Scudamore says: “We were just starting to think Thistlecrack was back on track.”
Top jockey also discusses Un Temps Pour Tout
It hasn’t been a great week off the track with the news about Thistlecrack and Un Temps Pour Tout which were two big arrows of mine.
With Thistlecrack, everybody was a on a high as we were just starting to think he was back on track and then the news came through that he had sustained an injury.
Obviously we still had a fair way to go but I felt he had put himself back in the Gold Cup picture after the King George and there was more to come.
The team had done so well to get him back into the mix so it is frustrating for everyone involved. I am sure he will be back again.
He will be 10 rising 11 next year so that is the one concern. He does not have that many miles on the clock though and he has an awful lot of ability.
Yet more bad news
Un Temps Pour Tout has won at two consecutive Cheltenham Festivals and he was a lot of people’s dark horse for the Gold Cup and Grand National before being ruled out for the season.
With the way the Gold Cup has fallen apart, that was starting to look like his level.
Again, I am sure David will get him back but it was a tough old day when the phone was ringing on Monday with the bad news.
I am trying to remain positive though as you never know what will come out of the Festival.
I do feel very frustrated for the owners as these sorts of horses don’t come around too often and they are their pride and joy.
The Coral Champions Club horse Battle Of Ideas travelled well for a long way last week at Chepstow but then he got tired on me at the back end of the contest.
He is still a young horse so maybe three miles in those conditions was too much to ask.
We are going to have a lot of fun with him going forward as he looks a nice chaser in the making.
He has come a long way and he will bounce back. It was more a case of the conditions on that day being against him rather than not being good enough so we will forgive him for that run.
Saturday
I have one ride which is Admiral Kid in the 12.40 at Warwick.
He has been off the track for over a year but he ran well before his break so hopefully he can be competitive here on his return.
Tom
