There was such a good crowd there and the racing was so good that it was going to be a real pity if the card was abandoned. But after the second race, we knew it had to be. The only other option would have been to take four fences and three hurdles. That would have made a mockery out of the whole thing.

I have to say, 10 out of 10 to Fairyhouse for getting it back on the Wednesday. There was a fair enough crowd there for a midweek meeting.

From my point of view, I suppose it was a pity that Asian Maze, my big hope for the day, didn't work out well at all.

She ran a very disappointing race and left us all scratching our heads to be honest. The ground was really heavy so that must have had something to do with it. I've always said that people who say she wants it soft are wrong and this was properly heavy so she wouldn't have liked it at all.

But there was a bit more to it than the ground I think.

She just didn't feel right even on the way down to the start. She usually goes to the start with a bit of zest but this time she was very laboured going down.

She was never happy, she never travelled. I knew we were in real trouble when we were at Ballyhack and I was having to squeeze her along to try and get something out of her with AP just behind me on Brave Inca and not a bother on him. And when she couldn't get by Rosaker at the fifth last, I knew that was that.

Maybe she had a harder race than we thought she had in the Morgiana Hurdle the previous fortnight. She was in great form at home in between races but maybe Fairyhouse just came a week too soon for her. In the end, I think we're just going to put it down to a bad day.

Horses have them from time to time just the same as people do. And you'll often find that mares are more likely to have an offday than the male of the species. You can add in your own jokes about whether or not that corresponds with humans.

We're still not certain where she'll go over Christmas. If the weather stays like it has been and the ground at Leopardstown is anything like as heavy as it was at Fairyhouse, I'd imagine she'll not run until the New Year.

Which race she'll go for in March will be up in the air for another while yet.

What I do know is that last Saturday saw serious performances at Cheltenham from the favourites in both races. Black Jack Ketchum was exceptional in beating Blazing Bailey on his first run of the season. That's eight out of eight for him in his career and he'll take all the beating in the World Hurdle.

And as for Detroit City, I was a bit puzzled by the reaction to the win over Hardy Eustace. Okay, it was a tactical race but he did it the hard way. Everything was against him, the ground was soft for Cheltenham, he had to make his own running and he was up against a dual Champion Hurdle winner.

We all know how much Hardy Eustace likes it around that track but I don't think he was ever going to get by him. Detroit City just did enough in front and he looked to me like he could have done more if he'd had to. He's definitely England's main hope in the Champion Hurdle now because if you put him ahead of Hardy Eustace, you put him right up beside Brave Inca.

He'll put it up to all the Irish horses, make no mistake.