With some shocking weather coming down over the weekend, it certainly did not spoil any of the action.
Aintree and Wincanton represented some of the best action on Saturday, with some more graded features to boost the new season.
Starting with the Grand National venue, it was a good start for our tips as Minella Awards and Quoi De Neuf landed the opening couple of races. We saw another training masterclass from Dr Richard Newland when Abolitionist bolted up in a series qualifier over hurdles.
The 2:10 was a close affair between three top hurdlers. Unowhatimeanharry - who won this last year, Vision Des Flos - who spent last season chasing top novice Samcro's tail last year, and Wholestone, who was third in the Stayers Hurdle at Cheltenham. It was the latter who came out on top for the pair of Sam and Nigel Twiston-Davies and won well.
Over at Wincanton, they played host to the Grade 2 Unibet Hurdle which went the way of Verdana Blue, who took advantage of her match fitness. If The Cap Fits and We Have A Dream, two useful hurdlers, were not disgraced in second and third, having made their first starts of the season, and will almost certainly come on for the run.
On Sunday, jumps racing returned to Sandown, where the feature race (Future Stars Intermediate Chase) went the way of Elegant Escape, and for Colin Tizzard, who landed an incredible five-timer, across two cards. Nicky Henderson's Terrefort - who was sent off a short price, really did not live up to expectation, and finished a long last.
Later in the day, the Pete The Feat Veterans Chase, sadly did not go the way of who the race is named after, but still for trainer Charlie Longsdon who won instead with Loose Chips, who virtually made every single yard of the running. Over at Ffos Las, last seasons' Albert Bartlett winner Killbricken Storm, got off the mark at the first time of asking over fences.