Neptune to leave ’em all at sea
That said, the ground is going to be very testing and this promises to be a real slog, which brings the Welsh Grand National winner, Notre Pere, very much into contention.
Neptune Collonges has shown his best form on decent ground at Punchestown. There is no comparison between Punchestown on good ground and Leopardstown in the heavy.
Leopardstown is a huge galloping track and three miles round there can often be the ultimate stamina test. As you all know, Neptune fell two out when a couple of lengths clear of Exotic Dancer in the Lexus at Leopardstown at Christmas.
The jury is out as to who would have won, after I asked my horse for a big leap. As I said at the time, I wanted Neptune to land running and, instead, I landed running! He has schooled nicely in the meantime, although I haven’t actually sat on him.
It’s going to be a complete slog, but Neptune loves to bowl along and I won’t be disappointing him. Notre Pere appears to stay forever and will revel in the surface. I’d imagine the plan will be to try and edge away from him from the second last, so let’s see how it pans out.
The juvenile hurdle will go a long way towards sorting out the Irish challenge for Cheltenham’s Triumph Hurdle. I’m on Mourad, but he faces two high-class opponents in Jumbo Rio and Ebadiyan.
Jumbo Rio beat Mourad a short head at Punchestown and, obviously, there is nothing between the pair. We had Ebadiyan behind in third that day, but he has made massive improvement in the meantime and I have been greatly impressed by him.
This is a proper race, but I do like Mourad. He’s a decent little horse, is tough and entitled to come on plenty for his first run over hurdles. I expect him to go close.
I ride Savitha for Paul Nolan in a handicap hurdle and she won’t be far away either. We were bombing heading to two out at Gowran Park and then she crashed into the obstacle.
Savitha should really have finished ninth after that, but what Iiked was the manner in which she rallied to take fourth. I suppose there are some doubts regarding her ability to get two and a quarter miles, but I think she’ll stay.
Cooldine has a great chance in the Grade 1 Moriarty Chase. I have never hidden my admiration for him and he is working really well.
He was a smashing novice hurdler and you could never get to the bottom of him. Cooldine had a good run behind Follow The Plan at Leopardstown at Christmas, over two miles and furlong, which was all too short. An extra four furlongs now is a major help.
I round off my weekend aboard Mourne Rambler for Tony Martin in another handicap hurdle. Tony tried him over three miles last time and he hadn’t a hope in hell of seeing it out, the way he behaved.
Mourne Rambler refused to settle and we had gone fully two miles before he dropped the bridle. This is a dramatic drop in trip and I just hope he’s not tapped for speed.
I head to Ascot today for three rides, but am not wildly optimistic about my prospects. If I find one winner that will represent a solid afternoon’s work.
I’m on Breedsbreeze in the Reynoldstown Chase and he will be trying to keep his unbeaten record over fences intact. He’s won three times, but this is far and away his stiffest task to date, even if there are only four runners.
They are all classy individuals and I’ll be surprised if there isn’t loads of pace from the start. I still have niggling worries about Breedsbreeze actually staying three miles.
I know he won over three at Kempton last time, but Ascot is a totally different kettle of fish. This will tell Paul Nicholls and myself exactly what we have.
America Trilogy has a nice weight, 10-2, in the following hurdle, but this will be his first handicap and he needs to step up on what he’s done so far to be competitive.
Gwanako is progressive, but it is a big ask against Voy Por Ustedes in the Betfair Chase. The trip will suit and he’s a horse who has progressed with every outing.
Realistically, however, Voy Por Ustedes lives in a different world, after all he did trounce Master Minded at Aintree. Tamarinbleu will love the ground and if I can rob second off him that would nearly do. Anything beyond that will be a bonus.
At Gowran today it won’t surprise me if Willie Mullins continues his terrific run of success. Captain Conflict, who has improved plenty at home, will be on the premises in what seems a good quality beginners chase.
Willie runs yet another nice newcomer, a Flemensfirth horse called Glenlo Abbey, in the bumper, while his Art Sleuth should be his best of the day in the four-year-old maiden hurdle. I partnered him at Gowran and we were unlucky losers.
My thoughts on Denman! I was so disappointed with him at Kempton, he was just lifeless. There was a lack of buzz, he was too calm. But I’m not going to write him off, it is hard to believe he has gone overnight!
I got suspended for a day on Palace Merano at Thurles on Thursday and consider the sentence harsh. I was done for excessive frequency, essentially for not allowing the horse time to respond.
I was a length down with 25 yards to go, I’d just love to know from where that time was supposed to come. I threw the kitchen sink at him and we won a short head.
To do anything else would have meant certain defeat and that was no good to me, the connections of the horse or punters who might have backed him.
