Ground will be no help to Master Minded
My thought went back to working with a medicine ball fifty times a day, looking at the ground and seeing myself in a variety of mirrors and wondering if it was all worth it.
Then I would think of Cheltenham and redouble my efforts. Yesterday, I had my answer and my reward - it was worth everything I went through...and then some.
I got so much help along the way, from Brian Green, the IRFU physiotherapist, and orthopaedic surgeon, David Moore. All of my family were wonderful and I have to especially thank my wife, Gillian. There were Saturdays when I wasn't a very nice person to live with, but she never wavered and was so understanding, supportive and positive.
I thought there would be fierce pace on in the Champion Hurdle and if I knew they were going to go slow I’d have stayed further back. If they had gone quicker, and Hurricane Fly settled, he would not have come off the bridle. Al Ferof is tough and will make a great chaser, and Quevega is what she is - and you all know what that amounts to.
The drying ground really worries me for Master Minded in the Champion Chase today. The Cheltenham executive have done a great job with the watering, they always do, but it is getting quicker by the minute.
Master Minded ran no sort of race here last year and Paul Nicholls blamed a wind problem for that. His wind has since been rectified, but I feel there was a bit more to it and think the ground was a factor as well.
I sat on the horse recently, he is in terrific shape and Paul could hardly be any happier with him. He has been working particularly well of late, but I can't shake off the nagging feeling that the horse is going to prove vulnerable on this ground.
It has clearly come right for Big Zeb. He is far better on this and, I have to admit, to fearing him greatly.
Golden Silver has enjoyed a tremendous campaign, but he's in the same boat as Master Minded and would just love a drop of rain. I start off today aboard So Young in the Neptune and regard him as my best chance of a winner. We think he will handle better ground, although can't be sure.
He's not, however, overly big and that's a help. He has loads of pace, jumps well and is going seriously at home.
The bottom line is I really like So Young and will be most disappointed if he doesn't at least produce a big run.
I respect Oscars Well, especially as he is a dual Grade 1 winner. He's a smart horse, but seems to want a thorough stamina test.
That's a remark which would also apply to Paul's Rock On Ruby and my hope is that So Young will have too much speed for both of them.
Mouse Morris’ First Lieutenant is the dark horse. His form is tied in with Hidden Cyclone and he could go close.
I've gone with Mikael D'Haguenent in the RSA Chase and may well live to regret that decision. Paul fancies Aiteen Thirtythree, Willie likes Quel Esprit, so we can't all be right. Regular readers of this column, however, will know I have long been a massive fan of Mikael. Put simply, he is the best novice hurdler I have ever ridden and I'm just praying will arrive with his A-game.
I always regarded him as a potential Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, but realise such thinking isn't realistic right now.
Time For Rupert, second to Big Buck's over hurdles here a year ago, has taken nicely to fences and is going to be difficult to beat. Mikael will have to be back to something approaching his best to achieve that and I'm hoping that will be the case.
My fourth and last ride of the day is on Call The Police in the Coral Cup, a race which has a very competitive appearance. He is on the upgrade, but the ground is the unknown factor with him. What I can tell you is that he is in real good order. I believe the one we all have to beat is Nicky Henderson's Aegean Dawn. I'm of the opinion this is a Graded horse running in a handicap. I know Aegean Dawn was getting plenty of weight, but he laughed at Mille Chief at Ascot and wouldn't have been out of place in either the Champion or the Stayers'.
