There has been no jump racing this week in Britain, so I managed a flying visit home to see the family which was nice, it is always nice to go home and catch up with family and with racing on a lot, it is difficult to do. My nephews have had a new pony so they were playing.
Hopefully, they’ll be following in mine and James’s footsteps in the near future. As I said, it was just a flying visit as I rode in Punchestown on Wednesday.
I had three rides for Harry Fry over there, Caribert ran well in a handicap hurdle to finish 5th, it was a very competitive race and the winner, Elimay for Willie Mullins won it well, she looks a very progressive mare.
Jump racing in Britain resumes tomorrow with Hexham and Uttoxeter. I am excited to be starting on zero again and hope I can beat last season’s total of 91 winners. I will be in Uttoxeter with 6 rides, including Black Mischief for Harry Fry, he was last seen finishing down the field in the Pertemps hurdle in the Cheltenham Festival and tomorrow he makes his chasing debut.
In the Staffordshire Plate, I am riding Viens Chercher for Dad, he was a winner last time out in Stratford and we go there with a live chance. It is quite a competitive race with the Warren Greatrex trained Bob Mahler but hopefully we can run well.
It is great to be going into the new season with plenty of rides and it is exciting to see what the new season will bring, I am now connected with Harry Fry and as I mentioned before I am looking to beat last season’s target with some great ammunition behind me.
A lot of people ask if James and I have much rivalry, but we don’t really. We both like to see each other doing well and we are fortunate that Dad has enough horses for us both to have rides from the yard. James finished the season on 72 so he is definitely snapping at my heels, I am hopeful we both have a successful and injury free season.
