I’ve had a busy week, with a few good winners including Dreams of Home, who retains his unbeaten record having won nicely at Newcastle, as well as Word Has It who backed up his impressive Maiden hurdle win with another in a Novice hurdle at Kelso.
I’m heading back to Kelso tomorrow where I have six rides…
Saturday 27th March – Kelso
I’ve not ridden this horse before but he’s a bumper winner and finished second in his two Novice hurdles. You’d have to think he has a good chance in this – the trip shouldn’t be a problem, he’s unexposed and open to more improvement so I’m hoping he runs a big race.
Again, I’ve not ridden this horse but there are only five runners – Fourth of July was a good winner of a very ordinary race the last day and has been well penalised for that. I think Dandolo Du Gite probably came up against a well handicapped horse the last day, he’s been running well this season and should have every chance.
He’s been a good horse on his day. On the best of his form you would have to give him a chance. Obviously two nice horses, Claude and Goldie and the Grimthorpe winner, Red Infantry, are in it but I think he’s going there off a nice weight and has a good chance.
He’s a lovely horse who has won three out of four runs this season, last time out being his first run since a wind operation. He’s had a nice amount of time between that race and this is a horse I really like and although it’s a decent race, I think he’s still improving and wouldn’t want to be riding anything else.
He won at Wetherby last time out. It’s a small field but a competitive race; obviously Hasanabad is 3lbs out of the weights (he ran well in the Imperial Cup) and Tommy’s Oscar has had a good year. Hopefully, if he runs at Kelso off 10stone (also declared at Musselburgh today), you’d like to think he has every chance.
I am led to believe he’s a nice horse but it’s a Newcomers bumper so we’ve got no form to go on. I ride plenty for his trainer, Stuart Crawford, who I know likes him a lot. He trains numerous bumper winners so at least he has other to gauge him off. I’m hopeful he’ll run a decent race, but you can never be sure of what to expect when a horse runs for the first time.