Outlander to put in Titanic effort in Belfast Chase
Formerly trained by Willie, I fell off him at the last in the Irish Gold Cup and, as far as I’m concerned, he was going to win.
He then went to Cheltenham and was good second to Vautour in the Ryanair Chase, but was probably disappointing when second to Menorah on his final start of last season, at Sandown.
This track will suit, but I would be a bit concerned about the going – he would be better on slower ground.
This is a good renewal of the race, and there’s no doubt Silviniaco Conti will have been trained fairly hard for it. Paul Nicholls’ horse, like Henry De Bromhead’s and Gordon Elliott’s, are in great form, and he is the one we all have to beat.
Gordon runs Don Poli.
Also formerly with Willie, he’s a high-class horse, who was third in a Cheltenham Gold Cup and won a Lexus, but I just wonder does he have the real speed to win this kind of race on really fast ground.
On testing ground he would be hard to beat, but around Down Royal in November, on good ground, it should suit Silviniaco Conti more.
My other ride today is Outlander, in the Belfast Titanic Chase. He was a good novice last year, when he won his beginners’ chase at Punchestown, and followed up in graded races at Limerick and Leoparsdtown.
But things didn’t go right for him at Cheltenham, in the JLT. He was hampered at the start, lost a lot of ground, but fell at the fourth-last after getting himself back into the race. He’s usually a good jumper, should handle the ground, and has a really good chance.
You have to respect Le Mercurey’s chance, as Paul Nicholls has a great record in the race, and Zabana must also have a chance.
I know Zabana beat Outlander in Punchestown, but when that he missed the start at Cheltenham, he hampered Outlander, who ran a big race to get back into contention. And I think that a fresh Outlander, over two and a half miles, might have Zabana’s measure.
I’ll be in Cork tomorrow, starting off on Screaming Rose in the listed novice hurdle.
She has Blood Crazed Tiger and Black Warrior to beat but, with the mares’ allowance and her official rating, she is nearly the best in.
I thought she ran a blinder the last day, in Limerick, when just touched off by Peregrine Run, and the step up to three miles will suit.
The dry ground will also be in favour, and she has a really good chance.
Snag List, which I ride in the maiden hurdle, hasn’t been seen for a while, but is in good order. There are only six runners in the race, and there doesn’t look to be a star in it, so she must have strong claims.
She won her bumper well and while it seemed like she disappointed on her next start, at Cheltenham, ultimately it was a good run. She is fit and well, has schooled well, will love the ground, so, fingers crossed, she will win.
In the novice chase I ride Westerner Lady. This is a cracking race, with Alpha Des Obeaux and Jetstream Jack amongst her four rivals.
I know my mare beat Alpha Des Obeaux a long way at Tipperary, but she had a fitness advantage that day and it was his first run over fences.
He has since been to Thurles and won and I’m under no illusion, it will be a different Alpha Des Obeaux we will face today.
But Westerner Lady jumps, gallops, has won around Cork, and so we’ll give it a good go and see how we get on.
I’m on New Kid In Town in the Cork National, and he comes here after an easy victory over this track.
That was over two and a half miles, and today’s race is over three and a half, but he is unbeaten in two runs here, having also won his maiden hurdle over three miles here. It’s a competitive race, but I expect a good run.
I finish up on Living Next Door in the two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle.
He is a classy sort at best, as he showed when winning the Paddy Power Chase in 2014, and is much lower over hurdles than fences. But he hasn’t run for a long time, so is probably best watched tomorrow.
Willie runs Fairy Court in this race, and Patrick rides him.
He ran a cracker on his first start of the season, in a novice chase, and would have a chance back over hurdles. We run Good Thyne Tara in the bumper, and I think she’ll win.
At Naas, Willie runs Avant Tout in the Grade 3 Poplar Square Chase. Two miles would probably be sharp enough for him, but the conditions of the race suit.
He is the highest rated horse in the race, and if he’s going to run in the Hennessy he needs to have a run somewhere first.
In contrast to the horses in Cork, he is the first of our winter horses to run.
He’s in good order, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he won, but he will improve for the run.
