Bostons Angel very good value at around 16/1 for the RSA Chase
I’ll discuss my team in more detail then but I can report that unfortunately, Summit Meeting won’t make it after having a setback this week. Hopefully it’s not too serious but it’s certainly enough to rule him out.
Roberto Goldback has been added to the team though and we’ve more or less confirmed him for the Ryanair Chase. I have to talk to the owners and it will still depend on the ground but it’s more than likely that he will take his chance because the ground does look like being to his liking, which it wasn’t last time out in Gowran. We worked him yesterday and he was very good.
We’ve had the television people and the rest of the media here during the week and most of the interest is in Oscars Well as he is at the top of the betting list for the Neptune Investments Hurdle. I’ve said it already though that Bostons Angel represents very good value at around 16/1 for the RSA Chase considering he’s won two Grade 1s.
They both jumped this week. Bostons Angel was great over the fences although I can’t be as certain about Oscars Well because he jumps so fast I tend to shut my eyes.
They’ll leave here tomorrow afternoon and head straight for the racecourse and I’ll be anxious enough until I hear that they’ve made it there okay. I’ll head over then myself on Monday and stay as usual with Nicky Henderson.
They have watered the course a bit which means that they’re not expecting much rain but really, it doesn’t matter to me. Neither Bostons Angel nor Oscars Well will mind if it’s soft or good although from what we’ve seen this year, both of them will be even better on good ground to the soft they’ve been winning on.
We run Alpine Eagle in the Imperial Cup at Sandown today with AP McCoy riding as JP McManus’ retained jockey. I’m very happy with him and he will appreciate the good ground. He is high enough in the weights but he probably deserves to be there on his form so I wouldn’t be too worried about that.
In a race like this, you need things to go your way but if everything did go right he’d have a good chance. Johnny will do the honours over there as I want to stay at home and make sure everything is alright.
I have just three runners in Navan tomorrow as Wood Lily won’t run in Limerick although she has been declared.
Paradis De Thaix has a chance in the novice handicap while I hope Pontiac will win the beginners’ chase after his good run in Fairyhouse when he was fourth to Arabella Boy.
This is Espresso Lady’s last chance in bumpers. I have always felt that she would be better going left-handed so it is her opportunity to get off the mark now. As I said last week, bumpers at this time of the year are usually fairly good so you never know what might be lying in wait for you but I certainly think conditions will suit her and would expect a big run.
We hadn’t too many runners in the past seven days but I was very pleased with Saluting and The Engineer who both finished third in what I think were fairly good bumpers. Saluting is probably just a little bit weak yet and will get better, while The Engineer also looks a good prospect.
We worked a couple of our two-year-olds during the week ahead of the flat season too and they did quite well but they’re still a month or so off a run. Cheltenham may be around the corner but important and all as it is, we mustn’t forget that there will be plenty of racing after it.
