes was the man aboard on Saturday, due to stable jockey and regular partner Dennis O’Regan being sidelined with a broken collarbone for the second time this season.

Before the race Tidal Bay was 25-1 to win the Ladbrookes World Hurdle in March, a race Inglis Drever was successful in a record breaking-three times, but bookmakers quickly reacted after his win and cut him to around 10-1.

The winning trainer said: “He’s enjoyed himself today and we had to do something as I was getting knocked and the horse was getting knocked.

“We entered him in this and the Argento Chase today but it got to about a minute to 12 and I thought I’ll save myself £500 and take him out.

“I rang Graham (Wylie, owner) and told him I’d schooled him over two sets of hurdles and eight poles, he’d jumped great and we would have a go at the Cleeve.

“He’ll be 10lb better if the ground dries up as he doesn’t like dead ground and it was pretty dead out there, but he’s an honest horse.

“When we tacked him up today my head girl told me he was number 13 when he won the Arkle and he was number 13 today, so I thought that will do for me.

He’s in the World Hurdle and I don’t fancy going back chasing at the minute, but I’ll have a word with Graham and see what he says.”

At present Newcastle racecourse has a covering of snow on it, so fingers crossed it disappears ahead of the fixture on Wednesday.