Far West can get me off to a flier
There was a time - when I first started going to England for Paul - you could bank on the one in the novice chase at this meeting but other trainers have started to target this race now, which I'm not too happy about.
Last year Silviniaco Conti ran into Cue Card and Micheal Flips, and this year Poungach runs into Tiger O'Toole and, even more so, Fingal Bay.
Fingal Bay is a horse that had a huge reputation last year - he's a multiple winner over hurdles, including a couple of Grade 1s - and all he looked then was a chaser in the making.
That said, so does my mount, Poungach. I won a handicap hurdle on him at Sandown last year and Paul stepped him up in grade dramatically after that. He was a big backward sort but he has strengthened up over the summer and he's an exciting prospect.
He jumps well but it's more important that they get around safely than win first time over fences. It's all about confidence. Anyway, you can't win unless you get around.
It's a cracking contest but you've got to remember that it's still only October and I'd imagine that both of these horses have bigger and better things on the horizon. [Fingal Bay's rider] Dickie Johnson or myself won't be looking to kill these horses this afternoon.
I'm on Far West in the opening juvenile hurdle and I'm hoping he can give me a winning start to the day. He finished third in a hurdle race in Auteuil on his only start and has been going well at home.
It's hard to get a handle on the French juvenile form until a few of them run in England but he comes with a good reputation and two miles on soft ground around Chepstow should suit him. He has a good chance to get us going with a winner.
I'm hoping a summer's grass will have helped improve Captain Kelly, whom I ride in a novice hurdle. He won a point to point last year and he finished fifth in a bumper before making his hurdling debut at Fakenham back in May. He ran okay there but I'm hoping he'll leave that form behind this season.
Hinterland is starting the season in a four-year-olds' hurdle, but the plan is to send him chasing afterwards. Big and all as he was last season, he was a bit weak and he has progressed nicely over the summer. I expect he'll run well today but whatever he does is a bonus as chasing will be his game.
Surprisingly for one of Paul's, Rangitoto looks well handicapped, and should go close in the three-mile handicap chase. If I had a minor concern it's that he fell at Taunton on his last outing, back in January. But he won at Wincanton on his chasing debut and those fences would take more jumping, so maybe it's not something to worry too much about.
This is only his third run over fences and he should have much more to give, so I'm hopeful of a big run.
Readers who are in to their point to points might know more about my mount in the bumper, McIlhatton, than I do. He should handle the ground and I'd imagine Paul is targeting the race with what he thinks is a sharp enough sort.
I have four rides at tomorrow's meeting at Limerick, which features the Munster National.
I ride Themoonandsixpence in the big race but he was very disappointing in the Kerry National last time. He never went and was pulled up early. He has been working okay since but it's very hard to make a case for him and I'm just hoping he'll get a bit further than at Listowel.
I ride Mulleady, for Tony Martin, in the opening race. She looks to have plenty on her plate as she's worse off at the weights with Burrenbridge Lodge, who beat her in a hack canter at Listowel. The winner can be forgiven his defeat by older horses at Tipperary last time out and I think he is the one to beat.
Willie has two in the novice hurdle and they’re both fit after a busy summer. Letherbelucky was disappointing at Listowel last time and being by Luso, you'd have to wonder whether she'd act on the testing ground tomorrow.
Zuzka, on the other hand, was second behind a very good filly, Missunited, at Galway last time, and I’m riding her. I'm not sure about the two miles and five furlongs trip as she's not short of speed. I think Noel Meade's horse, Busty Brown, which won a maiden at Roscommon, and Tony Martin's horse which won at Listowel - Ted Veale - will be hard to beat.
I’m on False Economy in the Grade 3 chase. He travels strongly and jumps well but the testing ground is a big issue for him.
