In at the deep end, but Aiteen looks tasty
Let me explain. I ride a horse called Aiteen Thirtythree for Paul Nicholls and Paul Barber and what has that got to do with cheese you might well ask?
Well, Mr Barber has a factory which produces cheese. The name of his cheddar is Aiteen Thirtythree.
This fellow is lightly-raced and comes here with a win in a point-to-point and a bumper, on this track, to his name.
I schooled him the other morning and he can certainly jump. Whether he can gallop or not, I don’t know. What I do know is that the stable think a lot of him and have been waiting for a while for an appropriate horse to come along to be called this name.
He is now being thrown in at the deep end, in a Grade 2, so you can read between the lines and draw your own conclusions.
Alfie Sherrin is another who is set to be posed a half-decent question, contesting his first handicap in the next. He’s won all of his three races to date, a point, bumper and over hurdles at Fontwell back in February.
Again, I schooled him earlier in the week and, though lacking in experience for this, his jumping will not be a problem.
He is a fine big horse and a chaser in the making. I’d imagine, however, the thinking is that he may well be very well handicapped off a mark of 130 and this is worth a shot.
Of course, he has to race from two pounds out of the handicap and I’ll put up a pound or two overweight as well. The six-year-old could still be nicely in and might think he’s been let loose off such a light weight!
I ride Meanus Dandy, I schooled him as well this week, in the three mile beginners chase. He hasn’t been seen since winning a point at Summerhill in April of last year, but will not lack for fitness.
The one absolute certainty is he won’t break the track record. He’s slow, but gallops and jumps and will be staying on when the majority have cried enough. I expect a big performance.
I’m hoping for the best with Apocal in a handicap chase. I think he may well be the lowest rated handicap chaser in Paul’s. He’s fit and ready and raring to go and should at least be competitive in this league.
Now Listen To Me, in another handicap chase, is probably up against it. The ground will probably be too soft, I just think he wants it better.
I round off the day aboard Royal Collonges in a three mile maiden hurdle. He is a half-brother to Neptune Collonges, so stamina is unlikely to be an issue.
This a French-import, who hasn’t run since taking third at Pau in December. He arrives with a big price tag and is a pure chaser in the making.
I have just two rides at Galway tomorrow, starting on Tony Martin’s Another Ambition in the Grade 3 Chase. He won well at Listowel, but obviously has to find a bit of improvement if we’re to beat Let Yourself Go and Fosters Cross.
It is probably a big enough ask, but we are not without hope.
Conclave has her first outing for Willie Mullins, in a handicap hurdle, and the question is can Willie work his magic again?
Willie has already won with four horses this season, who came from other yards, Tilabay, Scholars Mate, Our Monty and Thousand Stars and, on that basis, you’d think the bookmakers will be fighting shy of offering any real value.
She is a nice little mare, working well, who would appreciate a bit further than two miles. But Conclave has won twice around Galway and, as Willie says, “horses for courses.”
I actually scored on her at this meeting a year ago and the mare is in real good nick right now. She should be hard enough to beat.
Here’s a horse of Paul’s for your notebook, The Tother One. You might remember him finishing third to Nenuphar Collonges and Liskennett in the Albert Bartlett Hurdle at Cheltenham last year.
He lost his way a little last season, but I had a sit on him during the week and liked the feel he gave me. I’d say there is a nice handicap chase to be won with him, in the not too distant future.
Make a note of Willie’s For The Staff at Wexford tomorrow. He’s been waiting on soft ground and looks sure to get it now.
