'Horse of a lifetime' Edwardstone a huge festival hope for Tom Cannon

The Racing Post's awards will honour the best (and sometimes worst) performances and raise talking points from the last seven days of racing. This week's winners are . . .

Jockey of the week

Brian Hughes

A superb Monday at Carlisle resulted in Hughes smashing his personal best tally of seasonal winners, in the process reaching the milestone 150 target.

After losing his champion jockey crown to Harry Skelton in the last week of the season last year, the 36-year-old rider has been a man possessed in his attempt to wrest the title back and has been knocking in winners at a career-best rate.

He followed up his Carlisle four-timer with another four victories in the week before bagging a treble at Uttoxeter on Saturday, highlighting what a shame it would be if he were to miss out on riding at the Cheltenham Festival again.

Why red-hot Brian Hughes is likely to miss out on the Cheltenham Festival again

Comeback of the week

Fortunedefortunata

In the words of Henrietta Knight, Fortunedefortunata had been at "death's door" and the five-year-old capped his remarkable recovery by winning on his debut at Ludlow on Wednesday.

Knight, who bought Fortunedefortunata for owner Mike Grech, revealed the shock 25-1 novice hurdle winner had suffered a serious bout of colic and required an operation for a twisted gut before being nursed back to health.

Named after Grech's late mother Fortunata, the David Bridgwater-trained son of Soldier Of Fortune beat the odds with the help of Donnington Vets and registered a heartwarming success for connections.

'He was at death's door' - Knight's buy recovers from twisted gut for debut win

Performance of the week

Edwardstone

Having produced a thoroughly professional display in Saturday's Kingmaker at Warwick, Edwardstone emerged from the weekend action as a rare British-trained favourite for a Grade 1 at the Cheltenham Festival next month.

The Alan King-trained eight-year-old was cut to a best-priced 9-4 favourite (from 3) for the Arkle by Betfair Sportsbook and Coral after comfortably beating Third Time Lucki with a round of slick jumping.

Edwardstone cruised into the lead at the fourth-last fence and never looked in danger, with jockey Tom Cannon describing his mount as "a horse of a lifetime" following his fourth win in a row.

'Electric' Edwardstone now clear Arkle favourite after Warwick win

Ride of the week

Dougie Costello on Louis Treize

Channeling his inner Jamie Spencer, Costello had ice coursing through his veins as he delivered Louis Treize with a winning run at Southwell on Friday.

Dougie Costello weaved his way through to win on Louis TreizeCredit: Getty Images

The jockey relied on all his experience and nous to weave through the pack from the rear of the field on the strong-travelling Rebecca Menzies-trained six-year-old in the 5f classified stakes.

Although the pair were denied a clear run a furlong out, Costello got his mount up on the line to deny Papas Girl by a nose, leaving backers of the 7-2 shot on the edge of their seats as Louis Treize registered his first win since July 2018.

Watch Louis Treize winning at Southwell

Gamble of the week

Lightning Attack

Uninspiring form figures did not stop punters latching on to Lightning Attack, who justified the significant market move to 9-2 (from 12-1) with victory at Market Rasen on Tuesday.

Trainer Ben Haslam said he was not involved in the gamble on a horse beaten 46 lengths or more in his previous three hurdle starts, although he added: "I thought he had a decent chance on a mark of 74 for his first handicap, and if he couldn't win off that mark he was never going to."

'If he couldn't win off that mark he was never going to' - Attack lands gamble

Debut of the week

I Am Fortunata

There seems to be no end to the number of promising youngsters coming through Gordon Elliott's Cullentra yard, and the trainer could have unearthed another exciting prospect in I Am Fortunata, who made a striking impression when overturning odds-on favourite O'Moore Park in the bumper at Thurles on Thursday.

A £175,000 purchase by Michael Moore at Goffs UK in 2020, the five-year-old has a solid pedigree and showed a nice turn of foot when waltzing home by 12 lengths. A fruitful career awaits.

Watch I Am Fortunata win at Thurles on Thursday

Catch our new in-depth review of the weekend's racing every Monday in the Racing Post. With big-race analysis from Grand National-winning jockey Leighton Aspell, Chris Cook's take on the weekend action, eyecatchers from the Raceform team, weekly awards and more, it is not to be missed.