There was a bit of an odd vibe at Worcester, as the crowd was not as big as they often get on what was a very pleasant day to be out in the fresh air. The going was pretty fast all round, with some jockeys suggesting that the hurdle course had some very solid patches. The announcements boasted of the big race of the day also mentioned the prize fund - £6,000. Perhaps the sense was of complacency. We will get runners and a certain number of attendees without having to try to hard. The race title claiming to be the home of summer jumping might have been the case when it started, but looks a bit false when the calendar is compared to those put on by Market Rasen and Stratford. 

Worcester News Miss Worcester Competition 5th May mares Maiden Hurdle [2m 4f]

1: Picacho     2: Madam Cliche     3: Photogenique

Winner owned: Michael H Watt, trained: Philip Hobbs, ridden: Richard Johnson

The form of the winner's recent second at Newton Abbot stood out and she was accordingly long odds on. However, the task proved more stiff than the odds suggested. Picacho had just nosed ahead, going better but working at it, when Madam Cliché veered badly right on landing at the last, rider John Kington doing well to avoid being flung over the rails. In her bumpers she had shown that she had a fine sliver of madness sitting waiting to tip the scales either in the direction of excellence or anarchy, and it took the latter option here. Photogenique weakened after the second last, but was a clear third. He rider reported a slipped saddle, and even if this was not material to her placing, she still made a massive improvement on her debut run. Newcomer Go Go, lacking any experience at all, was not embarrassed in fourth, but in contrast Grand National winning trainer Gordon Elliot's mares point winner Miss Babs looked nothing out of the ordinary.

Even immediately on landing at the last, it is clear that Picacho (right) and Madam Cliche have calculated via instinctive Euclidian geometry very different ideas on a straight line to the winning post

Letherby & Christopher Beginners' Chase [2m 7½f]

1: Square Mile     2: Alagon     3: Jim Bobs Girl

Winner owned: JP McManus, trained: Jonjo O'Neill, ridden: Noel Fehily

Even for a beginners' chase this was an odd race. The first lap looked quite sedate and all except Liberman jumped rather well. The pace was then injected and the jumping went to pieces, except Liberman, who got the hang of it and stayed on for an unlikely looking fourth. Major Catch had made the first big attack, going clear leaving the far straight. That is quite a long way out here, and he was gradually being reeled in when he walloped the last and unseated. Gut feeling was that Square Mile would have finished the pursuit in front anyway, but there was no certainty over it. Although a step up on his previous chase form (pulled up twice) it is still a fair way off of his official mark of 113. For a horse that had lost his way over hurdles, Alagon posted a pretty fair chase debut, well clear of the third. On ratings, which here may be deceptive, Jim Bobs Girl is a division or two below the winner, but she has posted three game runs over fences and must have a little race waiting somewhere. Also having the basic ability and with two fair tries before today was Gemini Storm. He was going well five out but starting to struggle when falling two from home, when a place looked on the cards.

I was planning to be more selective on picture quality but it is so rare that I capture a critical moment in the outcome of a race, that this had to go in, blurs and all. Major Catch dumps Adam Pogson as Square Mile prepares to seize the moment

Calling of 40 Years Novice Hurdle [3m]

1: Backbord     2: River Indus     3: Big John Macarty

Winner owned: Mr & Mrs J Timmons, trained: Lucy Wadham, ridden: Leighton Aspell

The race was held to celebrate Graham Goode's anniversary of his first commentary and the result did nothing to challenge the sharpness of his eyes and there were no names to test the looseness of his tongue. On all evidence available, Backbord had only to jump round to collect and so it proved, although he did tease the pack a little two out by not kicking clear immediately. The gap widened rapidly - by 3 mile novice hurdle standards - when he did. Having made the frame a few times this season, River Indus ran to his level again, but has tried hurdles and fences in racking up a record of played 17, won 0. Big John Macarty set the pace, and had to be ridden to stay there at halfway, but he plodded on gamely enough for the second time in a row. He looks as if staying chases might be his thing. The same goes for Devon Blue in fourth, who saw out the three miles. She has been lightly raced since early encouragement in bumpers, and the fact that she just edged out the modest Just Playfull does not suggest that she is poised to win a hurdle. 

Child's Play Leisure conditional jockeys' Handicap Chase [2m 4½f]

1: Presenting Alf     2: Major Blade     3: Mistral De La Cour

Winner owned: Keith Nicholson, trained: Sue Smith, ridden: Tjade Collier

Successful on soft ground in November, Presenting Alf emerged from the doldrums to win at the second attempt in chases without any sense of good fortune. He left his run fairly late but got a good leap in at the last to the unbridled joy of any Alf's at the track. He does not look anything like the tragically unfunny puppet alien. Major Blade did not give up without a fight but faces being reverted to the handicap mark he was not winning from earlier. He has improved this season, but remains winless from one more try than River Indus. Perhaps we can keep a maiden challenge going on here. Mistral De La Cour looked in fantastic nick in the paddock and ran quite well, being eventually third with a slipped saddle reported by the rider. Woodwish, a youthful French import who has not been able to take advantage of the now altered weight for age scale due to not being very fast, lost third late on, his second non-staying run in a row at the trip. After her extraordinary win at Towcester, Romney Marsh was finding a repeat tougher to come by without a hill to stop the ones in front. She fell two out when it looked like her run from the rear was petering out - the queen of the mountains may be her destiny.

