Rangitoto can get me back among the winners
I was, however, thrilled to leave many months of agony behind and suffered no ill-effects. I was delighted with the way I felt through the race and afterwards and am just raring for more of the same now.
Overall, it has been a productive enough week. On Monday and Tuesday I was at Paul Nicholls’ and then on Wednesday made my way down to Cork.
I had to be in Cork on that particular day and so took the opportunity to visit their Orthopaedic Hospital and was finally given the all-clear to resume race-riding.
On Thursday I was at Willie Mullins’ and yesterday it was just a case of getting back on the bike, so to speak, with my first ride since that fateful day, November 6.
I sat on all of the best horses at Paul’s, the likes of Kauto Star, Master Minded, Big Buck’s, Sam Winner, Aiteen Thirtythree, Rock On Ruby and Al Ferof, among others.
I would have to say I was especially pleased with Big Buck’s. He was in really great form and I was more than happy with Kauto Star as well.
I rode work on Kauto and also jumped him and he doesn’t feel like a horse who is an 11-year-old. I left Paul’s after two days with no negatives.
I’m more than hopeful of getting back among the winners at Newbury today and think Rangitoto, in a novice hurdle, may be my best chance.
Point-to-point enthusiasts will be familiar with this fellow because he won impressively at Carrigtwohill, in Co Cork, prior to coming across to Paul.
He made a good start on the racecourse at Ffos Las when only beaten half a length into second by a horse of Philip Hobbs’, Doctor Foxtrot.
I saw him work at Paul’s during the week and he jumped beautifully and the three miles plus trip will not be a problem. I have to be hopeful.
I begin my day aboard top weight Niche Market in a two and a half mile handicap chase. He is near the front of the market for the Grand National at Aintree and we will certainly be looking for an encouraging performance.
He has loads of solid efforts to his name and wasn’t disgraced when fifth to Diamond Harry in the Hennessy at Newbury last time.
Sire Collonges, in a handicap hurdle, looks my worst ride of the afternoon. He won at Auteuil and then, on his first outing for Paul, made no show at Ascot.
Truth to tell, he’s a bit of a puzzle. A big, grey horse, he’s working nicely now, but was also doing everything right before going to Ascot.
I’m told I could finish on a perfect note on the Selkirk newcomer, Broomfield, in the bumper. He was due to head for a very valuable bumper at Doncaster today, but got balloted out.
That’s lucky for me and I gather he did some grand work at Wincanton racecourse recently. They seem to like him a fair bit at Paul’s and I hope they are right.
Willie Mullins has a number of runners at Gowran today, starting with an English-import, Bagber, in a maiden hurdle. He used to be trained by Harry Dunlop and then Peter Monteith and won three times on the level in Britain. Other than that, I can’t really tell you anything else.
Willie runs two in the other maiden hurdle and, you’d imagine, Sicilian Secret is the stable number one. He has been disappointing, but his second at Navan to Sydney Des Pictons entitles him to go close, in what appears to be a weak enough race. He went well when I rode him on Thursday.
Willie also has two in the beginners chase, Uncle Junior and Definitive Edge. Again, they have been disappointing, but this is a bad contest and, if you put a gun to my head, I’d side with Uncle Junior.
I have just one ride at Naas tomorrow - Quadrillon for Willie in a handicap chase. Willie has a number of live possibilities, but they are going to be partnered by Paul Townend.
Willie is of the opinion that Paul has a serious chance of being champion jockey for the first time. I’m out of contention, so his thinking is understandable.
Anyway, Quadrillon will have to improve his jumping to go close in the chase. Willie also runs Ballytrim, fresh from a cracking effort in the Thyestes at Gowran, but the weights going up by 9lbs is hardly a plus for him.
Willie’s Cottrelsbooley, down in class after contesting a grade 1 at Leopardstown, will be hard to beat in a novice hurdle.
Lambro should be another for Willie in the three mile maiden hurdle. He’s going well at home, was only beaten narrowly at Thurles and the trip is not a worry.
A third each-way possibility of Willie’s is Pozyc in a handicap hurdle, even if he hasn’t been seen since the Galway Festival in July.
