Trip looks tailor-made for Conti
To say that the whole affair has left me confused would be an understatement. The BHA disciplinary panel decided that at no stage did I use my whip for safety reasons, only for correction.
I cannot figure out the difference between safety and correction. Suppose when driving my car I decide, for safety reasons, I’m going too fast.
What do I do? Well, obviously, I correct the speed of the car by hitting the brake. Under the present guidelines the reality is that you can only use the whip for safety purposes when an incident has already taken place, in other words when it is actually too late.
Anyway, onto more pleasant matters and trying to find a few winners over the weekend. My last couple of naps have done the business and I’m confident of keeping it going with Silviniaco Conti in the Grade 2 novice chase at Wincanton today.
Daryl Jacob takes the ride and should have an enjoyable spin. A more than useful hurdler, Silviniaco Conti made his debut over fences at Chepstow four weeks ago and I was in the plate.
The five-year-old may have only taken third behind Cue Card and Micheal Flips, but absolutely delighted me.
He jumped and travelled super and just got a bit tired in the straight. Silviniaco will come on a ton for the race and the two miles and five is right up his street.
Paul Nicholls, of course, trains him and also has possibilities with Balding Banker in a novice hurdle.
He wasn’t a bad horse in bumpers, has schooled particularly nicely and will be well suited by the track.
Paul runs Celestial Halo in the Grade 2 handicap hurdle and he has Grandouet to beat. Celestial Halo has a good record at Wincanton, but the absence of Overturn from the contest is a minus.
Overturn would have taken them along and Celestial is always at his best when getting a lead.
Grandouet is classy, as he showed at the Punchestown festival, and will probably have too much speed in the closing stages.
One other horse of Paul’s worth a mention at Wincanton is The Minack in a handicap chase. I rode him in the Scottish National at Ayr when he just didn’t stay.
Look out for Paul’s French-import, Pacha Du Polder, in a match against Nicky Henderson’s Eradicate in a beginners’ chase at Sandown.
He ran four times in his native country, finishing with an eight lengths success at Enghien. He’s a good jumper and shapes like a fair sort.
My suspension starts today, of course, otherwise I’d be at Down Royal to partner The Nightingale in the JNwine Chase.
He hasn’t been since pulling up in the King George at Kempton in January and has not been easy to train.
But he has loads of work done and I was more than looking forward to riding him. He bolted in at this meeting last year and the ground cannot be soft enough. As well as that he is best travelling right-handed.
Bostons Angel and Quito De La Roque are two grinders. They are not flash, but usually get the job done.
Sizing Europe is the best horse in the race, but with Midnight Chase in the field there will be no hanging about and this is likely to be a true slog.
You would have to think that Sizing Europe’s stamina will be called into question. Bottom line is I just don’t know what will win.
Paul also brings Kauto Star’s half-brother Kauto Stone, over for the Grade 2 chase. He is a six-time winner in France and a cracking sort.
I’ve schooled him and his jumping is unbelievable. My worry, however, is his ability to carry 11-11, because he’s not a big horse.
My idea of the winner of the Cork Grand National tomorrow is Another Palm. I beat Another Palm into second on Uncle Junior at the Punchestown festival and a recent pop over flights will have put him spot-on.
De Valira and First Lieutenant promise an interesting rematch in a novice chase. I rode De Valira to beat First Lieutenant by a nose over course and distance last month. In theory De Valira should confirm placings on 3lbs better terms, but you couldn’t be sure either way.
