SCU 33-1 FOR TWIN PEAKS
TOM SCUDAMORE, who rides the favourite in both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National, is 33-1 to pull off this remarkable double with Coral.
The feat eluded his father Peter, the eighttimes champion jockey, but his grandfather Michael partnered Oxo to victory in the 1959 Grand National and rode Linwell to win the 1957 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The double, in the same season, was last achieved in 2002 when Jim Culloty rode Best Mate to victory in the Gold Cup and Bindaree in the National.
“Having already won the King George on Thistlecrack, Tom’s just 33-1 to complete a famous hat-trick of wins in the season’s three biggest chases,” said Coral’s David Stevens.
Scudamore has not lost faith in Thistlecrack, his Gold Cup mount, despite finishing second on the gelding behind Many Clouds at Cheltenham last month. “We were beaten by a better horse,” said Scudamore. “I go to the Gold Cup with plenty of confidence. But if you look through history all the good horses — bar Frankel — are beaten at some point and I’d rather it was in January than in March.
“He never let us down and we’ll go to the Gold Cup as worthy favourites.
“Dad rode lots of winners but isn’t necessarily associated with one horse, and he’s in awe of Thistlecrack; he’d have loved to have ridden him.”
Scudamore is also enthusiastic about his Grand National ride Vieux Lion Rouge, now 10-1 favourite for the race, after his win over Blaklion at Haydock on Saturday.
“He’s a different horse since last year,” said Scudamore of the chestnut who finished seventh behind Rule The Word in last year’s National.
“He went to Liverpool and it made him. He went back and won the Becher Chase [in December], putting in a foot-perfect round.
“He did the same on Saturday and is an exciting ride to look forward to at Aintree.”