LETS hope this weekend can be half as successful as the last one!
I had a Saturday to remember up at Haydock, with two last-gasp victories aboard Stolen Silver and Ballyandy.
Every now and then you need a bit of luck, and had the line been an inch closer Id be two winners shorter!
Theyre two smart horses and its been great to be part of so much Saturday success of late.
The north was kind to me last week so Im sticking to the colder climes this Saturday at Doncaster.
For some reason the chillier it is, the better I seem to do!
Town Moor is caked in icy temperatures at the moment but with any luck it will only spur on Al Dancer in the Lightning Novice Chase.
Im very hopeful hell get back on the scoresheet as the race has cut up a bit since entries were made.
Hes a class act on his day and conditions are perfect for him, so lets pray he can win this and then take his place in the Arkle.
He showed with his Betfair Hurdle victory that hes got plenty of speed and nothings gone right for him of late, so nows his chance to show what he can really do.
I dont know much about Timetochill but Ive got as much information as I could muster from trainer Kelly Morgan.
Shes won her last two in fine style and if her name is anything to go by, shell also be suited by the cold snap!
Its a long old journey up north and I was riding there yesterday but had to go back home last night, so my car and I are becoming very good friends.
The heatings been on full blast and the tunes have been blaring out – theres nothing like a bit of Blondie to wipe away the January blues!
Over at Cheltenham, I reckon the apple of Dads eye – Bristol De Mai – will win the Cotswold Chase.
Hes been jumping like a stag in his schooling sessions and on his Gold Cup third last year, hes very much the one to beat.
I think the others in the race have plenty to prove, whereas hes been there, done it and got the Grade 1 T-shirt.
Cheltenham Festival fever is starting to hot up and one mare who caught my eye this week was Benie Des Dieux.
The Closutton army have always held her in high regard and the way in which she dispatched her rivals reminded me of another great mare in the same colours – Annie Power.
Willie Mullins compared the two afterwards and we could be looking at something special if she lines up at Prestbury Park in March.
