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I WAS delighted to make it a second consecutive century up at Ludlow on Thursday.
I made the 100 in December last season, so I wasn’t as fast as last year, but that was always going to happen, given I have had to find 59 winners from elsewhere following John Ferguson’s retirement.
So when you look at it like that things couldn’t have gone much better this season, and I am delighted to have struck up such a good relationship with Jonjo O’Neill.
It was fantastic to win my 100th race on Marcilhac, who is trained by Venetia Williams, as we go back a long way..
I had four wins for Venetia last week and I am riding for her again at Kelso today. Jonjo didn’t have many entries this weekend and TENOR NIVERNAIS (4.00) caught my eye, so he’s the main reason I’m heading up to Scotland.
He is clear on ratings following his easy win at Ascot, a race in which I was a very distant second, and while it’s not a case of easy pickings, a repeat of his run last time will hopefully see him do the business.
Chance
Stablemate UN PROPHETE (2.50) is also not without a chance in the Cyril Alexander Chase. He’s won twice this season before being narrowly beaten by Champagne At Tara last time. Venetia’s horses are in great form and hopefully he can keep up the run.
I’m at Huntingdon tomorrow and, of the horses I’m familiar with, ROSIE MCQUEEN (5.00) looks to have a good chance in the Play Casino At 188Bet Mares’ Maiden Hurdle.
She made an encouraging debut for us at Market Rasen last month, finishing second to a Philip Hobbs hot-pot, and will no doubt be better for that experience. David Dennis has a good record in lots of decent staying races, so don’t rule CYCLOP (4.00) out of the 188bet Cambridgeshire National, while LITHIC (4.30) is not without a chance in the Download the App at 188bet Handicap Hurdle.
Over the last week a lot of people have come up and asked me which JP McManus horses I’ll be riding at the Cheltenham Festival, in place of poor Barry Geraghty, who is on the sidelines for a while after suffering a really bad fall last weekend.
Bonus
It’s flattering to have been associated with some of the JP horses, but I can genuinely say I have not been approached on that front.
I am certainly not heading to the Festival expecting to pick up a host of new rides, and I expect a lot of trainers will have their own jockeys in mind, but obviously if I do get asked to deputise for Barry on a horse, then that will be a lovely bonus.
I feel for Barry and wish him all the best with his recovery. Barry’s been there and done it all before and experienced some great highs, but it won’t make it any easier for him to watch from the sidelines.
Barry probably won’t be the last jockey to be ruled out of the Festival before it starts, and it’s a nervy time for a lot of people, especially the trainers, who will be praying their Cheltenham horses all get there in one piece.