AFTER a scintillating start to the festival for local horses, trainers, and owners, yesterday was a quieter affair. Wednesday saw a clutch of runners from Dorset yards but none were able to trouble the judge.

Arguably the best performance came from Anthony Honeyball-trained Jackies Solitaire who ran a solid race in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle to finish seventh, just 10 and a half lengths back from impressive winner Une Artiste who came fast and late to give Nicky Henderson his fourth winner of the day.

That would be a mighty haul for any trainer at any meeting but it was doubly special as it capped a day on which the popular Berk-shire-based handler became the most successful festival trainer of all time.

With 44 victories to his name he beats the long-standing record of the legendary Fulke Walwyn.

Earlier in the afternoon, Hender-son’s Finian’s Rainbow had denied odds-on favourite Sizing Europe in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, while Grand Crus (6-5) suffered the same fate in the RSA Chase.

After Hurricane Fly turned out to be a mere breeze on the open- ing day, the tide has turned back firmly in favour of the bookies.

There was to be no repeat of 2010’s heroics as both of Colin Tizzard’s runners finished down the field in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, the race which brought the curtain down on Wednesday’s action.

His brightest prospect Royal Guardsman gave a steady showing before being outpaced at the home turn and failing to find any extra on the run-in, ultimately finishing 10th.

Second string Virginia Ash piloted by Aidan Coleman trailed in second-last of the 18 that finished.

Elsewhere, Third Intention finished out of the places in the Coral Cup some 17 lengths distant while Tizzard’s remaining runner Cannington Brook was last of eight finishers in a strongly-run RSA Chase, the pace of the race finding out his jumping to some extent as he never looked fluent.

Today looks like another quiet one as far as local interest is concerned with only one runner to note – former Melplash handler Bob Buckler, who is now based just over the Somerset border in Henley, saddles outsider The Sawyer (66-1) in the final contest of the day, the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase.

Otherwise, the third day of the festival boasts a superstar in Big Buck’s, a wide-open middle-distance championship race in the Ryanair (2.40), and a potential star of the future in Peddlers Cross of Donald McCain’s, who heads the field in the Jewson Novices Chase (1.30).

Of those, Big Buck’s bid to become a four-time festival winner in the World Hurdle (3.20) looks the headline in the making.

Can he put a smile back on punters’ faces?