Stable Talk with Martin Keighley
While the snow disappearing was a relief, it left behind a trail of destruction with the widespread waterlogging causing many meetings to be lost.
Thank goodness Cheltenham wasn't one of them, though, with the team there doing a superb job to ensure that we were all treated to a superb array of races, each one with a scintillating finish.
Of all the performances, you couldn't help but be so impressed once again with Sprinter Sacre who was superb and I'm not sure even the mighty Viking Flagship, who was a horse I was lucky enough to ride work on at home, would have given him a run for his money if he were around today.
I cannot wait to see him at the Festival.
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One horse that didn't deserve to get beaten was Imperial Commander, so cruelly denied victory in the closing stages.
However, I'm sure the Twiston-Davies camp were delighted with such a bold return after two years off the track and it would be great if he stays in one piece and can be competitive again in the Gold Cup next month.
Our Grand National hope, Any Currency, has had a short winter break in the field following his fourth-placed run at Catterick recently.
He will come back into training on Monday and then be aimed at the Kim Muir or the cross-country race at the Festival en route to the big race itself.
Champion Court remains on course for the Festival where my race of choice for him is still the Ryanair Chase, despite entries in both the Gold Cup and the World Hurdle giving us choices.
He will run at Kempton in a graduation chase next Friday where I am hoping he will be able to get his head in front after so many hard races where he's run his heart out without winning.
It would be the ideal confidence booster and prep-run for Cheltenham.
On the same day at Kempton Park I may also run Faultless Feelings and Annacotty, who are both owned by Liz Prowting who is a relatively new owner to us but we've known for years.
She is good fun and I'm hoping they will both be competitive with Annacotty, who I've mentioned in previous articles, being a horse I am looking forward to seeing make his debut for us.
With no racing this week it has been an ideal time for me to take my first-ever winter break with the family – something I have never done before.
We've had nearly a week's skiing staying with friends in Switzerland and we have had a wonderful time.
Although my wife Belinda has skied a bit before, I've never been so I was in the same boat as Freddie who also attended ski school, albeit a mini ski school, but he loved it too.
Harry is too young to go but will no doubt be raring to go when he is old enough and had plenty of fun sledging.
I'm definitely bitten by the bug and it speaks volumes for my fantastic team back at home that I am relaxed enough to go away mid-season with so many lovely horses in training.
They've done a superb job and hopefully we will be able to go skiing again next season.
I can't admit that we've not been doing bits of work while away, but only a minimal amount, and the beautiful evening views across the Swiss mountains certainly made a difference to the beautiful Cotswold hills that I usually see out of the office window!
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