Open Meeting Ahead!

What an amazing few weeks it promises to be for racing -  not only has there been the small matter of Tony McCoy riding his 4,000^th winner, the standard of racing is getting better with each passing week and this weekend it steps up another notch with Cheltenham’s Open Fixture.  The stable has a rich history of success at this meeting throughout the years and I was fortunate enough to supplement my father’s eight wins by landing the Paddy Power Gold Cup with Great Endeavour in 2011.  We have a strong team assembled to try to continue that tradition this year.

I couldn’t start this week however without paying homage to that incredible man A P McCoy.  Enough has been written about his achievements throughout the years, that I do not need to replicate them here.  All I need to add is that he is thoroughly deserving of all the success that has come his way – you do not become as good as he is by accident.  A P has always been the consummate professional and his analytical and meticulous attention to detail is unlike any jockey I have had dealings with before.  Couple that with his strength, insatiable appetite for success and tactical nous and you have some of the ingredients for the finest jump jockey there has ever been.  What is more, he is a good man – unaffected by his success, ridiculously self-critical and sparing with his time for others…you can often see him signing autographs or posing for pictures with his hordes of fans at the races.  We are lucky to have an ambassador like him for our sport – let’s hope that he can continue for many more years to come.

As the flat season draws to a close the jumps season begins to really heat up and I am pleased with the form of the stable as we head into Cheltenham’s Open Meeting.  We enjoyed three successes last week, kicking off with last season’s useful bumper performer Doctor Harper (pictured above) delivering on that promise on his first start over hurdles at Exeter on Wednesday.  He had been a little slow to learn the ropes schooling at home so I was pleasantly surprised with how well he hurdled at the Devon track under Timmy Murphy.  With only four career starts to date (and his only defeat coming in the Festival Bumper) he looks capable of improving further and taking high rank among the novice hurdlers this season.

Guess Again kept the ball rolling at Warwick on Wednesday with success in the conditional jockeys’ staying handicap chase under Kieron Edgar.  Prominent throughout, he went on three out and was always doing enough to hold on in the closing stages.  With this being only his second run over fences he remains capable of better.

Our third winner of the week came in the prestigious Listed Badger Ales Handicap Chase at Wincanton on Saturday when Standing Ovation continued his rapid rise through the ranks with his fourth success in as many weeks.  He has gained in confidence with each win and become much more accomplished in his jumping, forging a formidable partnership with Conor O’Farrell who has been aboard for each of his successes.  He handled this softer ground better than I could have hoped for and he might now head to Cheltenham on Friday – unfortunately for Conor it is an amateur riders’ race, so he will have a new partner if he runs.  As I write this, I had expected the phone to be red-hot with amateur riders queuing up to take the mount at the home of steeplechasing, but they have been scarce so far!

Looking to the rest of the week, Broadway Buffalo who was five times a winner for us last term will run at Huntingdon on Tuesday and will be partnered by Tom Scudamore.  He was only narrowly beaten into fourth on his seasonal reappearance in the Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle at Chepstow, and despite being a pound higher here; there is every reason to think that he can continue to be competitive.

Shotavodka will run at Bangor on Wednesday.  He has a slightly disappointing seasonal reappearance to overcome at Ascot, but that was a very hot race and he did improve from his first outing last term, scoring three times as he progressed into a very useful hurdler.  We will have runners at Exeter on Wednesday afternoon, while we also have plenty of entries at Taunton and Ludlow on Thursday before the Cheltenham meeting begins.

We have loads of excting entries for the Open meeting, including the likes of high class performers Top Gamble, Azza, Goulanes, Legacy Gold, The Liquidator, Tanerko Emery, Dell’ Arca and Red Sherlock.  Ever popular grey Swing Bill might go for the amateur riders race (on Friday) that he has won for the last two seasons, although he could face stiff opposition from Standing Ovation should he take his chance under a penalty.

We have a strong hand in the feature race itself, with Dynaste, Ballynagour and Salut Flo remaining in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at the five day stage.  Dynaste is not certain to run as he could yet go to Haydock for the Betfair Chase the following week – plenty will depend on the usual tests that we carry out and whether top weight Finian’s Rainbow takes his chance.  As usual, for all of the latest information on stable runners, keep up to date with Chester’s Daily Chat.

We are nearing the end of our series of video interviews with the staff around the yard and today it is the turn of James Smith to give us his horse to follow for the winter season.  James, who works in the office here at Pond House is a keen follower of the formbook, so let’s hope he is able to point us in the direction of a winner…

James Smith Horse To Follow 2013/14

Finally with the flat season coming to a close I would like to give a positive mention to former jump jockeys Graham Lee and Jim Crowley who both finished the flat season with 99 winners on the board.  While I am sure they are disappointed not to have reached the magical ton, it is good to see these guys making a real go of it on the level, so well done to them!  Meanwhile the two Richard’s (Hannon and Hughes) mopped up the jockeys’ and trainers’ championships once again and judging by the scary strength in depth at East Everleigh, will remain very difficult to beat next season.