Scudamore says The Giant Bolster can go well again in the Gold Cup

Stars Over The Sea is my mount in the Triumph Hurdle at 1.30pm. He started off very impressively at Kempton and then won at Ludlow where the form has worked out well as he beat All Yours of Paul Nicholls who ran well in Fred Winter. I thought Stars Over The Sea was going to be a very good horse. He disappointed at Cheltenham and he’s had a break since then. Hopefully he’s freshened up and ready to go and he could outrun his price. I respect the Nicky Henderson trio, Peace And Co, Hargam and Top Notch. Nicky has a strong hand in it. Hargam’s improving with each run. I’d be slightly concerned that Peace And Co might pull too hard, but he sets the standard.

I ride Baltimore Rock in the County Hurdle at 2.05pm. He runs well in these big handicap hurdles. It’s a very competitive race. He won the Imperial Cup off a much lower weight. He ran disappointingly in the Greatwood and hasn’t run since then. He’s got to turn it around. I see there’s been money for Tony Martin’s horse, Quick Jack, which is probably significant.

I’m on Carningli in the Albert Bartlett at 2.40pm. He was a good bumper horse then had two runs over hurdles which were disappointing. But then he absolutely hacked up at Chepstow last time. This is a good horse and it was also decent bumper that he won round Chepstow too. If he hadn’t run those two disappointing runs and just came here off that last win, he’d be half his price. I think there were reasons why he ran badly and I think they’ve been ironed out so he could go well at a price.

I ride The Giant Bolster in the big race The Gold Cup at 3.20pm. He’s always there or thereabouts. He loves the place. I’d be very hopeful of picking up some prize money. It’s a big ask to say you’re going to win it but I’m really hopeful we can be in the shake-up. I think it’s a Gold Cup that’s no stronger than last year but it has more depth. If I wasn’t riding the Bolster I think Lord Windermere’s the one. He’s been running very well and I think he’s still the one we’ve all got to beat. Silviniaco Conti is probably the best horse in the race but he’s never done it round Cheltenham, and until he does it round Cheltenham I’m not going to believe it until I see it. You could make a case for all of them bar the French horse. With the rain that’s falling it brings in the likes of Coneygree, Sam Winner and Many Clouds very much into serious contention too.

A horse I know well, Consigliere, runs in the Foxhunters at 4.00pm and will give Joe Hill a good spin round but he won’t stay the trip particularly now the ground’s gone soft. In the Martin Pipe Conditional Hurdle at 4.40pm, David runs two. Balgarry and Vieux Lion Rouge, and I wouldn’t be able to split them. They are both fit and well and have each way chances.

I ride Next Sensation for my brother in the Grand Annual at 5.15pm. If the race had been run yesterday I’d have really fancied him but the ground has gone against him. If he goes through the ground he’d have a great chance. He’s running off a similar mark to last year and he’s had a wind op since then, but he does want better ground. He’s a very good horse. But as he’s had wind issues in the past he wouldn’t want the ground too soft.

Tom