It was great to get to the 100-winner mark on Wednesday.
I had more winners than I usually would in the summer, Donald’s [McCain] horses have been flying and the autumn has been great too. It’s the fastest 100 I’ve ever ridden, but all I want now is the next hundred.
Funnily enough, Maximilian, who was my 100th winner this season was also my 150th winner last season, so he’s becoming a bit of a lucky horse for me. He’s a fair horse who put in a great performance, particularly when you consider that he was giving weight away to the whole field. They went a good gallop on testing ground, and he saw it out very well, so he feels like he’s got a big engine. He was actually a bit babyish, taking a good look around and slowing right up going to the second-last, and then being able to quicken away again going to the line. For a horse to do that, he must be pretty good.
Nayati was winner number 99, and the credit has to go to Donald, who’s got him back firing after almost three years off the track. To get him back on a track is pretty remarkable given the issues he’s had, let alone to get him back in this sort of form. The second, Georges Saint, was well-handicapped, and he could be one to follow next time out, but thankfully we had the fitness edge on him.
Friday at Cheltenham
Malystic (1:45 pm) is a horse we’ve always liked at home, and he remains off the same mark that he ran off in his reappearance earlier last month. He made a bit of a mistake down the back which cost him, so hopefully, he can put in a sharper round of jumping and get competitive here. It’s quite a deep race, as you’d expect for Class 2 at Cheltenham, but he’s a nice horse and must have some sort of a chance.
Kauto Riko (2:55 pm) is a grand old horse. He’s not won for a while, but if you go back to the form of last year when I rode him at Doncaster, where he was second to Two For Gold, you’d have to think he’s got a chance. This 2m4f trip with the blinkers back on should suit, so fingers crossed he puts his best foot forward.
Saturday at Wetherby
I’ve got a few good chances from a total of six rides, kicking off with Present Fair (12:08 pm). He’s a really nice horse who’s been doing well at home since he joined Donald over the summer. He’s a winning pointer and we’re looking forward to getting him started Under Rules.
Minella Plus (12:43 pm) has done nothing wrong having won his first two starts over fences and looks to have a great chance of making that three. It’s a small but select field, with a couple of nice unexposed types in there, but we’ve got that good bit of experience under our belt, so fingers crossed.
Onagatheringstorm (1:18 pm) ran well at Cheltenham the last day, which was his first time up after a wind op and a bit of a lay-off, so fingers crossed he can come on a bit from that.
Fruit N Nut (2:28 pm) has won two bumpers and then didn’t get much luck in running in the Aintree Bumper. He came out and won his first start over hurdles last September, beating plenty of horses that have won since, but he sustained a nasty overreach which has kept him off the track for all this time.
Gaelik Coast (3:03 pm) ran well the last day and is clearly a horse that has plenty of ability, but, for whatever reason, he’s just not been finishing off his races, so we’ve reached for the blinkers. Hopefully, they have the desired effect and he can go close.
Sunday at Cheltenham
It’s been a while since Domain De L’Isle (2:20 pm) last won, and he needs to bounce back to form if he’s to get competitive. His handicap mark has slipped a bit as a result, so if he is to put his best foot forward then I’d like to think he has a squeak, but it’s hard to be too confident based on his reappearance at Worcester last month. His last win actually came when I rode him at Cheltenham in April 2021, and some of his runs since then have been okay, but he needs to show a bit more. Hopefully, the return to fences sparks him back into life, but it will be need to.
A Different Kind (2:55 pm) is a horse that Donald’s [McCain] always liked and I think he can be competitive at this sort of level. He ran really well the last day over 2m4f on slow ground, but he’ll have no problem on a better surface and I think the step back in trip will suit. There are some interesting Irish contenders in there and overall it looks a pretty hot race, but I’d say we’re there with a decent each-way chance.
I’ve then got Fascinating Shadow (3:30 pm) for the Shark, John Hanlon. As you can imagine, Shark is very confident, and maybe we’ll all be in the pub with the horse having a beer after! He’s won his only start over obstacles which is encouraging, but he’s stepping up to Graded company now so it’s going to be a lot tougher.
