The Betway ambassador and Cheltenham Festival top jockey discusses his three rides this weekend, with Magic McColgan at Navan on Saturday and two more on Sunday at Limerick.
It’s been a crazy week following our success at the Cheltenham Festival, with plenty of media requests and celebrations thrown in there. It was particularly special to be able to parade Il Etais Temps, Lossiemouth and Gaelic Warrior in Leighlinbridge on Wednesday evening, and it really was fantastic to see so many people come out to celebrate with us.
It’s back to the hard work this weekend, though, and I just have the one ride at Navan on Saturday, so hopefully Magic McColgan can make it worth the trip in the Listed Novice Handicap (16:17). She ran a solid race last time when second on handicap debut at Naas, but she was a tad keen that day, so she’ll have to settle a bit better over this longer trip. She’s 6lb higher here for finishing second, which will make life more difficult, but I think she’d have won the last day if she’d have jumped the last better, so there still might be a bit of scope in her mark. She is improving with each run too, so I think the key is to get her to relax, but I’m confident I can get her settled and she goes there with a solid chance.
It’s then off to Limerick on Sunday for two rides, the first of which is Dani Donadoni in the Maiden Hurdle (14:53). He’s been a bit disappointing over hurdles considering the promise he showed in bumpers, but he was better last time when second to a nice horse of Barry Connell’s. Doctor Elvis looks the main danger after his second at Naas last time, but we both have official marks and we’re rated 7lb higher than Gordon Elliott’s horse, so I’ll be hoping we can prove the handicapper right. A reproduction of his run the last day should be good enough in this, so hopefully he’ll get off the mark over hurdles this weekend.
Conditions should be fine for both Magic McColgan and Dani Donadoni over the weekend, but I wouldn’t mind the ground drying out a bit for You Oughta Know. I ride him in the Grade 3 Novice Chase (16:02), and although he’ll need to bounce back from a few disappointing efforts of late, he is the highest rated in the field. We do have to give weight away to James Motherway’s mare, Uhavemeinstitches, and she looks the one to beat on some of her best form this year. She unseated in the Leinster National last time, but she has some good form behind Dinoblue and The Big Westerner, so although we have much more experience than her, she might just be open to that little bit more improvement.
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