Consistent Kolumbus can gain overdue victory
I have only one ride this afternoon, in Navan, and it might be my best chance of the weekend. I ride Kolumbus in the maiden hurdle and think he can gain an overdue victory. In most of his runs, including last time at Naas, he was staying on, and he doesn’t have to improve much to win this.
We think he’s in good form, this is the weakest race I ride in this weekend and, while the ground will be testing enough for him, I’d be hoping he can get through.
My three rides tomorrow are in the three Grade 2 races, and I start off on Ballycasey in the Normans Grove Chase. Although the ground was very testing at Gowran when he won the Red Mills Chase, he doesn’t want it that heavy, and that is the biggest concern for him here.
But there aren’t many options for him, he seems to be in great form, and he has found a knack of winning again. I don’t think the drop back in trip will be that big an inconvenience for him - he was third in the Fortria in Navan.
Ball D’Arc has improved tremendously through the season and has to be respected, but we’re very happy with Ballycasey, the ground won’t be as testing as at Gowran and, if it’s loose, he should be okay.
I had the choice of four horses in the Rathbarry & Glenview Studs Novice Hurdle, and have gone with Bleu Berry. It wasn’t an easy choice, but the first one I ruled out was Riven Light, as he has been very disappointing. He doesn’t seem to have got his act together at all, and certainly hasn’t brought his home work to the track the last couple of times.
But I had to think long and hard about the others. I think going right-handed will see improvement from Montalbano, but he was just too disappointing behind Let’s Dance, last time at Leopardstown. He still has the potential to be a good horse, but that run just put me off.
Chateau Conti raced on the pace in the Deloitte, and the principals came from behind the pace, so his run may be better than the result might suggest. Nevertheless, it’s hard to see him turning the tables with Brelade, who was more than 10 lengths in front of him, and so I took a chance on Bleu Berry.
He won the last day, only by a short head, but he didn’t jump great, and I’m hoping, with that run under his belt, if he jumped better tomorrow there could be more improvement in him.
They’re all in good order at home, and I really don’t know if I’ve picked the right one. On the grander scheme of things, if I’m not on the right one, I’d be hoping one of Willie’s other ones will win.
I had the choice from three in the two-and-a-half-mile novice hurdle, and I’ve gone with Invitation Only. Of our horses, he brings the strongest form to the table. He won his maiden hurdle at Gowran, beating Barra, and she ran really well when second to Let’s Dance at Cheltenham.
He was obviously a bit disappointing behind Death Duty at Navan, but things just didn’t go right for him through the winter.
I don’t know exactly what was up with him, it was nothing major, he just wasn’t firing. He has been working better the past 10 days or fortnight, and I’m willing to forgive him that Navan run. He has a lot of potential, is a horse which should have a big future, and I’d be hoping he could go very well tomorrow.
Livelovelaugh stayed well to win over two and a half at Thurles, and ran well in the Neptune, when he was up there for a long way. Two and a half will suit him, and he can run well, but he’s probably caught between a rock and a hard place. I think he’ll win a lot of chases next season, as he’s a brilliant jumper.
Al Boum Photo is Willie’s other runner. The English handicapper gave him a mark of 131, which, realistically, is probably 127 or 128 in Ireland, and it’s hard to see that mark being good enough to be competitive. He’s a nice horse, and will make a chaser next season.
But this is a competitive race as well. Dad runs Any Second Now. He was a bit disappointed with him at Naas, but he’s still a very good horse, he’s just a raw, inexperienced horse. He has a lot of maturing to do, and he’s going to keep improving through the summer into next year, and the year after.
