We raced last Thursday and our West Country trainers were dominant. The day started with a double for David Pipe with Activist and Johannes.

The former has gone up considerably in the handicap and you may well see him turn out on Friday at Exeter under a penalty.

The Champion trainer Paul Nicholls hit the scoresheet with Jackpot D’Athou taking the Novices’ Hurdle for a fourth successive year and Sorceleur (pictured) bolted up in the National Hunt Flat race. Both were ridden by Harry Cobden who recorded a treble on the day by adding Juniper to his tally for Anthony Honeyball.  

It is all happening thick and fast here at the track as we have our William Hill race day on Monday. The first race is scheduled for 2:10 and we have 170 entries spread across a seven-race card. Course and distance winner Inside Man (pictured) looks an eye-catching entry in the first race for Jane Williams. He made all last time and has some good form in the book so will surely be in the first three.

In the 3:10 Just Over Land bids to build on his last win at Lingfield, he beat a David Pipe trained horse in Activist by 18 lengths that day and he has since won 2 races, so the form looks rock solid. He also runs for the second time after a wind operation which is an angle I am keen on.

This race is followed by a 3½ mile Chase and last year’s winner Bangers And Cash returns. He won a thrilling affair in 2023 by a short head and he runs off the same handicap mark on Monday. He may prefer it to dry up a bit but ignore him at your peril.

If it turns up softer then keep Enjoy Your Life on side. He won nicely at our last meeting over just short of 3 miles, however he wasn’t stopping at the line and the extra half a mile shouldn’t pose any problems.

It is sure to be an entertaining afternoon with plenty of runners and is an ideal way to start Cheltenham Festival week. Why not join us?  Early Bird tickets are available at www.tauntonracecourse.co.uk or you can pay on the gate.

We even have a courtesy coach service arranged for the day, it will depart from outside platform 5 of Taunton Railway Station 90 minutes before our first race time and return half an hour after the start of the last.

Oh and by the way, Corbetts Cross will win the National Hunt Challenge Cup next week at Cheltenham and enable yours truly to go on holiday, let's hope it's of sunnier climes and not 'ourgate'