IT'S years since both the National Hunt jockeys' and trainers' championships threatened to go down to the wire.
There are two months left of the jump racing sea son, and it's nip and tuck at the top of both tables.
In previous years, trainer Martin Pipe and Bangor-on-Dee Race-course's leading jockey Tony McCoy have had their individual titles sewn up long before the fat lady sang.
No more. The trainers' championship is decided on prize money. Paul Nicholls - the bookmakers' favourite who has been sending horses to Bangor-on-Dee regularly this season for the first time - leads his rival by a whisker.
The Cheltenham Festival, where he has more fancied runners than Martin Pipe, could virtually decide it. Though if one of them was to win the Grand National, who knows?
The jockeys' championship is decided on winners. Tony McCoy, who spent part of the summer recuperating from a broken arm, leads Richard Johnson - just.
Their tussle is likely to go on until the final days of the season at the end of April.
Cheltenham won't decide anything for the riders. It's just too competitive. In fact, Tony McCoy is only third favourite to be top jockey at the National Hunt Festival - behind Barry Geraghty and Ruby Walsh.
Meanwhile, Wednesday sees an unusual occurrence. There is racing at both the racecourses in Wales.
It certainly hasn't happened for a while, but both Bangor-on-Dee and Chepstow host fixtures. The next fixture at Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse is on Wednesday. The first race is due off at 2.15pm with gates opening at 12.45pm. A free bus service runs from Wrexham Station to the racecourse at
12.45pm and returns afterwards. Admission to the Course Enclosure is £6, while the Paddock Enclosure is £13. Accompanied children enter free.
More information is available on the racecourse website at www.BangorOnDeeRaces.co.uk or contact 01978 780323. The next racing at Chester Races is the May Festival.
