Dormouse Scudamore
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Scudamore says Dormouse “has a very good chance”

| 12.12.2015
SPORTSBOOK ODDS

It was good to win on Balgarry on Thursday. He’s an enthusiastic type of horse but he was much more settled yesterday. It was a good performance, and we were really pleased with him, and hopefully there’s more to come from him too.

It was great to get a win out of Tap Night too last week. It was the worst race he’s run in for a while. He’s normally running on a Saturday but found himself running at Musselburgh on a Monday. Lucinda’s horses are running so well, and the drop in class really helped him. I’ve only ridden him a couple of times and it certainly made the trip up there worthwhile.

 I’m riding at Lingfield tomorrow and I just like to ride where I think I’ll have the best chances. I’d rather be at Lingfield with good chances than at Cheltenham with five rides with no chance. It’s just the way it goes. Usually on a Saturday I’d be riding at the big meeting but on this occasion I’m riding at one of the lesser ones. That’s just the way it goes and I always want to be where my best chances are. It’s going to be bottomless at Lingfield which will suit all of mine apart from the bumper horse that runs on the all weather.

I’m on Third Act in the 12.00. He won his bumper on heavy but since then he’s been disappointing given the hopes connections had for him at the beginning of his career. He would have a chance on the pick of his form and he has won on heavy ground too which is a real plus. Colin Tizzard is really straightforward to ride for. They are a very nice family. I’ve ridden for them for a long time now. Colin’s horses are in great form too.

In the 1.45 I’m on Gevrey Chambertin. The ability is still there and he’s still a reasonably young horse even though he’s been around a bit. He ran OK at Newton Abbott the time before, but not so well at Cheltenham last time. He will like the ground at Lingfield today and it is the worst race he’s run in for a long time. I enjoy riding him as I’ve ridden a lot of winners on him. I had the choice of going to Doncaster or Lingfield today, and riding Gevrey Chambertin is the reason I plumped for Lingfield. I just felt that he was my best chance of a winner.

Dormouse is my ride in the 2.55 and he fell last time but thrives on this heavy ground. He’s won around here before too. He’s tumbling down the weights and I’d like to think he’d have a very good chance given the conditions and his handicap mark. I have ridden for Anabel and Aiden Murphy plenty of times over the years, and had a few winners, and this horse should have a decent chance as well.

In the last at 3.30 on the All Weather I’m on The Racing Duke for Graeme McPherson. It was an expensive yearling that didn’t go on. This is his first run under rules. I don’t know much about him apart from how well he’s bred, but Graeme’s horses are running well.

I took advantage of Graeme’s professional skills as a QC last year, along with all the jockeys, over the shambles of a Grand National start that we all got the blame for. He absolutely ran circles round them. I’ve used him before on other things too and he’s a very nice man, and he’s done very well at training horses too. I’ve ridden winners for him in the past and I hope we can go well again on Saturday.

Up at Doncaster I could have ridden Weather Babe in the 2.40. She’s got a good chance and is very consistent. It’s just whether the horses she’s taking on are a little bit better but we’ll find out. She’s improving all the time and is a great servant to the yard. She ran well at Cheltenham last time and I think she’ll run a nice race but it’s tough.

The mild weather, and uninterrupted racing, has hampered my Christmas shopping plans. So far all I’ve managed is a rushed afternoon in Exeter. I’m heading to London next Thursday for my appeal against my recent riding ban so will have an afternoon for shopping then. But I’m obviously hoping that my appeal is successful and that I won’t then have time over Saturday, Sunday and Monday next week for present shopping. You could say I’m appealing the ban to get out of Christmas shopping, but obviously it’s a busy period for racing and I was disappointed to get suspended. I think we have a good case to get the ban over-turned but we will just have to see. The stewards on the day felt differently so wehave to make the case for why we think otherwise.

Tom

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Author

Tom Scudamore

Tom Scudamore is a third-generation British flat and steeplechase jockey. He is the son of eight-time champion jockey Peter Scudamore; his grandfather Michael won the Grand National on Oxo in 1959. Tom provides Coral with all the latest insight and thoughts on his next rides.