Dylan Johnston can't wait to get back on board Katate Dori in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday.
The 3lb claimer opted to ride stablemate Our Power in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Kempton on February 22 but had to sit and suffer as stablemate Katate Dori sauntered to a 15-length success under Charlie Deutsch.
Our Power ran well in third, but the leading conditional will be back on board Katate Dori for Sam Thomas on the first day of the Festival having ridden him to victory at Chepstow earlier in the season.
Irishman Johnston is enjoying a season to remember as first jockey to owner Dai Walters, with a win in the Welsh Champion Hurdle one of his season highlights so far and he’ll go to the Festival leading the conditional list in the David Power Jockeys' Cup, which has a £20,000 prize on offer.
But having won the Ladbrokes Trophy in such good style last time, will the blood and thunder of a Festival handicap chase suit him next week?
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“I didn’t know how good he was,” Johnston said. “Luckily I can get back on him. I didn’t think the fast pace at Kempton would suit him, so maybe you are asking the wrong man."
It was at the age of 12 that Dubliner Johnston started to ride out for Ado McGuiness and he was under the watchful eye of Grand National-winning jockey Tony Dobbin when he first crossed the Irish Sea.
Handed the Walters role this summer, Johnston now has real hopes of a first Festival win and he's eyeing that conditional jockey prize in the David Power Cup, as well.
“If he turns up in the same form as at Kempton he has to have a real chance," he said. "Any opportunity to ride round Cheltenham is special. My first Festival winner and the David Power Cup would be a great double!”
Katate Dori isn’t Johnston’s only Festival date. He’s booked to ride the Thomas stable’s Iwilldoit when the Welsh Grand National third has his first run over the Cross Country fences on Wednesday.
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