Think you saw a festival winner at Cheltenham over the weekend? Recent years suggest you're probably wrong about that

I hope you enjoyed Cheltenham's November meeting and found a winner or two along the way. After some small-field, autumnal action on good ground, suddenly it's clear that we're into the serious part of the jumps season, along with the kind of weather that tests spectators and stable staff as well as the runners.

It's the most natural thing in the world, watching all that quality action over the weekend at the home of jump racing, to consider whether the horse who's just impressed you could be a contender when we all return for the festival in March. 

L'Eau Du Sud fired himself up the betting order for the Queen Mother Champion Chase, while there must be plenty of people who like either July Flower or Panic Attack for the Mares' Chase, and that's without mentioning the Arkle Trial, the Triumph Hurdle Trial and a bunch of other races that ought to be useful form guides for similar races in the spring.