Take Falcon to swoop in Champion
I’ve heard John Magnier has promised to fly in Glenn Campbell for the day and he’ll sing the song the horse is named for if he wins.
But if they don’t produce Campbell I know Norman Williamson will be more than happy to oblige with a rendition!
I’m staying in a house just outside Cheltenham with Norman, who can be heard singing it in the shower every morning. So all the connections are fairly confident and Norman can’t see him being beaten.
There’s no doubt he’s a very good horse and could be an Istabraq in the making but it’s just a case of whether this is his year. A lot of people doubt he has the experience and although I’m not one of them, he hasn’t been tested this year. It’s hard to know how good he is and it’s just such an open race.
It’s hard to know what to make of Jonjo O’Neill coming out and saying he preferred Intersky Falcon over Rhinestone Cowboy but I wouldn’t believe a word he says. It’s all part of the mind games and I’m sure he’s just deflecting the pressure away from Rhinestone Cowboy. It’s all part of the fun.
Rooster Booster’s the horse I’d love to be riding. Dicky Johnson’s riding him, though, and he’s very keen on him. I think he could run a big race too. The ground will need to be a bit softer for Like A Butterfly and I think it will be too fast for her.
The ground seems to be good to soft. It’s been drizzling away but not nearly enough to make a difference to it. I’d imagine it will be nearly perfect and I don’t think anyone will have any excuses unless they wanted it really soft.
I think Intersky Falcon will win. I don’t think he’s done all that much wrong. I know he’s only won on flat tracks but that’s because he’s never raced up and down hills. I was impressed with his performance at Christmas and, apart from Jonjo, I know Charlie Swan would be fairly sweet on him as well.
And then there’s Hors La Loi. He’s only been beaten once at the festival and that was by Istabraq. On this year’s form he has no chance but you’d just wonder with him coming back to Cheltenham at this time of year whether it will bring out the best in him. You couldn’t discard him.
I’m not expecting to be in the shake-up on Scolardy. He won the Triumph last year and he’s coming back but it’s probably a bit above him. I’ll be upsides Norman for a while though before I have to watch him manoeuvring through. And I’ll probably be able to hear him humming ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ as he’s doing it, practising for the winning enclosure. He’ll be praying Glenn Campbell doesn’t make it!.
As for the rest of the card, I’m confident the Irish will get off to a flying start in the Supreme Novices Hurdle. I expect Edward O’Grady’s Back In Front to win it but there should be a bit of interest in it for me as I’m on Archstanton for Willie Mullins. He’s been very bullish about his chances and is reminding people that his Tourist Attraction upset the odds to beat O’Grady’s Ventana Canyon in the same race back in 1995. So it has been done and Archstanton was only three-quarters of a length off Back In Front at Leopardstown the last day. Back In Front is 5/2 favourite and my fella’s 25/1, and on the strength of the form there, he’s got to have a big chance.
I’d still expect Back In Front to win and get the Irish off to a winning start but I’d hoping my one would not be too far away.
The Arkle throws together Azertyuiop and Adamant Approach but I think the former will be hard to beat, he’d nearly be my nap of the week. He’s done nothing wrong, jumped superbly and travels well, quickening off fast pace.
Adamant Approach would be the danger on his run last year but he lacks a bit of experience and I’d have liked to see him in a more competitive race than he faced the last day at Punchestown. So I think Ruby Walsh was right to choose Azertyuiop. I’ve been riding with him during the week and he’s very excited about him; he thinks it’s his best ride of the week.
I’m on Foxchapel King in the William Hill National Hunt Chase and he’s the classiest horse in the field but he’s top weight, 12st 2lbs, and it’ll be a struggle. I’d fancy Ad Hoc as a good each-way bet.
The last race gives me a good chance to finish the day on top. I’m riding Rostropovich in the Pertemps Final Hurdle. I rode him in the Champion Hurdle last year but his form hasn’t been bad this year. You can forget his last run, on very heavy ground. It’s coming right for him now and I rode him work during the week and he’s absolutely flying. It’s a tough race with 24 runners but at 12/1 he could give you a reward as he’ll be great running up the hill.
I’ll be up this morning doing a bit of work for Willie Mullins and putting the final touches to preparations for our biggest week of the year.
We were racing at Stratford yesterday and I was happy to get through the last race in one piece. The week before Cheltenham is always a nervy time for jockeys and you’d be a bit wary about you’d be doing and keeping an eye on the horses you’d be riding. But it was a good blow out before the main event this afternoon.
Touch wood and it’s all systems go.
