Daryl Jacob says the whole team are delighted with Bristol De Mai ahead of the Randox Grand National, while he reviews his Cheltenham and takes the positives from the week.
Cheltenham is over for another year and it was a week dominated by the Irish.
They won seven out of the nine handicaps, pretty much all of the graded races and simply have the best horses at the moment.
Rachael Blackmore’s success is fantastic for the sport and she deserves all the plaudits. She’s a phenomenal jockey, a great horsewoman.
She had some great rides going into the week and she deserved the crown, she kept things very simple all meeting and was very effective, so all credit to her.
I was disappointed to not come away with a winner but some of our horses ran well and we can look forward to the rest of the season.
One horse who missed Cheltenham was Bristol De Mai, as he’s been saved for Aintree, and Sparky is delighted with him at the moment, he’s very well at home.
It’s still all systems go for the Randox Grand National with him and he’ll have a school over some Aintree-style fences in the next 10 days or so.
Top Notch ran a cracker for Luca Morgan in the Paddy Power Plate in first-time cheekpieces, so hopefully he can have a good end to his season and form part of our Aintree team, as well.
As for my Cheltenham mounts, some were good, some were unlucky and some didn’t run up to scratch. But there were plenty of positives to the future…
Blue Lord
Obviously it was disappointing to fall at the last when we were going to be a good second in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’, but I was very happy with him overall. He travelled really nicely and did everything well apart from at the last. But he’s okay, he’s a chaser in the making and I hope he’s got a very bright future.
Caribean Boy
I’d imagine he’ll step up to three miles next time. It was a standing start in the Paddy Power Plate and he shied from the tapes as they went up, so that was his race over before they’re really set off. He was too far out the back in a race that wasn’t run very fast.
Fusil Raffles
Second in the Marsh Novices’ Chase behind his stablemate Chantry House, he ran a great race and there were plenty of positives with him. It was a career-best run, he’s gone up a few pounds in the ratings and we think he’s still improving. He’ll go to Aintree for the Grade One Manifesto Novices’ Chase and I’m looking forward to riding him.
James Du Berlais
He jumped and travelled like a very good horse for the first part of the Unibet Champion Hurdle. Then I got to the back of three out and I didn’t have much gas left in the tank as the race quickened away from me. I looked after him, but I’m sure he’ll be an exciting chaser next year.
Monte Cristo
He ran very well in the Coral Cup and probably would’ve been second or third but for being badly hampered by a faller at the last. That was his chance gone, but I hold him in high regard and he’ll go to Aintree with a good chance.
Sceau Royal
He ran a great race in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase. Obviously we had the interference rounding the home turn and it was a shame that happened, I think he would’ve been there or thereabouts without it. He’ll miss Aintree and head to Sandown for the Celebration Chase.
Tax For Max
He showed some promise when sixth in the Triumph Hurdle. He travelled and jumped nicely, he just needs to settled down a little bit more and hopefully he will do when he adapts to our style after a summer’s break. He looks a nice hurdler for next year.
Zambella
Zambella was going well when she fell in the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase. It was unfortunate for her, she just paid the price for making too many mistakes. She came down three out and I think she would’ve been in the first three or four.