LAST week Yala Enki proved the best things come in small packages — hopefully today Miranda can do the same.
Yala isn’t the biggest, but has the heart of a lion and proved it again on Saturday by winning the Portman Cup for the third year running.
Well MIRANDA wouldn’t be the tallest by any means, either, but she’s as tough as they come and hopefully she can follow up last year’s win in the Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle (2.10 Doncaster).
I’m not sure what the problem was with her at Ludlow last time.
She span around at the start but showed how tough she is by still managing to get up on the line.
We’ll have that covered today.
I will be well aware of any movement underneath me, if she suggests she might want to go in the opposite direction, and we may have someone with her at the start.
Clearly it’s nothing to do with whether she likes to race and hopefully it was a one-off.
I’ve also got a nice ride in the Sky Bet Chase for Paul Nicholls on GRAND SANCY (3.20).
He does like good ground, so I hope we get a bit of that in Yorkshire.
He’s a top-quality horse who can still be a bit keen but we’re confident having a go at three miles and he’s going left-handed, which he seemed to like when winning at Chepstow.
He has to find a few pounds, but if we can find a nice rhythm hopefully we will be in there at the end to have a crack at the bull’s-eye.
Kapcorse goes for the yard as well, and he won his Gold Cup at Newbury last time.
ROQUE IT (1.00) is top weight for a reason. Hopefully we can get into a nice symmetry with our jumping, and we will take it from there.
Finally I’m on FAME AND FUN (3.55), who is a lovely horse, and the Wincanton race is working out really well.
He’ll enjoy the better ground and going left-handed.
I schooled Iceo on Tuesday and I’m really excited to see how he takes to the track at Cheltenham.
I rode him in his first race in Britain, when he won by 17 lengths, and he feels like a top-class athlete.
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