Tom Scudamore hoping Grey Gold can spoil Sire De Grugy’s big day

With less than three weeks to go to Cheltenham, we are starting to have more conversations about the Festival. Now that the handicap entries are out, David and I are chatting about certain horses and where they might run, and I’m starting to think about certain choices I may have to make if David runs more than one horse in a race. You definitely don’t want to choose the wrong one, but obviously it can and does happen. But there is plenty of time still to worry about that. I’m looking forward to plenty of chances for David over the four days and with The Giant Bolster for David Bridgwater, and Rebecca Curtis likely to have a number of runners, I am also hoping to pick up some good other rides as well. I am sure there are already some exciting spares being discussed by trainers with my agent David Roberts, and so I just hope I can come in for a few of them too.

The season has gone really well so far, and I hope it can continue. As well as the winners that David and I have had what’s really exciting is all the young horses for the future that we have in the yard, so the long term looks good too. I’m just focusing on each day and trying to ride as many winners as I can.

Tomorrow I have four nice rides at Chepstow. I ride Ashes House in the 2.30pm for Rebecca Curtis, a horse I’ve ridden a couple of times this season. He’s a nice horse and will handle the ground but was well beaten at Ffos Las and it just looks as if the handicapper just has his measure at the moment.

In the 3.05pm I’m on board Dormouse for Anabel Murphy in the handicap hurdle. It’s the first time I’ve ridden him but he’s won on testing ground before and off this handicap mark in November. It looks a competitive race but on his best form he’d have a chance.

I ride Grey Gold against Sire De Grugy in the big race of the day, the 3.35pm. My horse has course and distance winning form, and just loves it round Chepstow. Sure if Sire De Grugy runs near his best he’ll be hard to beat but if he’s still feeling anything from that injury and doesn’t run to form then my horse has a great chance. Grey Gold is in the handicap and is getting a lot of weight from Sire De Grugy on testing ground so it won’t be easy for him. If I beat him I will probably say sorry to Jamie Moore, but I won’t really mean it! We are all out to win.

In the 4.10pm I’m on Katkeau for David who won well on his reappearance but was pulled up last time on Welsh National Day. He has had a break since and I’m hopeful of a good run as he’s a nice horse. He needs to finish in the first seven to qualify for the Pertemps Hurdle at Cheltenham but in reality he needs to win it to make sure that he’ll get into the race. His current mark is 132 and that probably won’t be enough. The Pertemps would be a good race for him so here’s hoping. In the same race David runs Virtuel D’Oudon with Kieron Edgar on board. He looks like he’s now on quite a tough mark after his Taunton win. I suspect he may go back to chasing again soon.

In the last race, the bumper for conditional jockeys, David runs Ballywilliam who is a nice horse for the future. My brother Michael runs Far From Defeat and I know he likes him quite a bit too. It may turn out to be a pretty decent bumper.

Tom