Don’t pass on Master Minded opportunity
He stays well, is a great jumper, even if blundering badly at the last at Newbury, and has buckets of speed.
The one sure way you can get any horse beaten, however, is bad luck, you know one falling in front of you, getting carried out, or something like that.
What I am saying basically is that, granted normal luck in running, I believe Master Minded will be too good for this opposition.
Of course, I respect Twist Magic, Big Zeb, Kalahari King and Forpadydeplasterer. None of them would in any way be a surprise winner. But Master Minded is absolutely bombing right now and, as far as I’m concerned, it will take a career-best effort from one of his rivals to beat my horse.
I know Quel Esprit has been a fair ante-post gamble, for the Neptune Novices’ Hurdle, and Willie Mullins and I both expect a big run.
He’s travelled over well, is in great nick and will love the trip. We think he’ll handle the ground. My minor worry is he might lack tactical speed, so the faster they go the better.
Rite Of Passage has been a worthy favourite, but we don’t have too much ground to make up on him on last year’s running here and Quel Esprit was never a bumper horse.
Esssentially, if Quel Esprit can win it will represent a bonus. He is a pure chaser in the making and I cannot wait to ride him in the RSA Chase back here in a year’s time.
I ride Citizen Vic in this year’s RSA and, though he’s won three in-a-row, you’d have to say is up against it.
Citizen Vic is a solid horse, who loves to front-run and gallop, but if he can finish in the first three that will be a super effort.
Long Run, Punchestowns and Diamond Harry are three really promising sorts and this has the makings of a cracker. I’m a big fan of Long Run and he was still only a four-year-old when winning a Grade One at Kempton at Christmas.
Imagine being able to do that when horses of the same age are only starting off in point-to-points. You need to be a Master Minded or a Kauto Star to be carrying on in such a manner.
I know he nudges the odd fence, but that doesn’t overly concern me. You can make a case for Punchestowns, on the basis only Big Bucks bettered him as a staying hurdler.
He has a great man on his back in Barry Geraghty, but I just feel Punchestowns is a bit too careful over fences for comfort.
Willie Mullins and I anticipate a big run from Deutschland in the Coral Cup. You could hardly see a more wide-open contest. Nevertheless, we were delighted with his comeback when a close third to Smoking Aces at Punchestown and he’s entitled to come on plenty.
You can argue he was found wanting when a short-priced favourite for the Galway Hurdle, but everything just happened too quickly for him then. He has a smashing weight on his back, 10-9, and stepping up in trip will give Deutschland more time, compared to Galway, to get into a rhythm.
The story with Sanctuaire, in the Fred Winter, is more or less the same as Deutschland, with Paul Nicholls and myself believing he will not be far away. He beat older horses at Taunton and that’s a very good sign. Sanctuaire would be good enough to line up in Friday’s Triumph Hurdle.
I partner Al Ferof for Paul in the Bumper and hope I will not be waiting for my first winner of the day at that stage.
It will seem strange riding for Paul, rather than Willie, in this type of contest. But I’m of the opinion Day Of A Lifetime is Willie’s best and Patrick Mullins is on him.
I liked Al Ferof a lot when we won at Newbury. He’s straightforward, stays and has lots of pace. Whether he’s an Alexander Banquet or Missed That I simply don’t know.
Yesterday went more or less as I expected, with Quevega, exactly the same as last year, getting me out of jail in the final race.
She’s just the best mare around and, even though the winning margin was a lot less than a year ago, I think this was easier. She was easier to ride and I had the field covered a long way from home.
I told you here yesterday she was my best of the day and, at least, I got that much right.
Celestial Halo will be back next year for the Arkle, fences will be his real calling, while there were no excuses for either Sports Line Or Blackstairmountain, they weren’t good enough.
One for your notebook is The Tother One, who was fifth, under top weight, in the William Hill. The Scottish National is made for him.
