Racing Digest/Chamion Bumper: Flat jockey Richard Hughes is hoping Tiddle About can give him a first win in tomorrow's Champion Bumper.
Hughes has ridden in the race for the last two years, but neither The Thunderer last year nor Storm Boxer could oblige.
Hughes, whose father, Dessie, trains Champion Hurdle favourite Hardy Eustace, is one of three riders to fly the flag for the Flat boys in the bumper.
Kieren Fallon is set to be on Jonjo O'Neill's Refinement, while Jamie Spencer will team up with the Martin Pipe-trained Buena Vista.
Hughes is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Spencer, who won the bumper three years ago.
The Jim Gorman-trained Tiddle About was second on her racecourse bow at Punchestown in January and she was also runner-up at Thurles last time.
"It's always a great craic. Tiddle About is a four-year-old filly who has finished second in both her races, so she gets all the allowances and, hopefully, will give me a good ride," said Hughes.
UTTOXETER NATIONAL: Previous winner The Bunny Boiler heads a six-strong Irish-trained team for Saturday's Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter. The Noel Meade-trained 11-year-old won the four-and-a-quarter-mile contest three years ago.
Forty-five entries have been made for the €150,000 race, including L'Aventure, whose trainer, Paul Nicholls, said: "She's in great form and I think the conditions of the race will suit her."
D'Argent, who sidesteps Cheltenham in favour of Uttoxeter, is likely to be among the fancied runners, while Mac's Supreme aims to provide trainer Ferdy Murphy with a second success following the victory of Ackzo five years ago.
Fourteen of the entries remain in next month's Aintree Grand National.
STRATFORD DOUBLE: Christian Williams, who can look forward to good rides for Paul Nicholls at Cheltenham this week, landed a double at Stratford yesterday, highlighted by the victory of the trainer's Red Devil Robert.
The giant Red Devil Robert dwarfed his only challenger, Strong Magic, over the last three fences in the Steve Hammond Handicap Chase and it was a case of class prevailing as the even-money favourite came home three and a half lengths to the good.
It was a good omen for Barry Marshall, who as well as owning the winner also has Strong Flow set to go to war in Friday's Gold Cup.
Nicholls was represented by his assistant Daniel Skelton, who said: "He pleased us when winning at Taunton and this shows he is clearly going the right way. Christian says he will improve again and stay further, although there are no definite plans for him."
Williams sparked his double when guiding Herne Bay (2 to 1) to a 14-length success over Lewis Island in the Midrange Direct Selling Hurdle.
There was plenty of interest in the winner at the auction before Roger Brookhouse bought him for 9,000 guineas.
This meeting invariably attracts several Irish runners and it was no surprise that one of them, Baron De Feypo (10 to 1), struck in the ianwilliamsracing.com Handicap Hurdle, coming from off the pace to beat Say What You See by two lengths.
United (12 to 1) is on course for Aintree after preserving her unbeaten record in a Juvenile Novices' Hurdle.
