I’m really looking forward to my rides this weekend, I have a couple of decent chances today at Exeter and then a few big rides at Aintree too.
Friday – Exeter
2:40
My first ride is Gunsight Ridge, who ran a great race last time out at Aintree. He was staying on strongly at the end and the step up in trip is definitely what he wants, I’m very confident about his chances today.
3:15
My other ride is Firestream in the bumper, we’re the horse everyone needs to beat, but it’s a big field for a bumper and you don’t know what you’re up against. I will look to have him just off the pace and hopefully we will be able to put in a winning run down the straight. He is a nice horse and one Anthony likes a lot home.
Saturday – Aintree
11:15
It’s an early start for me on Saturday with racing getting underway at 11:15am, but I have a horse I really like in the first and that’s, Bombs Away. He is still a work in progress and does need to learn a lot more, but he is very good. He is still a bit green and keen, so we will need to drop him in which might give my main rival Richmond Lake the advantage. It’s the best thing to do for the horse, but he still has a massive chance of winning this race.
12:20
My next ride is for Willie Mullins in the Mares’ Chase and I have a great chance here. Elimay is a very classy mare and she was only just beaten in the Mares’ race at the Cheltenham Festival. I would be disappointed if we didn’t win this race.
2:05
The Many Clouds Chase is a very deep race this year and my lad Sam Brown would want rain and for it to be a proper test. All of his best form is on soft or heavy, so I’m praying there is some rain about tonight and in the morning. If we do get the rain and it is a test, he has a good chance.
2:40
Snow Leopardess is a bit of a celebrity these days with her back story. For anyone that doesn’t know, she had an injury and then she was in foal, so she missed a lot of time off the track, but since she has come back, she has just got better and better. Her last run at Bangor gave me a huge amount of confidence and as soon as I got off her, I said to Charlie, let’s go to the Becher Chase at Aintree. I schooled her over the national fences in the week at Lambourn and she pinged every one of them. It’s a hard race to call, but I still get a massive thrill jumping over those big national fences.
3:15
My last ride of the day is Straw Fan Jack for Shelia Lewis, who does an incredible job with a small string of horses. His last run is a lot better than it looks, he travelled very well in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham, and if we get a good run round, we won’t be far away at all.
I get asked a lot, what I do during the week in the winter? The answer is, not a lot as the racing is so full on. My day normally looks like this; get up around 5ish and have a coffee to wake me up. I will then head out to ride a few bits of work and then school a few. Most of the time I’m at Olly Murphy’s, but it all depends who I’m riding for that week. Then I will head off to the races, you clock up a lot of miles in the winter. After I finish riding I will normally head home, but occasionally I will meet up with my good mate William Kennedy for a drink.
I love going to the gym, but in the winter I’m only able to go probably once every two weeks, compared to the summer when I will go 3 to 4 times a week. I do try and find a gap in the schedule in January to go Skiing, as that is something I really like doing and I normally head away with a few of the lads from the weighing room.
Good Luck and Stay Safe, Aidan