Daryl Jacob looks ahead to Sandown rides

The jumps season ends at Sandown on Saturday and from a personal point of view it’s been a great success. Numerically I’ve had my best ever campaign and while it was frustrating to hit the crossbar at Cheltenham and Aintree, there’s an awful lot to look forward to with the horses we ran there.

Simon Munir and Isaac Souede are fantastic owners to ride for. I really enjoy working with them and the success we’ve enjoyed together. Emma Lavelle has again been a big supporter and it was great to ride winners for the yard. I can’t mention all the other trainers and owners who’ve supported me along the way but my thanks go out to them all.

I’m looking forward to seeing Richard Johnson collect his champion jockey award on Saturday. He’s an incredible person, a very humble and nice man and it’s a great achievement for him to win it back-to-back. He’s a wonderful role model and ambassador for the sport.

It’s a closer-run thing for the trainers’ crown but I’m hoping to help Nicky Henderson over the line as I have four rides for him on the final day. I’ve built up a really nice relationship with him and the yard in general and have hopefully played a small part in him winning the title - if he does manage to do so.

The first of my Sandown rides for him is Call Me Lord in the opening bet365 Juvenile Handicap Hurdle. He’s a lovely horse who won two from three in France and looks a really nice, exciting prospect. We’ve not had him for long and we’re running him here to find out a bit more about him. He’s off a mark of 135 and we honestly don’t know if that’s fair or not but his home work is quite good and he seems to jump nicely. He’s interesting and we’ll know a lot more after this.

Vyta Du Roc has had a bit of a mixed season. He’s been running okay without setting the world alight. He’s been trained for the bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase and neither trip nor ground will be a problem for him. He has plenty in his favour and can hopefully end his campaign on a high although it does look a competitive race.

L’Ami Serge ran a nice race up at Ayr last weekend but they didn’t go fast enough for him in the Scottish Champion Hurdle and he never got into the race. He barely had a race and has come back in good form so we’re stepping him up to two-and-a-half miles in the Bet365 Select Hurdle.

His best performances have all been going left-handed but he jumps straighter over hurdles than he does fences and if he can handle going this way over timber it will open up a few more options for next year. He seems in great form and will hopefully go there and produce a good run, if not win, before heading off for his summer holiday.

Casino Markets ran well at Cheltenham last time and this is very much his time of year. He likes good ground, travels and jumps nicely, and must have a chance in the bet365 Josh Gifford Novices' Handicap Chase. He’s kept improving off the back of a good summer last year, Emma’s horses are in great form and I’d expect a bold show.

My final ride is Stowaway Magic in the closing bet365 Handicap Hurdle. He’s a horse I‘ve won on before and he beat me at Kempton the last day so it’s nice to be back on his side. He’s in really good form and is another who will love the ground.

On Tuesday I head to Compiegne to ride Fixe La Cap in a Listed hurdle. We were delighted with his first run back in the Imperial Cup at Sandown and he seems to have come on for the outing. It’s a lovely prize out there and will be his final run before the autumn as he needs soft ground.