Three things we learned on Saturday (6th February)

1. THE HENDERSON HORSES: It was a mixed day for a number of Nicky Henderson’s Cheltenham hopes.

Triumph Hurdle market springer, Accepting, was a well beaten favourite on his debut at Sandown. He pulled far too hard early on and will surely prove a good deal better than this in time, but hopes for a Festival victory look nothing more than a pipedream at the moment.

There was a much better showing from Punchestowns, who having made a shocking mistake at the seventh - in the Scilly Isles Chase on the same card - rallied to comfortably beat Tchico Polos. What was impressive was the ease with which he made up the lost ground after that mistake, over a trip short of his best.

It is easy to forget what a high class hurdler Punchestowns became at the end of last season and few horses with his hurdles rating have been sent over fences in recent seasons. He should talk all the beating in the RSA Chase.

Binocular’s effort, in the first at Sandown, was harder to assess because, easily though he won in the end, it looked like a struggle for a long way and his jumping was sloppy at times.

It is odd to be critical about a horse after it has won so easily, but my initial impression was that Binocular has a mountain to climb to even repeat, let alone better, last year’s performance in the Champion Hurdle.

2. THE ARKLE: Punchestowns’ continued progress in the staying division may persuade connections of stablemate, Long Run, to head for the Arkle, which means now may be the time to snap up the double figure prices still available for him in that contest.

Long Run’s form received a boast on Saturday when Tazbar hacked up at Doncaster, beating a decent field in the process.

In addition, slightly disappointing efforts at the same track from Bedlam Boy (behind Tazbar) and Mad Max (another stablemate of Long Run) this time in the Lightening Novices’ Chase, can also have only served to increase Long Run’s Arkle chances.

Tazbar is starting look a very decent prospect in his own right, but looks set to swerve Cheltenham.

3. HANDICAPS: The handicaps are coming and the entries for many of those contests will be published shortly. That means now is a good time to keep an eye out for handicappers running into form at the right time.

Those that impressed on Saturday without winning, and suggested there is more to come, included Racing Demon (Coral Cup?), Silk Affair (David Nicholson or Coral Cup?), Saticon (Coral Cup?) and Tartak (in a chase over 2½m plus).