Get going with Hinterland
I marked him here for the Paddy Power meeting and he duly obliged.
He ran a bit keen that day but I’m hoping the experience will have done him good and that he’ll be a bit more relaxed this time.
There are only eight runners in the race so I don’t know if there’ll be a whole lot of pace but he was very impressive on his debut for Paul (Nicholls) and, as I said, we’ll all be disappointed if he doesn’t win again.
Join Together was also a winner at the Paddy Power meeting and he returns to the track for the novices’ chase.
He fell at the first on his chasing debut at Chepstow but made up for it by winning here next time. That was a good performance, and he loves the trip and stays all day.
Champion Court and Mossley are amongst the opposition but Join Together is a decent, improving horse. I don’t think he’s an RSA Chase winner but he showed he handles the track and has a great shout, despite being penalised for that last win.
Robinson Collonges has had a spell over hurdles recently but he returns to fences for the Jenny Mould Memorial Handicap Chase. He just didn’t stay the three-mile trip in the Fixed Brush Hurdle at Haydock last time. He travelled great and jumped great and if he had fallen at the first down the back, I’d have come in and the only question I’d have had is how far he’d have won.
Paul has decided to drop him right back to two miles for today’s race and that looks the right move. It’s a competitive race, with Tanks For That and Dave’s Dream representing the in-form Nicky Henderson’s yard, and you’ve got Oh Crick too. But I think the drop in trip will really suit him and he’s worth an each-way bet at a big price.
I ride Deireadh Re in the three-mile novices’ hurdle. He won his maiden at Worcester in June and was second in a novices’ hurdle last time. Paul thinks he’s the best of his point-to-point recruits and is confident enough about today, so he should go close.
I ride Ghizao in the December Gold Cup and I think he has a great chance. I was on him in the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter, where he jumped the first well but slipped into the water and landed on the lip of it. He never got going after that.
They were always going too fast for him there and I think the step up in trip will suit. I know he’s better than that and he’s capable of going close.
Harry Derham is friendly with the owners of Brampour so he keeps the ride in the International Hurdle. I’m on Sanctuaire but they’ll both need to improve. You’ve got Overturn and Grandouet, both of whom have been impressive, but I think Menorah is the one to beat.
I’m on The Knoxs in the Relkeel Hurdle but I don’t know much about him, other than that I saw Daryl Jacob win on him win at Exeter last month. He’s an eight-year-old that came from Howard Johnson’s but I don’t think he’s going to beat Oscar Whisky.
Willie (Mullins) runs two in Navan today that are worth keeping an eye on. Turban won well in Thurles on his debut and I’d be hopeful for a big run in the novice hurdle. Popcorn absolutely bolted in at the same meeting on his first run over fences and he’s going to take a lot of beating in the novices’ chase. He’s my nap for the weekend.
I ride Laganbank for Willie tomorrow at Punchestown. He won a maiden in Galway and then won the big novice hurdle in Listowel but my worry is that he’s by Norwich and I’m beginning to think that they like better ground.
I ride That’ll Do Me in the handicap hurdle for Dad. He won a bad contest in Thurles and he must carry a penalty for that in what is a much more competitive contest this time. He is improving though and won’t be far away.
The Durkan Chase is one we’d all like to win and if Cooldine was running off the back of his 16-length RSA Chase success in 2009, he’d be a certainty. We had the highest of hopes for him after that but he’s lost his way since and it would be difficult to see him turning around last month’s Thurles form with Joncol.
He’s in really good nick but it’s a long time since he won a race.
Lios A Choill is having his first run for a while in the beginners’ chase, but he has schooled well and Willie’s novices are running really well. If he jumps as well as Allee Garde and Blackstairmountain did on Thursday, I’ll be very happy.
He has a great chance in what doesn’t look a wonderful beginners’ chase. Big Eared Fran and Crash are the two to beat.
Finally, in the GSB Handicap Chase I ride Seabass, who won a point-to-point at Ballinaboola three weeks ago. He hasn’t been on the track for almost two years though and we’d be hopeful more than confident.
nI read the blueprint Horse Racing Ireland has for becoming self-financed and I have to say I think it reads well. Although I’m involved in racing, I would consider myself a layman in terms of policy and law, but that makes sense to me.
So I would hope that the government goes with the HRI blueprint. I know the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund was reduced by a million, but racing should be able to fund itself through betting tax and have no need to be funded by the taxpayer. That’s the bottom line.
The good thing is that there was reference in the budget to taxing phone and online betting, as well as the offshore operators and they’re trying to do something with that in terms of legislation. When racing can generate its own finance, that will be good news for everyone.
