Milanhorse will appreciate the rapidly drying ground
Essentially, he is going on trial for the Grand National and this will tell me whether I should consider teaming up with him again at Aintree.
I rode Join Together in the RSA Chase at Cheltenham last March and he didn’t make much of a show, pulled up behind Bobs Worth and First Lieutenant.
But dropping down into handicap company is entirely different to attempting to match strides with Grade 1 horses.
Join Together’s last outing was at Aintree in December, when finishing a neck second behind Hello Bud. The bottom line today is that, while he doesn’t necessarily have to deliver, the eight-year-old has to run a big race if hopes of winning the National are in any way realistic.
I’m hoping Themilanhorse gets me away to the perfect start in the first, a novice chase, a contest in which there are only three runners.
He has been a bit disappointing of late and was outpaced when fifth in a Kempton bumper last time. Themilanhorse will appreciate the rapidly drying ground however and, on a relatively quiet day, is probably my best chance of a winner.
I’m more hopeful than confident about Toubab, under top weight, in a two miles plus handicap chase. I rode him to finish eighth of nine at Sandown last time, when the ground was very testing.
He too will like the much livelier surface, but I couldn’t go and recommend anyone to back Toubab at the same time.
I think I have a fair enough chance of winning an extended three mile handicap hurdle aboard Aaim To Prosper.
There is every possibility he is reasonably handicapped, having finished second over two and a half miles at Ascot. Again the quicker ground is a decent plus for him and he will also love the step up in trip.
I end my visit to Doncaster on Captain Kelly in a novice hurdle. He won a bumper on the all-weather for Daryl Jacob at Wolverhampton, but I think this is a moderate horse and am in no way bullish.
I must pass on word for Paul Nicholls’ Michel Le Bon in a handicap chase at Newbury. He has pulled up on his last two appearances and that’s hardly encouraging.
But Paul says Michel has schooled and galloped in blinkers of late and they have made a big difference to him.
It’s Leopardstown for me tomorrow and three rides for Willie Mullins and one for Tony Martin.
I start on Upazo in a maiden hurdle. He was disappointing at Punchestown when only seventh, but the ground was bottomless and this will be far more suitable.
Upazo ran well at Naas prior to that, second to Jennies Jewel, and she has boosted the form on two occasions since. It’s a decent enough contest, but I would expect Upazo to at least leave Punchestown a fair way behind.
Blackstairmountain, on the back of scoring at Cork, runs in a wide-open hurdle. The conditions of the contest aren’t exactly in his favour, but it would be nice if he could score, on the way to bigger targets.
Willie plans to take him to Japan for two races, one at the end of this month and another in April. The prizemoney on offer, especially for the second, is massive.
I’ve never been to Japan, but will probably go with him, on the basis of always having had a Yen for the place.
My third for Willie is on Rupert Lamb in a novice chase. He jumped great when scoring at Leopardstown, but this is a tougher test and, you’d imagine, The Real Article will become more of a danger, the more the ground dries out.
I partner Matsukaze for Tony in a handicap hurdle. There is only one way to ride this horse and it it is out the back. When there’s a big field, and you do that, then the chances of getting into trouble are obviously increased.
I will have to get him to settle and, crossing the road, with seven furlongs to run, we could be stone last. Don’t be complaining if I get it wrong, you are armed with the knowledge.
Willie has a number of runners at Navan today and I want to mention two of them, Champagne Agent and Toostrong.
Champagne Agent is very frustrating, but is going to crop up some day and it might be in a maiden hurdle. The ground at Navan was given as soft yesterday, but could ride quicker than that. The quicker it is the better for Toostrong, in a beginners chase.
