Scudamore Says: “She would be my best ride of the day. She has an outstanding chance.”

Coral Racing Ambassador Tom Scudamore previews his weekend rides and gives a quick update on Cheltenham plans…

Cheltenham is now so close we can practically touch it. I don’t have the busiest weekend and that’s not really deliberate, but you do have to be quite sensible with the Festival around the corner. So you just ride for your usual stables and you won’t suddenly see me jocked-up on anything unusual, and that will go for all the jockeys.  But ultimately you just have to do the job as normal. Concentrate on the job in hand. I have some very good rides.

In the 1.20 at Sandown I ride Great Tempo. He was impressive first time out in a nothing race around Hexham. I liked him that day but he has disappointed since and he needs to bounce back. We know he’s better than that. He’s on a recovery mission.

Then in the 1.50 I’m on Ramses de Teillee. His form has improved with every run. He’ll appreciate the step up in trip. This is a fiercely competitive race as it always is, but I can see him being in the mix. It’s always a tough race and it will take some winning.

Tom (right) has a number of rides this weekend as he warms up for Cheltenham

In the Imperial Cup at 3.00 I’m on Max Do Brazil who is another horse on a recovery mission. He disappointed first time out around Cheltenham. On what he’d shown at home and the level of form he’d achieved in France were hoping for a vastly superior performance than he showed. We know he’s better than that but he’s got to prove it. He’s been showing all the right signals at home. I don’t think there will be any in-betweens with him. He will either run very well or he won’t. I went and sat on him the other day and he felt great, He’s just got to deliver on the track.

In the last I ride Twenty Eight Guns for my brother. She would be my best ride of the day. She has an outstanding chance. She’s bidding for a hat-trick and her fourth win of the season and she’s unlucky not to be going for a five timer as the time she was second she only lost by a short head. She’s in a rich vein of form and is improving and thriving in her races. She must go very well.

On Sunday, I have just the one ride on Agamemmon for Tom Lacey in the 4.10. He was second around Kempton last time and if he can repeat that then he’s the one to beat.

Cheltenham update

It’s not been decided where Moon Racer will go yet

In terms of Moon Racer and his choice of engagements on Tuesday in either the Champion Hurdle or the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle we are speaking to the owners tomorrow. The declaration stage for the Champion Hurdle is at 10am on Sunday so we have to decide by then. The fact that we are discussing running him in the Champion Hurdle shows the esteem we hold him in. He has always been a top class horse. He’s a Champion Bumper winner, he’s beaten the Champion Hurdle favourite in a bumper, and everything he’s done over hurdles suggests he could be as good over the obstacles as he was in bumpers. Whichever race he runs in he will have an outstanding chance. As we’ve seen with Thistlecrack luck often favours the brave.

In terms of the rest of the week I have lots of nice rides, Un Temps Pour Tout, West Approach, Starchitect. They all have different options. They are three of my big rides and hopefully I will pick up a few more. I’m just really looking forward to it. I may not be going there with as strong a book of rides as I have in the last couple of years, but I’m looking forward to it a great deal.

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