Amid all the excitement of Cheltenham, it would have been easy to overlook the 0-110 conditional jockeys' handicap chase run at an early lunchtime at Wetherby.

That might be an expensive mistake as the first two had the race between them from halfway and will probably both prove considerably better than their marks.

Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith's dual hurdles winner The Big Breac is a big horse who had always looked likely to improve significantly for a switch to fences, and he readily made it three from three at his local course.

But Fiona "Sine Nomine" Needham also knows how to train a chaser and should land a race or two with the ex-hunter Great Notions, who finished second made a most encouraging start to life in handicaps.

Lee Mottershead, senior writer at Cheltenham

There was an oddity in Cheltenham's intermediate hurdle on Saturday.

The horse who finished seventh for David Pipe, Jurancon, shares the same name as the future Haydock Grand National Trial winner who won at the November meeting for Martin Pipe in 2002.

Comparing some of the meeting's prize-money values between then and now does not always deliver favourable results.

Saturday's 3m handicap hurdle was worth almost £20,000 more 23 years ago. That is perhaps somewhat excusable as the Jockey Club now stages a £100,000 race for the same horses at Haydock seven days later.

There is no obvious explanation why the intermediate hurdle - also won by Pipe senior in 2002 - is basically worth as much now as it was then, and much less when inflation is considered.

It is hard not to feel some of the races over the three days at Cheltenham were a little underwhelming. The prize-money pots in those events may have been a factor.

Scott Burton, France correspondent at Auteuil

Five of the nine Grade 1s in the entire French jumps programme are run across two days, so Auteuil's "48 Hours" meeting takes plenty of digesting.

The Prix Oeneas is a conditions race over hurdles for later-maturing four-year-olds and, although he only won by a rapidly diminishing short neck, Goliath D'Aunou gave plenty of encouragement that he could be a considerable force when sent over a fence.

Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm might try to get one more run over hurdles into him before the Paris season is over and, once he goes chasing, Goliath D'Aunou will need further than Saturday's inadequate two miles.

But, as a half-brother to the smart Busselton, he has the basic quality to be a factor on either side of the English Channel, while George mentioned his profile reminded him of El Clavel. If he has half the French Champion hurdler's talent, he will be worth following.

James Stevens, West Country correspondent at all three days of Cheltenham's November meeting

Success for Sean Bowen on a big day is no surprise but victory in the mares' bumper on Celestial Tune could be significant for the future.

He powered clear on the well-supported 9-4 favourite on his first ride for Irish trainer Thomas Cooper and it was noticeable two of his three rides away from his boss Olly Murphy were not for British trainers.

Theatre Native, who was down the field in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, was just his third mount for the Henry de Bromhead yard and Bowen is emerging as the go-to man in Britain for Irish trainers.

That could hold him in very good stead as he charges towards his record-breaking season, while it also helps his chances of a first Cheltenham Festival winner in March.

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