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Tom Scudamore talks up his weekend rides at Lingfield and Carlisle

| 11.12.2016
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Tom Scudamore blog

It was a great thrill to win the Becher Chase on Vieux Lion Rouge last Saturday. He gave me a great ride all the way round and showed plenty of guts to battle at the end. The plan now is to go back to Aintree in April for the Grand National. Around the park courses he doesn’t strike me as a good jumper and yet at Liverpool over the big fences he’s completely different. He’s really neat, tidy, clever and brave. He’s completely different round there.

I’d never had a winner over the National fences until twelve months ago, and now I’ve had two. Now it would be nice to win the Grand National. We will wait and see where we go next with Vieux Lion Rouge. The National is the plan and he’s rated 146. So it will be a case of whether we stick or twist. Will 146 be enough to get in the race? Last year 146 was good enough, but if say there’s a small field Gold Cup and a load of higher rated horses run at Aintree instead then 146 might miss out this year. If you run again and run well you can get a higher rating and guarantee to get in the race, but if you run poorly then you might get dropped which would be no help. It’s a conundrum I’m very happy to leave to the trainer.

Champers On Ice was great. I couldn’t see an awful lot in the fog but he jumped really nicely. He made one little novicey mistake but other than that he jumped fantastic. He’s a horse with lots of potential and I’d like to think that one day he’ll be a National horse, whether that’s The Grand National, or a Welsh Grand National or Scottish Grand National. That’s how I see him. I might be doing him a disservice and he may turn out to be even better than that, but I was really impressed with his debut. He’s a horse I’ve always thought a lot of.

Tom Scudamore talks through his Lingfield and Carlisle weekend rides.

Tom Scudamore talks through his Lingfield and Carlisle weekend rides.

Saturday rides

I’m off down to Lingfield for five rides as David hasn’t any runners at Cheltenham. I ride Chief Sittingbull in the bumper at 11.55. I know very little about him but Emma has a good record in these races. Fortunately there don’t seem to be too many flat trainers with runners in the race. It will be interesting. Emma does well with her bumper horses, as she does with all her horses. Let’s hope this one goes well.

I then ride Lautaret for Jamie Snowden in the 12.30. I rode him around Lingfield the time before and I think I’ll ride him differently this time. My plan will be to challenge late on him. He’s the only four year old so gets all the allowances, and I can see him running a decent race. He ran better than his finishing position suggested last time.

In the 1.05 I ride Buster Thomas for Emma. He was second in a point to point and is very well related. He’s a half-brother to Shotgun Paddy who Emma has done so well with for the same connections. Let’s hope Buster Thomas is another Shotgun Paddy and maybe even better.

I ride Alternatif in the 1.40. He’s been a bit disappointing and he’s come down in the weights. This is the weakest race he’s taken part in for a while, so he will have a chance, but he wouldn’t be one to trust. He handles all kinds of ground. I think the class of the race will suit him.

Bella is my last mount in the 3.25. She holds no secrets. She either runs brilliantly or not very well at all. She seems in great form at home and David seems to have found a nice opportunity for her. She is probably my best ride of the day.

Sunday rides

Tom has three rides at Carlisle (pictured) on Sunday.

Tom has three rides at Carlisle (pictured) on Sunday.

On Sunday I’m off to Carlisle. I ride Carli King for Caroline Bailey. He has to bounce back from a disappointing run last time. He had some decent form a few years back, but needs to put that poor run last time behind him.

I then ride Gevrey Chambertin in the 2.10. He’s won around this track before. He seems in good order with himself. He is an interesting character. I’ve ridden ten winners on him. He doesn’t always show off his ability but he likes it round here. If he gets out on the right side of his bed then he will have a really good chance.

Then I ride Miss Tynte in the bumper at 3.15. This is her first run for us. She ran a nice second in a good bumper on her only start. There is always a chance that something decent is lurking in a race like this, but on all known form she sets a decent standard. She’s a nice acquisition for the yard and we are looking forward to seeing where we are with her.

Related

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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.