Cyfor Malta returned unscathed after depositing the hapless McCoy seven from home before he had been asked any sort of question.The sun may have been out, but the springlike air was deceptive, for the ground was sticky and provided a severe test, which two of McCoy’s other Martin Pipe-trained, David Johnston-owned rides came through well to give the champion some compensation for his lapse on Cyfor Malta.Classified, a candidate for the Stayers’ Hurdle, showed great resolution to catch his trailblazing stablemate, Mr Cool, in the day’s Grade One contest, the Cleeve Hurdle, after the last flight to win by a length. “The ground was horrible, no help at all,” said McCoy, “and there was a moment when I wondered if I’d catch the other one. I left it as late as possible to get stuck into mine, but once I did he showed how tough he is and what a good attitude he has.”Lady Cricket was winning her third race at Cheltenham when she successfully shouldered top weight in the Ladbroke Trophy Chase, but she had to survive a stewards’ inquiry after crossing Shamawan in the closing stages before a hard-fought, and generously given, neck victory.Despite the reverses suffered by Cyfor Malta and Don Fernando, caught in the closing strides by the German-trained 25-1 shot Moneytrain in the Finesse Juvenile Hurdle, it was a good day for the Nicholashayne squad. At Doncaster, Barryscourt Lad won the Great Yorkshire Chase by a head from Ryalux after Rodi Greene conjured a remarkable last-stride rally.The road to Cheltenham carries on through Leopardstown this afternoon, when Limestone Lad, going for his 36th win in 60 races, faces a brace of live Champion Hurdle contenders in the Irish version of the title race. For once, the BBC is doing the sport a favour by showing the encounter live on Sunday Grandstand.Jump racing’s winning machine, who is on a seven-race streak, will face a tough task in the Grade One contest, taking on classy two-mile specialists at their own distance. The field may now lack Davenport Milenium, who was ruled out for the season with a tendon injury yesterday, but two of the top three Irish-trained horses in the Champion Hurdle betting, Like-A- Butterfly and Scottish Memories, will be there.Limestone Lad has won over the minimum trip, but these days he is better over longer distances and the Stayers’ Hurdle is his Festival target.

After the death of Bacchanal, the Stayers’ winner three years ago, the marathon championship is now regarded by bookmakers as a straight fight between Ireland’s darling and the reigning king, Baracouda.At Lingfield yesterday, no SPs were returned on the first race after a protest by racecourse bookmakers over plans by the British Horseracing Board to replace a fixed fee for data rights with a levy of 10 per cent of gross profits in April.The bookmaker and media pundit, Barry Dennis, who took part in the action, said: “Last year I paid £132 for the data list which is supplied to bookmakers, but with these new proposals it would mean my bill would rise to £36,000.”. Freedom. When a man’s sentence is completed the feeling of exhilaration does not come much better than this, even if he has only been liberated to train his own racehorses. Mick Quinn sniffs the west Oxfordshire air and scrutinises a trio of his charges who range into view.

The gallop is only three furlongs, but it’s a severe incline. The newly reinstated trainer’s string surge past us, exhalation pumping from their nostrils as rhythmically as steam engines One, a dark grey, named Byo, is slightly behind the others “Eh, Fiona. Keep him going,” the Liverpudlian yells out to his young work rider “You know he’ll take the piss with you That’s it. Good girl.” The trainer turns and declares: “He’s old and wise and he’ll misbehave if he can, even though he had his bollocks taken out last year.”

Freedom.