Chepstow, Friday
For many people, this weekend at Chepstow marks the beginning of the Jumps season proper, but in my mind, the season started back in May.
It’s been a busy summer and we’ve been rolling along nicely. We’ve got a lot of nice horses to run over the winter, so we’re looking forward to them. My first ride on Friday is on Innisfree Lad in the Veterans’ Handicap Chase (1.35 pm). I won on him a long time ago over hurdles off a much lower mark. It’s his first start of the season and his trainer has said that he’ll improve for the run. You’ve got some solid chasers in there in opposition, so it’s not surprising he’s further down the betting. I’d be more hopeful than confident, but hopefully, he can run a nice race and build on it on his next start.
Presentandcounting goes in the Persian War (2.10 pm). His main target was the race he won by 10 lengths at Worcester last time, but if the handicapper is right in his reassessment of him then he deserves a shot at a race like this. He’s been a brilliant horse this season – winning four times already. He’s had a very good summer and is fit and well. He loves fast ground, so I’d imagine you won’t see him if the going turns soft. He ran at Chepstow last season in a novice chase and finished third when we dropped him in and probably rode him a bit too negatively. We’ll be riding him from the front on Friday, which he’ll like.
Everything bar Accidental Rebel is coming here on the back of a break of over 100 days. Obviously, this is a Grade 2 and there are a lot of good trainers represented who will have their horses reasonably fit and ready to go, but I’m hoping we have a bit of a fitness edge over most of them, just because we’ve had plenty of recent runs. My horse is in great form and I’m as hopeful as you can be in a Graded contest. He should run a nice race.
In the novices’ hurdle (2.50 pm), I’m on Dan Daly for Christian Williams. I don’t know much about him, other than he was third in a point-to-point and is by a fashionable sire in Soldier Of Fortune. Hopefully, he can run a nice race.
I’ve ridden Just The Man (4.00 pm) a couple of times. He ran okay at Cheltenham in a decent enough handicap last season and I also finished second on him at Hereford. He needs the race to be run at a good tempo, which it should be with See The Sea in here. He’s a drop-in horse that tends to come with one good run at the end. It’s not a big field but you could make a case for most of these runners. I’d like to think he’s got a chance of running a good race.