Presenting Alf (left) edges Major Blade, with Woodwish still clinging on but about to drop out

Worcester Home of Summer Jumping Handicap Hurdle [3m]

1: Natoumba     2: My Rosie Ribbons     3: Kavi

Winner owned: John Hanley, John Brindley, trained: Henry Daly, ridden: Mark Bradburne

The main feature of this was the fact that the announcer was required to interview Henry Daly afterwards, who pointed out that the first time visor had done the trick ("I think the horse was more surprised than I am"), that we would not see much of him here during the summer and on the observation that the stable jockey was on the runner-up, "I'm sure he will get over it in the great scheme of things." Ironically it was quite an exciting race, with Natoumba outbattling My Rosie Ribbons on the  run-in. Kavi also gave a good account of himself in third, overhauling Simple Glory (who had outstayed him at Towcester!) on the run-in. Trainer Simon Earle having revealed before the race that in schooling he jumps the hurdles himself with the horse, as it seems to cheer him up. He has just raised the bar on the barmy training ideas stakes to quite a Sergei Bubka-esque level. On a course she usually excels at, Veverka put in a very lacklustre effort, and Elbedoubleu also was below par - possibly she prefers some mud. 

Letherby & Christopher Handicap Chase [2m 7½f]

1: Beauchamp Prince     2: Classic Rock     3: Abraham Smith

Winner owned: The Yes-No-Wait-Sorries, trained: Michael Scudamore, ridden: Tom Scudamore

A significant plunge in the betting was landed as yet another winner came from off of the pace, as Beauchamp Prince loitered diffidently in midfield like a hoodie outside an off licence, before leaping in to action to steal the prize late on, continuing the first simile. An inspired gamble on a horse whose two wins were on heavy. Classic Rock, jumping far better than his usual haphazard way, made a good fight of it, the comparison this time being as good a fight as a Richie Blackmore departure from Deep Purple, but was not up to the task from an unfriendly looking handicap mark. Having run in six chases and pulled up twice and fallen twice, Abraham Smith's sudden appearance in the frame was a bit of a surprise, but he looked hearty enough in resisting the late surge of Aegean, who has a solid record at the track. Another course specialist, He's The Biz, had a bit of a beer belly on him, and will no doubt improve on today's defeat in due course. On the up a couple of year's ago, Ravenscar has been lightly raced since, and was pulled up and dismounted at the last today. If he stays sound, there might be one more hurrah in him.

Beauchamp Prince lets out a theoretical whoop of joy on landing successfully at the final fence. Tom Scudamore is more circumspect

Come Evening Racing on 25th April Maiden Open National Hunt Flat Race [2m]

1: Spud     2:  Silver Accord    3: Supreme Melody

Winner owned: Fawley House Stud, trained: Paul Webber, ridden: Andrew Tinkler

A rarity worth savouring - a bumper in which all fourteen runners had racecourse form to weigh up. Spud had the best, but his two places were on heavy, so he was a wobbly favourite. In the end Silver Accord made him work for the win, only conceding the title in the last few yards. Beaten in an all-weather bumper last time (admittedly not the worst race of the type) Supreme Melody probably upped his game to be third, ahead of Only Just Begun. With the arguable exception of Back The Music, the four best on form has a 1-2-3-4, but that would not have distressed the bookies too much as the crowd had begun to disperse before this and they would still have enough left from the National result to be bathing in champagne for a while.

Ones to Note

Madam Cliché: Plenty of ability of she keeps being a long price in these sort of races (see also below)

Photogenique: A big step up on a feeble debut - can she maintain the progress?

Alagon: Good start over fences, if perhaps a less than zippy on the run in.

Simple Glory: Has not been running too badly of late and must be capable of better when her yard is back winning

Kavi: Signs of staying three miles at last augur well

He's The Biz: Let his course record drop to a disgraceful 4 wins from 6 tries but will come on for the run

Ones to Avoid

Madam Cliché: Plenty of stroppiness if she starts being a short price in these sort of races (see also above)

River Indus: Does not look ungenuine, but it is hard to see what kind of race he is going to find ideal

UK-Jumping selections

Backbord: Was well in at the weights of the three mile novice hurdle and performed as he should have done

River Indus: Does not seem quick enough for fast ground races, even long distance novice hurdles

Empire

Two Shillings: Went lame in the opener, the initial diagnosis being a broken pelvis