A disappointing ban
I’m obviously disappointed with the ban I was given on Saturday, but I’m appealing it and we’ll just have to wait and see. The BHA have been listening to all the jockeys about the changes to the whip rules, and we are doing our best to adapt.
Before that, on the Friday, Ballygeary showed a good attitude to battle back and win his novices’ hurdle. It was a bit of a trappy race with only four runners and a faller, and I probably went a bit too soon on him to be honest, but he toughed it out. He’s been given a mark of 116 following that win, which I think looks pretty fair. I could see him going in again off that.
With Newcastle being lost on Tuesday, Catterick Wednesday and Carlisle Thursday, we’ve missed a fair bit of racing and I just hope that Ayr gets the go-ahead now. It looks like it hangs in the balance a bit, with a fair bit of sleet and snow in the forecast, so we’ll just have to see how bad it hits. Fingers crossed we get some racing as I’ve got a good handful of chances.
Ayr: Friday and Saturday, 10-11th March
Whitehaven (3:45pm) and Lake Takapuna (4:55pm) look to be my best two on Friday.
On Flat ratings, Whitehaven looks to have a serious chance. He ran well two starts back at Catterick, and then didn’t really like the sharp uphill finish at Carlisle. He’s had two starts over obstacles now, and I’d say he’s a safe jumper, so I don’t have too many concerns there. Bumper winner Kingston Bridge looks like one of the main dangers.
As for Lake Takapuna, he won over course and distance two starts ago and carries only 4lbs more here. A repeat of that run would see him go close again.
On Saturday, I’m looking forward to getting back on Glen Cannel (4:30pm) – he’d probably be the pick of my rides this weekend. He’s a lovely, big, raw horse who’ll get better with time, but he’s shown already that he’s forward enough to win at this stage of his career.
He’s had a nice little break following his third in the Scottish Stayers’ Novices’ Hurdle, a race where the form has since been franked by the second winning next time out. We’re giving weight away to everything in the field, so it will be no easy task, but I’m confident in his ability – I like him a lot.
Glittering Love (3:55pm) seems in good form and won’t mind it if the ground gets testing. He was beaten by a head last time out and the winner has since come out and finished fifth in the Eider.
Maimie’s Magic (3:20pm) looks a nice ride to pick up for Stuart Crawford. She’s up just a couple of pounds for her win at Newcastle at the back end of January and could hopefully go close to following that up.
Headscarf Lil (2:10pm) has been second the last twice, with that most recent race at Doncaster turning into a bit of a hack and a sprint. She passed a few rivals late to take second and should be suited by the extra couple of furlongs here.
Barnabas Collins (1:35pm) is an interesting one too. If you’d have told Donald [McCain] and I that he’d be running in a handicap of 103 we’d have probably laughed. He’s always shown us plenty at home and we think he’s got a good level of ability – he just needs to put it all together on the track.
Cheltenham next week:
Listen to my Cheltenham Preview podcast
There’s plenty of juggling to be done between now and next week before I know which days I’ll be there. I’ve got a few rides available to me at the moment outside of Donald’s, but much will depend on what he runs in the handicaps as to whether I go.
As I’ve said before, I’d love to be there with a big book of rides, but the connections I ride for are all based up north and they don’t all want to go to Cheltenham. We’ll see how the handicaps look early next week and then make a call, but I won’t be going there as a spectator, I want to ride winners.
