#David Ord

The Cheltenham Festival doesn't exactly have a rich musical heritage. True, the Irish folk duo who played the nearby Prince Of Wales pub every evening for seemingly 30 years did perform a wonderful rendition of The Ballad Of Dawn Run twice-a-night. And twice-a-night ratings experts took exception to the line "And Wayward Lad, he knew he'd met the…

It was a shame Edwardstone unseated Tom Cannon at the fifth in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton. He had been brilliant in the Tingle Creek and this was supposed to be further evidence that he's ready to have a real crack at Energumene in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Alas, it wasn't to be, but at least he returned unscathed and the Champion…

The Tote Scurry Handicap would normally be all about English sprinters but one I like down the bottom of weights is Ice Cold In Alex, trained by Ken Condon. He gets in off 8-5 and with a kind draw, should go really well. He's a hold-up-horse who was very unlucky when second over 7f back at the Curragh on Derby weekend and he's a past course winner…

The best sprinter I've seen who conquered everything thrown at him. From Royal Ascot to York, Paris to New York. Apart from the shadows cast by the Belmont Park grandstand 100 yards from the finish on the dirt track. The fastest racehorse in the world, doing what he was bred to do, jumped not once, but twice. Spooked and startled by what he thought…

The whole complexion of the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch will change on Thursday morning when Aidan O'Brien opts to either declare - or not - Waterville and Wordsworth. Well, Waterville really. He produced a remarkable performance - under a remarkable Wayne Lordan ride - to win the Irish equivalent of this race last month and picks up just a four…

Saturday's Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes is always a significant signpost for the end-of-season pecking order among the juveniles, let's not forget it's roll of honour includes the mighty Brigadier Gerard. A test of a two-year-old colt's speed and balance it has proven a pointer to the following year's 2000 Guineas over the years although not since…

Matt Brocklebank: Not wanting to lose may be stretching it a little but when you're dealing with such an important stallion prospect - at such a massive time for the whole Shadwell operation - picking your battles becomes absolutely paramount. The clamour was inevitable after York but Haggas has had 10 furlongs in mind all along and if he was…

The door to the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe may not have swung wide-open for Baaeed - but it's at least now ajar with the ParisLongchamp showpiece under consideration for the latest Shadwell superstar. Hamdan Al Maktoum never won the great race during his remarkable ownership career, Sakhee having switched to Godolphin before his triumph in…