The cold snap has meant that both Higham (3 January) and Barbury (9 and 10 January) have been put back a week, but even the revised dates are looking unlikely. Looking on the positive side, (and being uncharacteristically competitive) Jenny hopes that this will give the horses a fitness advantage if they manage to keep cantering them over the next fortnight when the opposition are stuck inside!

Mirroring Chris' success under rules, the final days of 2009 saw Clare Douglas and Big Moment defy his detractors by winning his second race of the season at Cottenham on 28 December. Big Moment was in the first three most of the way round before pulling ahead to again beat Petit Lord into second. Perhaps a Cottenham hat-trick is on the cards at the end of the month?

Meanwhile Fenton Ramsahoye was given an armchair ride in the novice riders' by Choo-choo (Presenting Express), leading all the way until about three out. The horse finished strongly in fifth, running on when Fenton finally ran out of energy holding onto the reigns. Afterwards he assured everyone that given another circuit he would definitely have won (entirely ignoring the risk of him having to successfully get over a further eight fences)... roll on the Detling 4-miler.