Scudamore says Cheltenham sensation was amazing

What an amazing day. I still can’t quite believe it, winning the Grand Annual for my brother. It all went well with Next Sensation. He was keen at the first few but then he made a bad mistake and that helped him, as it made him settle. He was brilliant after that. Obviously I was worried about the ground all the way through. All the way through I was saying please don’t stop, and he didn’t. He kept on rolling. As soon as I pulled up I was thinking about Michael, Dad, Grandad. I was pinching myself. I mean these things don’t happen. The owners are old family friends going back three generations. The Blandfords are such good people.

I noticed the reception McCoy had beforehand but I was oblivious to what happened afterwards. It was nothing less than he deserves though. It was a very fitting send off for him. It was just a fantastic day. Coneygree winning the Gold Cup was amazing. Thinking of all the things the Oakseys have done for Racing and the Injured Jockeys Fund in particular. I was delighted that he won.

I’m tired now. I have day off on Sunday and will spend most of it sleeping. It’s a very draining week overall. It’s just so manic. You are working the whole time, battling the crowds. It’s obviously a good Festival when you have two winners but also frustrating to have a couple of close seconds.

I ride three at Kempton today. Imjoeking is improving and ready for the step up in class. He would have a squeak. He’s second favourite and rightly so

I don’t know an awful lot about La Vaticane as he’s just come from France. I just don’t know much about him. It will be interesting to see whether the handicapper has got his mark right or wrong. We saw with Aux Ptit Soins in the Coral Cup that these ex-French horses can win first time up in a handicap. He might have got his sums wrong with this horse or maybe he’s got him too high in the weights. We’ll find out today.

Houston Dynimo has been running well in the summer and will love the drying ground. He’s off the back of a break and will hopefully go well. He loves this better ground. It will be a lot quieter at Kempton. It doesn’t feel flat you just notice it’s quieter. There are a couple of races which will still feel like Cheltenham, particularly the 20 runner handicap.

Tom