Two big winners for our columnist Daryl Jacob at Wetherby and he reflects on the victories of Fusil Raffles and Indefatigable.
Fusil Raffles is used to running over two-and-a-half miles and we usually let him run and jump but in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase tactics were rather different.
I was trying to get him to settle, spit out the bit and relax a bit underneath me but when I needed him down the back straight he jumped very well.
He got me into contention but turning in I though the bird had flown as Shan Blue went clear and I was riding to be second. I think I’d have been a good runner-up had he stood up and been very happy with that performance. Once he departed my fellow did it well and proved to me he stays three miles. We can plan a nice route for him now.
There are handicap options for him at the moment without throwing him straight into the Grade Ones but I’ll leave that up to Anthony Bromley and Nicky Henderson to decide what to do.
Indefatigable is a wonderful, game mare and I was thrilled to pick up the winning spare ride on her in the bet365 Hurdle.
She tried very hard and gave me a really nice ride the whole way round. She travelled sweetly and had a lovely racing weight with 10st 7lb to carry. She was getting weight off a lot of them and her bravery came through in the finish. She really dug deep, jumped great down the straight and connections will have a lot of fun with her through the winter. She stayed the trip very well.
I was very happy with Zambella in the bet365 Mares’ Hurdle. Two miles on that ground is always going to be a little bit sharp for her but she galloped the whole way to the line and it will definitely take the freshness away. She finished fourth behind Molly Ollys Wishes and we’ll step her up to two-and-a-half miles over fences now.
Our Surprise finished second in the bet365 Handicap Hurdle. He’s a very tricky ride, it’s always been his problem, he’s just too keen. He was again on Saturday, running away from other horses and not relaxing into the race. We’ll go back and have a real think about him but he has the engine there if we can channel his energy into the right direction.
