Ruby Walsh is going to have plenty of top class horses to ride at Cheltenham.
As the retained jockey for Willie Mullins, Walsh will get to saddle some of the finest horses in the world including Hurricane Fly or Faugheen and Annie Power. His reputation as the best Cheltenham jockey around is backed up by his win ratio and the Irishman knows exactly what is required to succeed at Prestbury Park.
Even so he’s still a competitive man and despite the riches at Closutton, Walsh still has his eye on a few other horses that tickle his fancy, and he thinks would be guaranteed success next month.
So when Walsh picks four horses that he would love to ride at the festival next month it makes for interesting reading-least of all for the jockey’s he’d dismount to take their place. Bryan Cooper might not be too happy to do a job-swap for his ride on Don Poli in the National Hunt Chase but Ruby reckons he’s a certain winner on day one:
‘I’ve had to be imaginative about this. Don Poli is owned by Gigginstown so Bryan Cooper has the mount. But if he was switched to the amateurs’ race – the 4m NH Chase – Patrick Mullins would ride him. Stamina is not a problem. He settles well and is a good jumper. He’d be a penalty kick in this race an absolute nap.Being a gallant loser is no good to you at Cheltenham – it’s all about winners.’
His second selection is in the RSA chase as he thinks Martin Bradstick’s Coneygree could be a tempting change if he got the chance. Walsh thinks the horse might be a late fancy for the Gold Cup but would prefer a ride in the RSA,
‘Don Poli could run in the RSA but so too could Coneygree if connections decide not to go down the Gold Cup route with what looks like England’s best staying novice chaser. The English handicap certainly seems to think so and rates him 15lb better than Denman who I rode to win the RSA Chase by 10 lengths in 2007. If he’s 15lb better than Denman on ratings – I’d want to be on Coneygree in the RSA.’
The opening race of day four has Walsh eyeing up his chances on Hargam with Tony McCoy getting the boot from the impressive recent winner at Musselburgh.
Walsh thinks the horse,who’s recently seen a cut in the odds for the Triumph Hurdle, has the jumping power to win
‘This looks a very open contest and his stablemate Peace or Co looks a strong ante-post favourite. But I think his stable mate Hargam will put it up to him. He travels well in his race and jumps well so there’s no issues there. He had the speed to win Musselburgh and the stamina to win at Cheltenham and that’s a deadly combination in a race like this.’
And so onto the big one. The Gold Cup is race that Willie Mullins has never won and this year he’s going with three, including last year’s runner up On His Own. Walsh thinks that Silviniaco Conti could be the mount that will steal the crown from Lord Windermere:
‘There’s no doubt Silviniaco Conti is the the form horse going into the Blue Riband. He’s got beaten on his debut but has since won impressively at Haydock and the King George at Kempton and is 11lb clear on ratings. I don’t know why he stopped up the hill last year. Trainer Paul Nicholls has fitted cheekpieces and there was a suggestion that stomach ulcers were the problem last season when he wasn’t finishing his races strongly. But he sets the standard and that’s what you’re looking for in Grade One Championship races. Silviniaco Conti has run in the Gold Cup twice before (fell in 2013 when travelling well and was fourth last year after a detour) – but he can make it third-time lucky this year.’
H/T to Paddy Power
