Ratings Update: Brandy Love should build on return

Timeform's Adam Houghton highlights the key ratings reaction from last week's racing, including a smart edition of the Quevega Mares Hurdle at Punchestown.

The David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle looks like being one of the most interesting races at this year's Cheltenham Festival and the ante-post betting received a shake-up on Wednesday after the running of the Quevega Mares Hurdle at Punchestown.

It was won by Queens Brook (147 from 145), who justified good support to get her head back in front for Gordon Elliott, hitting the front two out and just needing to be driven out from there to win by four and a half lengths from Anna Bunina (remains 141).

All roads now lead back to Cheltenham for Queens Brook as she attempts to go one place better than when chasing home Marie's Rock (156) in the Mares' Hurdle last year, though it won't be an easy task with the likes of Honeysuckle (157), Epatante (156), Echoes In Rain (150) and Love Envoi (148) joining the defending champion among the potential opposition.

Brandy Love (152p from 148p) is also likely to pose a bigger threat at Cheltenham than when finishing only third (beaten four and three-quarter lengths) at Punchestown last week, where she was attempting to concede 9 lb to the winner on her first start for 10 months.

Another factor against Brandy Love was the tight right-handed track for a mare who often jumps/hangs left. She was a bit better in both areas on Wednesday, though she did briefly reprise her old party trick when lugging left on the home turn and the writing was on the wall once she'd flattened the last, her absence then seeming to take its toll as she lost second late on.

In pure form terms, this was still a better effort than anything Brandy Love had achieved in three previous starts over hurdles and the small 'p' attached to her Timeform rating denotes that she is open to further improvement, particularly when going the other way around at Cheltenham.

It's debatable how many Cheltenham clues were on offer at Kempton on Saturday, but it was still a good-quality card and the feature race, the £150,000 Coral Trophy Handicap Chase, was won in very game fashion by Our Power (147 from 145).

A most likeable type, Our Power proved better than ever in making a successful return from four months off, relishing the extra emphasis on stamina as he found plenty on the run-in to beat Flegmatik (140 from 134?) by a neck. This form puts him in the mix from a handicapping viewpoint for the Grand National, though plenty of horses need to come out for him to be a guaranteed runner in that, so the Ultima at Cheltenham – in which he wasn't seen to best effect when fifth last year – could be the way to go with him.

The Adonis Juvenile Hurdle which opened the card was won by Nusret (137 from 126), who showed improved form to land the spoils by a length and a quarter from Perseus Way (136 from 126p), a success which underlined the strength of the Irish juvenile scene considering he'd managed no better than third in his last two starts there. Nusret is in the Fred Winter and has a style which suggests he could thrive faced with that kind of test, even if he'll be close to top-weight following this win.

Paul Nicholls won the other two Grade 2 races on the card, namely the Pendil Novices' Chase with Solo (145 from 142) and the Dovecote Novices' Hurdle with Rubaud (137 from 128).

Solo produced a career best to resume winning ways after two months off and wind surgery, making all to beat Datsalrightgino (remains 144) by two lengths. The winner went about the job in likeable fashion, but he very much enjoyed the run of the race here and his future probably lies as a good handicapper rather than anything better.

Rubaud isn't entered at Cheltenham, but he could get the opportunity to test the waters in Grade 1 company at Aintree having shown a good attitude to win the Dovecote by a length and a quarter from Mullenbeg (128 from 120p). More will clearly be required when he steps up in grade but, whatever happens in the spring, he has the physique and demeanour to suggest he'll do well over fences next season.

The feature event at Newcastle on Saturday was the Eider Handicap Chase in which Kitty's Light (remains 142) landed a gamble in gutsy fashion, finally gaining the big handicap success he'd long promised as he dug deep after the last to beat The Galloping Bear (remains 146) by two and a half lengths. The winner is unlikely to go up much for this and will be one to look out in the Scottish National, a race in which he filled the runner-up spot from a BHA mark of 143 last year.

Thanksforthehelp (125p from 119+) also deserves a mention, such was the ease of his victory in the Pertemps qualifier on Saturday's card at Chepstow, hitting the front on the approach to two out and not needing to come off the bridle as he gradually cruised clear to win by six and a half lengths with any amount in hand.

It's hard to pinpoint the catalyst for this much-improved display, with the step up to three miles, application of first-time cheekpieces and another breathing operation since his previous run all possible factors. Either way, Thanksforthehelp was clearly a totally different proposition and his connections will hoping he can sneak in at the bottom of the weights for the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham.

The big race in Ireland on Saturday was the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse, which looked a good opportunity for Kemboy (remains 160x) to regain the winning thread down in grade and so it proved, albeit he was being closed down rapidly by Vanillier (154+ from 151) at the line.

The runner-up was arguably the horse to take out of the race, clearly benefiting from the return to further having been campaigned at around two and a half miles in three previous starts this season. He was beaten just half a length despite conceding 8 lb to the winner and this was as good an effort as he's ever produced over fences.

This run should set Vanillier up nicely for a tilt at the Grand National and he now tops the 79 entries on Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings for that race, confirming that he is a well-handicapped horse if he can build on the promise of his Fairyhouse run.

The odds-on favourite Zenta (132p from 117p) won the Winning Fair Juvenile Hurdle earlier on the card, her second win from as many starts over hurdles having made a successful debut at Auteuil five months earlier when trained in France by Daniela Mele. She is likely to progress further having shown signs of inexperience at Fairyhouse, ultimately winning by three lengths despite a couple of late mistakes.

The first two pulled 16 lengths clear of the remainder in the Johnstown Novice Hurdle at Naas on Sunday, both of them showing form bordering on smart and retaining the potential to do better still.

Runner-up Found A Fifty (142p from 131p) deserves plenty of credit for running to such a high level on just his second start over hurdles, but so too does the winner Corbetts Cross (remains 142p), who was dropping back markedly in trip – from three miles to two miles – on his first start for Emmet Mullins having won two from three over timber when trained by Eugene O'Sullivan.

The way that he coped with this very different test was arguably the most impressive aspect of Corbetts Cross' performance, always in his comfort zone travelling at pace and typically finding plenty after the last to get the verdict by a head.

The Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle over three miles is his only entry at the Cheltenham Festival, though Mullins hasn't ruled out supplementing him for one of the other races. Mullins also hasn't ruled out missing the Festival altogether if he doesn't believe the ground to be suitable, though Corbetts Cross has shown himself to be versatile in that regard – the ground at Naas was described by Timeform as good to soft and he'd won twice before that on heavy.

Wherever he goes next, Corbetts Cross will warrant respect for a yard which has few peers when it comes to finding winning opportunities.

The Newlands Chase on the same card was just an ordinary Grade 3 and it was the in-form handicapper Rebel Gold (150 from 145) who proved most determined in the finish, outbattling the standard-setting Coeur Sublime (remains 158) to get the verdict by a neck. The winner is enjoying a fine season but could prove difficult to place in the immediate future.

Finally, the National Spirit Hurdle took centre stage at Fontwell on Sunday and it was won for the second time in three years by Brewin'Upastorm (151 from 145), who looked revitalised following another breathing operation and an eight-week break, just needing to be driven out to beat Sceau Royal (remains 155) by a length and a half. The winner will presumably head for the Aintree Hurdle again next but hasn't been at his best in two previous attempts at that race.