Daryl Jacob reflects on picking up a spare ride aboard Real Steel in the King George, recent winners including Fusil Raffles and his chances at Ascot on Saturday.
Real good ride in the King George
I’m delighted to have picked up the ride on Paul Nicholls’ REAL STEEL in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
He’s in as fifth favourite at around 16/1 at the moment and it came about as the owners, including Jared Sullivan, just got in touch and offered me the mount, so I was obviously delighted to accept.
It’s a race I’ve always wanted to win and though he has a couple of better-fancied stablemates to beat I think he’s got a good each-way chance.
I’ve ridden some fantastic horses in the King George like Master Minded, Cue Card and Bristol De Mai, but I’ve never won it and the closest I’ve ever got was when Al Ferof was third behind Silviniaco Conti, so it’s great to get another chance this year.
I sat on Real Steel last week and he’s in great nick. I watched his run in the Gold Cup again the other day and he didn’t half travel sweetly throughout that race, so three miles around Kempton might just be his bag.
Back in January I saw his talents first hand as he sailed by me at Thurles when I was riding Footpad and he looked really impressive, while you can take the positives from his seasonal reappearance at Ascot, too.
He’s an exciting ride to pick up in the King George, for sure. I’m off to school him on Monday morning as part of his final preparation for the race so fingers crossed he can run a big one in what is always the festive highlight.
Fusil and Messire the highlights of winning streak
I’ve ridden five winners from 11 runners since the last column so it’s been a cracking week and it all kicked off with ZAMBELLA last Thursday.
She won the Listed Lady Godiva Chase at Warwick, she was very good giving weight away. Two-and-a-half miles was not a problem for her, it was an improvement on Bangor and she’s going the right way over fences.
I then went onto Cheltenham and I was delighted with FUSIL RAFFLES up in trip in the novices’ chase over two-and-a-half miles.
He showed his class, as he didn’t enjoy the ground one bit. Tom Scudamore went a good gallop on Lieutenant Rocco, so there was no hiding place out there and giving weight to everything, he was very impressive.
I’m glad we got that run into him and he’ll have a bit of a break now for the spring targets. Obviously the Marsh Novices’ Chase is an option, but there is Aintree as well and we could always skip Cheltenham.
There are loads of targets for him in the spring including Ayr and Sandown, too, so he’ll have a break now ahead of what could be a busy backend to his campaign.
SCEAU ROYAL ran well in the International Hurdle, it wasn’t ideal for him with the ground being against us and the hurdles missing because of the low sun. In the circumstances he ran a belter and only just faded out of things in the last 75 yards.
Hopefully he’ll get his ground at Kempton as he’s pencilled in for the Desert Orchid Chase where he could take on Altior and Put The Kettle On in a Christmas cracker.
Alan King has done a great job with him and what about this training performance with MESSIRE DES OBEAUX?
You wouldn’t have known he’d had just one run in three-and-a-half years as he felt super in the novices’ limited handicap chase he won at Wincanton on Tuesday.
To get the horse back on the track and win like that was a great achievement by Alan and all of his team. It was an emotional moment to be honest and a great day for all of the team, one of the highlights of the season.
The good news is he’s come out of it fresh and well and seems a happy horse.
And last but not least, GOODBYE STRANGER won nicely at Newbury on Wednesday in the juvenile hurdle.
I’d say he’s one for the future rather than this season. Having said that he did an awful lot of things right as he relaxed nicely and had a good look at his hurdles, while he was going away at the end when the penny dropped.
There’s more to come from him mentally as well as physically. I don’t know if he’d be sharp enough to be a Triumph Hurdle horse, he’s still got a lot of growing up to do. He’ll tell us, though, and we’ll see how he develops throughout the season.
SATURDAY RUNNERS
CARIBEAN BOY – 1.15 Ascot
This fellow looks the weekend highlight and I’m really looking forward to his next step in the Injured Jockeys Fund Graduation Chase at Ascot on Saturday.
His comeback win at Newbury was very smooth, he felt great, and I hope he’s a really good horse for the future.
This looks a nice stepping stone, a small field, and 2m5f around Ascot looks just about perfect for him now.
It won’t be easy as there are some good horses in opposition, he’ll have to have improved the 10lb the handicapper says he has, but he’s on the up and deserves to be favourite.
FAUBERG ROSETGRI – 3.00 Ascot
The ground was too soft for Kildisart so we run Fauberg Rosetgri in the Silver Cup Handicap Chase and he’s a bit of a newcomer to me.
I’ve not ridden him before but he had a spin over hurdles under Sam Twiston-Davies last month so hopefully he’s come on for that.
His French form suggests he needs a fence so hopefully that’s the case but I’ve no idea if he’s well-handicapped or otherwise so he’s a bit of a shot in the dark.
CORMIER – 3.35 Ascot
The card ends with the Betfair Exchange Trophy and I ride the four-year-old Cormier for Brian Ellison.
You’ve always got to respect Brian’s hurdlers when he brings them south and this horse didn’t run too badly despite losing a shoe in the Greatwood at Cheltenham on his handicap debut.
He’ll have to improve from that to figure here, but he’s the sort of unexposed outsider that could go well at a big price so hopefully that’s the case.
Responsible gambling
We are committed in our support of responsible gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, or visit begambleaware.org.
Further support and information can be found at GamCare and gamblingtherapy.org.