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Aintree Grand National Meeting – Day 1 I can’t wait for the three day meeting to begin tomorrow and as at Cheltenham I have a great book of rides to look forward to. I just hope we have the same level of luck and success and that the Festival exertions have not taken too much out of the horses. Alan worked all the Aintree horses’ first lot on Saturday and I was at Barbury Castle on Monday and Tuesday schooling and everything went well. I ride at Hereford today and then drive up to Liverpool tomorrow morning and stay up there for the three days. I have four rides tomorrow and my best chance must be MY WAY DE SOLZEN in the 3m half furlong long distance hurdle at 2pm. The ground will not be a bother and we know the horse is in good form, provided the Festival hasn’t left its mark which we don’t think it has he will take all the beating. As he is high in the table for the order of merit Alan will also enter him for Saturday and see how we go. NYRCHE has 16 opponents in the Red Rum Handicap Chase and will again run his race. He has a good chance of being in the first four. BLAZING BAILEY has 10 opponents in the novices hurdle over 2m 4f and I think he will definitely be in the first three and is a great each-way chance. Alan runs two in the mares’ bumper and I ride WYLDELLO for The Mickleton Racing Club. She will need to travel better than she did at Sandown to hold her position as Aintree is much sharper than Sandown. If she does she has an excellent chance. Apollo Lady also runs and she finished just behind us at Sandown and again has every chance. As with Cheltenham it will be early nights although I do have the charity darts competition on Thursday and have been practising my ‘arrers’ as it’s all for a good cause. I will be back on Thursday evening to review the day and preview my rides on Friday. Choc --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aintree Grand National Meeting – Day 2 Review & Day 3 Preview CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR! Four rides, every horse ran it's race and no real excuses. The weight concession to Mighty Man and the track probably suiting him better all counted against us but My Way de Solzen ran a cracking race. He will stay over at Aintree and Alan will make the decision if we run again on Saturday. Nyrche ran a superb race and just found one too good. He missed out the second last but that didn't make any difference. Blazing Bailey confirmed his Cheltenham form and in a race where four-year olds have a poor record ran a cracker. My fourth ride, Wyldello again occupied the runners-up spot but she gave me a great ride. She travelled well but I probably made a bit too much use of her early on and she got tired in the last 50 yards and hung into the rail. We were a winner everywhere but the line, but the hooligans from The Mickleton Racing Club are still celebrating and may not get home til Saturday! To put it all into perspective I visit the children in the cancer ward at Alder Hey Hospital tomorrow morning and that shows just how lucky I am. Three rides tomorrow, SHARAJAN in the novices hurdle for Alan and although the favourite will take all the beating I think we can finish in the first six. SENORITA RUMBALITA will give good account of herself in the 4:20 and I hope to be in the first four. She would be my best chance. Finally I ride BILLYVODDAN for Henry Daly in the handicap chase. He disappointed at Cheltenham and on one ride on him I didn’t give him the best ride ever. He jumps well and I am looking for a good run. Choc --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aintree Grand National Meeting – Day 2 Review & Day 3 Preview A quiet day which went very much as expected and although there was a real ‘nip’ in the air on Lady’s Day I maintained my concentration throughout! I did take a look at the fashion show but decided to give it a miss. Sharajan ran a good race but is still a bit quirky and will be a better horse when his head comes right. Senorita Rumbalita is still a weak baby but still ran a great race to finish fourth. She will be better with a summer on her back and I look forward to her next season. Billyvoddan didn’t really have his mind on the job and might need a pair of blinkers. He was reluctant to go out onto the final circuit and then we bumped into Whitenzo and I fell off. We might have been fourth or fifth. Four rides tomorrow and you can read all about my National ride on INNOX in my column in the Gloucestershire Echo. My best chance has to be in the novices chase on VOY POR USTEDES. He was magnificent at Cheltenham and I schooled him over three fences on Monday morning and he felt as good as ever. MUGHAS runs in the handicap hurdle and this could be his last hurdle run before he goes over fences. The handicapper won’t give him a chance and he has it all to do tomorrow. My final ride is in the bumper on PANGBOURNE and he would have an each-way chance. He is still quite quirky but I am getting the better of him. Sad to report I won’t be taking up darts full-time, the ground was too firm and I didn’t have the advantage of practice throw. I scored 37 which raises money for the Alder Hey Hospital. Joe Tizzard top scored on 98 but he has been spending too much time in the pub! I will be back tomorrow evening for the final roundup. Thanks for all the messages of support and whilst I was disappointed yesterday my visit to the children's cancer ward puts that all in to perspective. Some very brave children who are receiving fantastic treatment. Choc
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After so many frustrating seconds in was great to our head in front in the bumper on Pangbourne. Mind you, half way up the run in I would have settled for second having thought we would be lucky to finish in the first six. The slower ground helped him after he was outpaced early and he will now go over hurdles. Mughas was a similar kind of ride; he got outpaced and then stayed on through beaten horses to take third. The slower ground certainly helped and it was an excellent run. In the novices chase we were beaten by a better horse and I have no excuses for Voy Por Ustedes. The ground probably suited the winner better than us and he didn’t give me quite the same feel as he had at Cheltenham. He has a great future ahead of him. Not a lot to say about my Grand National ride on Innox when basically over jumped the first and came down. It was a great pity and the last thing I expected. I met up with my parents for a drink after the race and got back to the Cotswolds around 10pm to prepare for a quieter day at Market Rasen.
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