The most impressive winner at Cheltenham over the weekend was Tatenen, who justified his trainer’s belief and confidence in him with a near faultless display in the Independent Newspapers Novice Chase. He destroyed his three opponents with a dominant display. He looks like the next Paul Nicholls’ superstar and if there is to be a banker for the Cheltenham Festival at this early stage of the season, then Tatenen looks to be it.

Irish racing folk will get the chance to see Paul Nicholls’ star chaser at Leopardstown over Christmas as connections have already stated their intention to run Tatenen in the Grade 1 novice chase on December 26th.

The Paddy Power Gold Cup was the feature race on Saturday and victory went to Imperial Commander for the in-form duo of Nigel Twiston-Davis and Paddy Brennan as they held off the challenge of Barbers Shop under Barry Geraghty up the famous Cheltenham hill.

The winner looks a progressive 3m chaser and though the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury later this month would look the ideal race for him, he is likely to go for the Boylesports Gold Cup back at Cheltenham next month and looks a leading contender to win it.

And finally, a mention must go to Ruby Walsh who endured a horrible Open meeting at Cheltenham. Not only did he fail to land the Paddy Power Gold Cup on the well backed favourite Silverburn, he also came to grief aboard Pride Of Dulcote in the Listed Cleanevent Handicap Hurdle, an incident which resulted in the champion jockey rupturing his spleen.

He could be out for up to six weeks and at this stage, it’s looking as though he’ll return just before Christmas, like he did last year when he experienced a similar fall in the corresponding meeting at Cheltenham. That will mean that Sam Thomas will once again deputise for Ruby with the rides on Kauto Star, Master Minded and Big Bucks all now going to the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup winning jockey in the coming weeks.

Robert