Bishop hoping Jasmine is just perfect
One of the most consistent chasers in training, Just Jasmine was pushed up the ratings in November after turning the form book upside down to win a two-mile handicap chase at Cheltenham and finish runner-up to Shamawan in the Allied Irish Bank Chase at Ascot.
“She seems very well and is in good form, but from now on life is going to be pretty tough for her,” said the Somerset trainer yesterday, whose charge is a 12-1 chance with the sponsors.
“She’s on the highest mark of her life as an 11-year-old. She’s even 4lb higher than when she ran last time at Ascot.”
Bishop’s string has been in its best form this season for more than two years.
Ashley Brook’s gutsy performance to dead-heat with Widemouth Bay in the controversial photo-finish to the Ludlow bumper last Friday put the handler on 11 winners for the current campaign, one better than for the whole of last season.
The trainer’s resurgence has come mostly via hurdlers and bumper horses, and Just Jasmine was breaking a 20-month chase famine for the yard when she outstayed Martin Pipe’s Lady Cricket to take a two mile-handicap chase at Cheltenham in November.
“She went up nine pounds for winning at Cheltenham because she was out of the handicap that day,” said the trainer.
“We didn’t expect her to win. It’s funny how she couldn’t win off a mark of 128 or less for 12 months and then suddenly she wins off 134.
“They make fools of you sometimes.”
Although Just Jasmine has posted most of her best efforts on soft ground, Bishop is not too worried about the prospect of conditions drying out a bit by Saturday.
“Her form is just as good on any ground,” he said. “We used to think she needed a lot of cut but when she was winning her races on the heavy she was only rated 90 or 100, so no wonder she won quite well.”
Another thing in Just Jasmine’s favour will be her fine record at Ascot.“She’s had three seconds and a third from all her five runs at Ascot,” said Bishop. “She’s a pleasure to train. She always gives of her best. If she ever runs a poor race it’s because she’s ill.”
