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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Brian Hughes blog 19/04/2023 – Cheltenham this week and Aintree reflections

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Cheltenham this week and Aintree reflections

Novibet Ambassador and Champion Jockey Brian Hughes gives us his thoughts on his rides at Cheltenham’s last meeting of the season and his reflections on the Aintree Grand National Meeting

Cheltenham – Wednesday 19th April

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Presentandcounting (1:30pm) has had a nice break after having had a busy simmer campaign last year. He’s been in good form at home, and although I imagine he’ll come on for the run, hopefully he will go well first time up. He’s in here off 134, which is 13lbs below where he was two seasons ago, so from that point of view you’d like to think he’s fairly treated.

Silver Flyer (4:25pm) was consistent over the winter until being pulled up last time out under Adrian Heskin. He’s still open to improvement and will hopefully bounce back with blinkers on for the first time.

Cheltenham – Thursday 20th April

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Merry Poppins (1:30pm) just got beat the last day over 3m at Ludlow. She was second when I rode her at Bangor, and then you can scratch the Sandown run as the ground wouldn’t have suited her. If she builds on her Ludlow run, then she’ll be there with every chance.

Zestful (2:40pm) won okay first time out despite doing a few things wrong, and then went and backed that up at Kempton. She’s a nice, strong four-year-old who gets a handy weight allowance here, and the step up to 2m4f shouldn’t be a problem. As a two-miler on the Flat, you’d like to think that 2m4f over hurdles would be okay for her. She can be a bit head-strong, so it’s just a case of dropping her in so she saves her best for the business end of the race.

I don’t know too much about Bobbi’s Beauty (5:00pm) in the bumper. She won her point-to-point well, but it’s hard to assess her against a big field of unexposed types.

brian hughes blog 19/04/2023 cheltenham this week and aintree reflections novibet(1)
The Randox Grand National winner Corach Rambler ridden by Derek Fox.

Aintree Grand National Reflections

Despite not winning, Maximilian ran a solid race, and confirmed the form from Doncaster with the Albert Bartlett winner.

It wasn’t that strong a gallop and I think the winner, Apple Away, just got the run of the race. We would have preferred a bit more of a stamina test. I’d imagine Punchestown will come too soon for him, but he’s had a good season and there’ll be plenty to look forward to in the autumn, whether that will be going over fences or staying over hurdles.

Minella Drama ran well to finish third in the Grade 1 Melling Chase. He felt well going into the race and ran with plenty of credit in good company. He lugged a bit right the whole way round which made it a bit awkward, but apart from that he ran a career best.

Ahoy Senor gave us a great spin and was ultimately beaten by a better horse on the day. He lost a front shoe, which wasn’t ideal but it probably didn’t impact the result, and we just got out-run in the finish.

I thought Corach Rambler was an impressive Grand National winner. Well-trained, well-placed and well-ridden, fair play to them. I schooled him on the Tuesday, and he jumped great, and I would have loved to have ridden him if Derek [Fox] couldn’t, but he’s been there every step of the way and I’m delighted for him. I can’t look at it like one that got away, as it was never really my ride.

It was a dramatic National, particularly the start, which was made worse due to the protestors causing a delay. A good few of them got very warm, and when you take a horse out of it’s routine, they can become very unsettled.

Whoever these animal welfare rights people are, they obviously don’t know much about animals. They fight for the rights of animals, but it doesn’t seem like they are at all clued up about the animal itself.

I walked down to the parade ring and I was at the pre-parade ring ahead of the race and some of the horses were becoming visibly distressed due to the delay, it wasn’t good.

Brian Hughes blog 19/04/2023

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