Noble Inn crying out for two and a half miles
You’d have to say Annie will definitely win on all known form, if turning up anywhere near as good as we know she is.
Heading to Cheltenham, she was uneaten in ten races and we had great hopes of landing the Ladbrokes’ World Hurdle with her.
But on the day we had to give best to a really good horse in Jonjo O’Neill’s More Of That, who beat us by a length and a half.
Annie was a bit too free for her own good, but it was still a fine performance and she lost little or nothing in defeat.
Cockney Sparrow is the danger, if there is a danger, having beaten My Tent Or Yours at Ayr last time.
The World Hurdle, of course, was run over three miles, but I don’t see two and a quarter now as any sort of problem.
It will be lovely if Annie Power can sign off on the perfect note and there is no reason to think she won’t.
The other Grade 1 on the card is the four-year-old hurdle and has the makings of a cracking contest.
I’m on Abbyssial, the horse that sent me crashing out of Cheltenham in the Triumph Hurdle.
It happened at the second flight, when he essentially changed his mind. Originally, I felt he was going to back off the obstacle, but then he threw himself at it and the rest is history.
I suppose you could argue he owes me one, but I don’t really see it that way, on the basis any horse can fall and it’s just racing.
Abbyssial has been working very well on good ground at home and I’m more than hopeful will give a good account of himself.
Tiger Roll, Kentucky Haydn and Guitar Pete, first, second and third respectively in the Triumph, are all in here again and that emphasises what a quality contest this is.
Tiger Roll was impressive and the form was subsequently boosted when Guitar Pete went on to score at Aintree.
Kitten Rock’s second to Ivan Grozny at Fairyhouse doesn’t look good enough, while Adriana Des Mottes seems to want further.
The thinking is if Abbyssial manages to finish in front of Tiger Roll then he’ll win.
My afternoon begins on Vesper Bell, who has to carry top weight in a three miles and six handicap chase.
He finished 13th in the Grand National at Aintree last time, but was second in this a year ago to Goonyella.
If he can run as well as he did then he will have a life, although I do wish we had less of a burden to carry.
I’m also on another top weight, Prince de Beauchene, in a three miles and a furlong handicap chase and he arrives having finished 16th in the National at Aintree.
He actually ran well for a long way and dropping markedly down in trip will do him no harm.
Willie Mullins sets a real poser by saddling no less than nine runners in a valuable two and a half mile handicap hurdle.
Here’s what I think of them, starting with Smashing, who ran a blinder in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham.
The trip is probably too sharp for Mikael D’Haguenet at this stage, while Tarla is hard to fancy.
I’m on Upsie, who will love the ground and ran a nice sort of race at Fairyhouse on her latest appearance.
Upazo has lost his way and Indevan works great at home, but doesn’t bring it with him to the track.
Bally Longford performed with promise behind Daneking at Fairyhouse, I can’t make a case for Wicklow Gold, which brings me to the one I feel may be the best of them, Noble Inn.
He is crying out for two and a half miles and, if I could manage 9-10, would be with him without hesitation.
At Punchestown on Thursday, I managed to get it wrong on Quevega. I would have loved to have had another go at the race and don’t particularly like that feeling.
Was I kicking my self afterwards? Of course. She made a mistake two out and I went from about three lengths down to some seven lengths.
Davy Russell, on Jetson, didn’t wait for me and was away and gone in a flash. That’s race riding and I’ve no complaints.
Overall, outside of what happened to me at Cheltenham, I have had a great season and enjoyed many Grade 1 successes.
It was different as well to what I was used to, with no endless travelling to Britain to ride for Paul Nicholls. I must say, I did enjoy the new regime.
Willie Mullins has a wealth of talent at his disposal, so there is much to look forward to next season. And today I will be crowned champion jockey for a ninth time and that’s not bad.
