Following a superb week’s racing that contained much to dwell on, pride of place this week goes to Noel Meade and Sean Flanagan for Ice Cold Soul’s victory in the Coral.ie Hurdle at Leopardstown last Sunday.

This €100,000 handicap is always one of the most fiercely contested events in the calendar and this year was no different with the field containing Tony Martin’s Melbourne Cup second Heartbreak City.

However, centre stage went to Ice Cold Soul and Noel Meade deserves no small amount of credit in producing his charge in such fine shape to win a race of this stature on just his second outing in 13 months. Quite incredibly for a mid-January fixture, the Leopardstown card took place on good ground, but that unknown was no barrier to Ice Cold Soul whose success makes him a forerunner for one of the handicaps at Cheltenham.

Furthermore, this victory further underlined the talents of the understated Flanagan who has excelled since Meade appointed him as stable jockey in September.

Gordon Elliott’s remarkable domination of the country’s top handicap chases was yet again in evidence at Leopardstown as A Toi Phil secured the €100,000 Leopardstown Chase. Since Lord Scoundrel won the Galway Plate, Elliott has exerted an unprecedented stranglehold on Ireland’s Grade A handicap chases. Indeed as of Sunday evening, he had won all seven to be run so far this season. This means that, despite trailing Willie Mullins in terms of Grade 1 victories, Elliott has been able to maintain a healthy lead in the trainers’ title and his success in this sphere could be a crucial factor in what is becoming a fascinating title duel.

HARRINGTON YARD FLYING

Elsewhere, it was an excellent week for Jessica Harrington who produced former Champion Hurdle hero Jezki in superb shape for his comeback at Navan on Saturday. Admittedly, the race conditions meant that Jezki was taking on his Navan rivals on decidedly advantageous terms. However, a defeat of the talented Renneti and the Grade 1-placed Tombstone off an absence of almost two years represents quite a feat on the part of the multiple Grade 1 scorer.

As a top flight winner over both two and three miles, Jezki has a range of options available to him over the coming months. Connections will probably wait until after next month’s Red Mills Hurdle before deciding what route to commit to with him but this comeback success served notice that Jezki could again be a major player on the biggest stage of all and there won’t be anything in the Stayers Hurdle field at Cheltenham that could boast a comparable level of form.

Two days previously, Mrs Harrington’s Sizing John turned in a cracking effort to defeat Sub Lieutenant in the Kinloch Brae Chase. This looked a high-quality Grade 3 and it is far from stretching things to say that both the first and second could contend for Cheltenham’s Ryanair Chase. Interestingly though, the Gold Cup could be the objective for Sizing John with connections now looking towards a crack at next month’s Stan James Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown. The Midnight Legend gelding could develop into quite a force in the staying division if he finds three miles within the range of his stamina.