Chris McGrath: Stop stretching jumpers to the limit before it's too late

They have lost the plot. Literally. There was a time when the jumps season had a coherent narrative structure. It had an identifiable beginning, a spring-time climax, and a meaningful end. But the uncontrolled spread of summer jumping has reduced all that, not so much to a stream of consciousness, as to dribbling, dangerous blather.

In theory, the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown today – the latest incarnation of a race as cherished as the Whitbread, during those good old days, and once won by Arkle, Mill House and Desert Orchid – still represents a final fanfare. But no jump racing professionals will risk a celebration, or hangover. It might be different, were they granted even three or four days off. As it is, they resume their Sisyphean toils tomorrow afternoon, at Wetherby and Ludlow.

Imagine, moreover, if Tony McCoy did not have his 14th consecutive championship sewn up weeks ago – if someone had finally managed to take him to the wire. (McCoy, naturally, would retire that same evening.) Imagine how little finality would be vested in the big race at Sandown, when his rival might still overtake McCoy by riding the last three winners of the season in obscurity at Market Rasen. Less fancifully, this time round the jumps season "ends" three days before several of its most accomplished performers assemble for the Punchestown Festival.

That is outside the jurisdiction of the British authorities, of course. Sadly, however, it would now be difficult for them to resolve even the problems of their own devising. For once the racecourses got their greedy hands on such attractive fixtures, it was always going to be the devil of a job to prise them back.

Whatever it takes would not be too much. Forget the hollow ring to the various brave ceremonies at Sandown today. What about the hollow box waiting for the jockey who finally smashes himself to pieces – along with anyone else unfortunate enough to find himself in his path – in driving to one consecutive meeting too many? It will happen one day, and we must keep saying so. That way, when it does, those responsible will not be able to talk of a tragedy that could never have been reasonably foreseen. Perhaps some such exhaustion is already overtaking these men on horseback. That would be hard to notice, harder to prove. Easier still to overlook, of course, are the parallel demands being made of stable staff and trainers. But all this should be accumulating on the conscience of anyone in a position to arrange some respite, however brief. Ten days would be a sensible compromise. Horses could stay in full training, and only a handful of fixtures would have to be renegotiated. But it is bad enough the "narrative" ending with a whimper. For God's sake, don't let it end in the wrong kind of bang.

The pity is that the mixed card at Sandown, commonplace in Ireland but almost unique in our own calendar, retains the delightful camaraderie that did much to sustain its former sense of occasion. As it is, there seems a certain salutary justice in the mediocrity of the field assembled for its biggest prize.

Church Island at least arrives with a career best next to his name, but he has not had long to recover from his generous effort in the Irish National. The other Irish raider, Oodachee, will enjoy the fast ground, but grudging preference is for Bowleaze (3.10). An unreliable beast, true, but he ran a cracker in stronger company at the Festival and had previously shown a liking for this place in successive visits. A proper horse shows up for the Celebration Chase in Kalahari King (2.35) albeit caution would be advised at short odds. He won decisively at Aintree, but had presumably consumed plenty of petrol in a hard race at Cheltenham and there may not be much left in the tank. The only reservations about American Trilogy (1.35) are pretty similar, not least as his own brave run in defeat came at Aintree rather than Cheltenham.

When the tempo shifts, for the Flat racing, Virtual (3.45) is fancied to sustain his stable's fertile spring by outstaying Paco Boy up the hill, but there is no mistaking the most accomplished animal at Sandown today. Tartan Bearer (4.15) disappeared after the Irish Derby last season, but his previous performance – beaten just half a length by New Approach at Epsom, the pair clear – permits no doubt that he could be one of the top older horses of the year, not least because his pedigree, physique and connections all entitle him to continued progress.

More of the same will suffice from Yeats, who makes his customary reappearance in a listed race at Navan tomorrow. As in the last two seasons, the champion stayer will be ridden by Seamus Heffernan, with Johnny Murtagh sent to Longchamp to ride Thewayyouare in the Prix Ganay – his first start since being transferred from André Fabre to Aidan O'Brien, a move revealed in these pages last month. The opposition includes Cima de Triomphe, likewise making his debut for a new stable, having joined Luca Cumani since his Italian Derby success.

It is a big weekend for Cumani, with Presvis contesting the QEII Cup at Sha Tin a few hours earlier. If he can reproduce his remarkable Dubai performance after another long journey, he will surely go well.

Just a week to go now, moreover, before the first Classic of 2009. And to think that some idiotic marketing men still peddle the old lie that the Flat lacks the narrative rhythm of jump racing. Plainly, it is not just plots that thicken.

Above Average fails to rise above the ordinary

The two most prolific stables of the British spring duly dominated the latest Classic rehearsal at Sandown yesterday, though it would be pretty surprising to see the winner flower into an authentic Derby colt.

Above Average is justly named, if only marginally so after three defeats in maiden company. He probably owed his narrow success in the Bet365 Classic Trial to an artful ride by Michael Hills, who kept Johnny Murtagh and Malibu Bay trapped on the rail while gradually wearing down the leader, Big Bound.

Big Bound's trainer, John Gosden, had already kept up his great run when Racketeer bolted up in the opener. But here Above Average got up by a head, with Malibu Bay still the best part of two lengths down after being switched late on, and the favourite, Taameer, disappointing in fifth.

Totesport dismissed Above Average at 50-1 for the Derby, but at least Barry Hills now has more ammunition for his favourite meeting at Chester. He has a better Epsom candidate in the unbeaten Redwood, another son of High Chaparral. It is thought that Redwood is likely to go to York for his trial, but Hills could yet press connections to let him go to Chester instead. As if anyone would need persuading to go there...

Chris McGrath

Nap: Dansimar (6.40 Haydock)

NB: Victorian Art (4.35 Ripon)