Osako D’airy will appreciate step up in trip
As I am sure you are well aware, I was in the wars at Cheltenham a week ago, suffering a ruptured spleen, which was totally removed under the surgeon’s knife that night.
It happened over hurdles off a horse called Pride Of Dulcote. He was only doing half-speed, cruising on the heels of the leaders, going down to the second last when getting it all wrong.
I hit the deck, but the fall wasn’t the problem, it was the fact that another horse, Powerstation, stood on me. I wasn’t sure what damage had been done, but knew straight away it was far worse than just being winded.
It was so sore that all I wanted to do was lie down. Of course, I dislocated my shoulder on the exact same day at Cheltenham the year before, but let’s not go reading anything into that. It’s simply sod’s law, this sort of thing can happen anywhere. For instance, I broke my hips two years running at the Listowel Festival.
Anyway, I’m in reasonable shape, all things considered. I’m up and about, able to walk and eat. I have no ill-effects and it is now a case of waiting to see how long it will take the body to heal.
I flew into Dublin yesterday, from Gloucestershire airport. I was aboard a private plane, which is owned by a man called Rich Ricci.
He and his wife have a number of horses with Willie Mullins, including Scotsirish and Pomme Tiepy. It was a huge gesture on the part of Rich and something which I very much appreciated. It obviously took all of the hassle out of travelling.
Today, I will be in front of the television watching Kauto Star, hopefully, doing the business at Haydock.
I’m going to find this hard, there’s no use pretending otherwise. He is one of the great horses of our time and, in happier circumstances, I’d be fit and well and with him.
But there are worse things in life, so let’s not dwell on such thinking for too long. He does look a bit of a certainty.
I’d say that if Cloudy Lane, Ollie Magern, Snoopy Loopy and Tamarinbleu ran in a relay against Kauto Star they still wouldn’t beat him.
Even on a bad day he is able to cope with Exotic Dancer, so if the Kauto Star who came to Down Royal a few weeks ago turns up then there can only be one result.
Elsewhere at Haydock, I like the look of Osako D’airy in a three mile handicap chase. He was formely trained by Steve Gollings and ran for the first time for Paul Nicholls at Aintree.
I rode him and he jumped terrible early on. But when I slowed down and got him jumping at the pace at which he was comfortable then he was great.
That race was over two and a half miles and I just felt his overall performance offered hope for the future. Stepping up another four furlongs now is ideal.
Glancing at Ascot, I am looking forward to seeing Elusive Dream, he was good to me last season, reappearing in the Grade 2 hurdle.
He is taking on some talented horses in Crack Away Jack, Chomba Womba and Franchoek and I’ll be more than interested in how he shapes up.
Another old friend of mine, Poquelin, will be seeking a hat-trick over fences in the novice chase. Remember, the recovery he made with me to win at Cheltenham last time?
He blundered badly at the water jump and then came from a mile behind to get up in the closing stages. I wouldn’t be overly concerned about his jumping and think he’ll win again.
Oslot, the Galway Plate hero, has a great chance of defying top weight in a handicap chase. I rode him at Aintree the last day and went to the front way too soon.
Paul also felt he hadn’t him as fit as he would have liked, so there is more than the possibility of a lot of improvement to come!
Paul sends Officier de Reserve over to Navan tomorrow for the Troytown. The horse is as fit as a flea, jumps like a stag, has a good pilot in Davy Russell and is unlikely to be too far off the pace from the start
The problem, however, is that I do not believe him to be well handicapped. Chelsea Harbour, which I liked when winning on him over hurdles at Clonmel, and the unexposed Notre Pere would join Paul’s horse as my three against the field.
Every National Hunt follower should make sure they see the clash of Pandorama and Alpha Ridge in the Grade 2 novice hurdle.
I was blown away by the display of Pandorama when he won at Navan and favour him, although I have great respect for Alpha Ridge.
You could do worse than have a few quid on Willie Mullins’ French-import, Mikael d’Haguenet, in a maiden hurdle, after all he only has 29 rivals to beat. He’s had four pops in his native country, three times over hurdles and once over fences. I’ve ridden him at home and he has a grand way of doing things and a great attitude.
