“Horse racing-Waley-Cohen ready to cut Gold Cup teeth” plus 1 more |
| Horse racing-Waley-Cohen ready to cut Gold Cup teeth Posted: 14 Mar 2011 07:06 AM PDT As an entrepreneur who runs a thriving dental healthcare business, amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen is well-placed to advise weighing room colleagues lacking a full set of teeth. The jockeys who earn their living in jumps racing, where the risk of serious injury from falling from a speeding horse is a daily occupational hazard, could be demanding free treatment should Waley-Cohen steer second favourite Long Run to Cheltenham Gold Cup glory on Friday. "When you're in there and you see a lot of guys who have had their teeth knocked out and they take their dentures out to go and race...there is plenty of work to be done in the weighing room," Waley-Cohen joked to Reuters. The 28-year-old adrenaline seeker, who flys helicopters and whose High Society friends include Britain's Prince Willam and his wife-to-be Kate Middleton, is no ordinary Corinthian amateur jockey. He has ridden 19 winners from 101 rides in the last five seasons, came fifth in the 2007 Grand National and in January enjoyed his biggest success when Long Run, owned by his father Robert Waley-Cohen, dashed Kauto Star's hopes of winning a fifth consecutive King George VI Chase at Kempton Park. Now he hopes to again put the likes of champion jockey Tony McCoy in the shade by winning the blue riband of steeplechasing at the Cheltenham Festival, the showpiece of the British jumps racing season. Long Run will line up against twice Gold Cup winner Kauto Star again on Friday, as well as last year's winner Imperial Commander and 2008 winner Denman. CHELTENHAM BATTLEFIELD "Touch wood he's very fit and very well. We couldn't be happier really... Counting down the minutes, just hope the horse gets there safe and sound. I'll see him on the battlefield," said Waley-Cohen, who has a Masters degree in politics and never entertained the idea of riding as a career. The last amateur jockey to win the Gold Cup was Jim Wilson on Little Owl in 1981 while you have to go back to 1963 for the last time a horse as young as six triumphed. Waley-Cohen, though, does not pay heed to the statistics that suggest his chances are slim. "They don't make any difference to how the horse will run," he quickly replied. Statistics are often misleading but one very much on Waley-Cohen's side is Long Run trainer Nicky Henderson's Cheltenham record. Twice champion trainer Henderson needs three more Cheltenham Festival winners to match the all-time record of 40 achieved by Fulke Walwyn between 1946 and 1986. Waley-Cohen is hopeful that Long Run's King George victory will be just the first of many big-race wins of his chasing career. "We've always believed in the horse and felt he had that sort of form within him," he said. "When you ride in the top races you never quite know how it's going to go and if you are good enough. This is hopefully the beginning of a long tale... the first chapter in his career, not the closing pages." Dad, and not son, will be the more nervous of the pair come race time. "He'll say 'have fun... that's what it's all about... go and do what we know we can do'." There will not be any conflict of instructions from father or trainer. "It's a question of riding as I find it, obviously we talk through the broad tactics but in a race like that things change so fast," said the jockey. "We know what we're trying to achieve, he's run enough and I've ridden him enough to know what he is capable of so it's just a question of replicating that." This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Posted: 14 Mar 2011 06:37 AM PDT Mar 14 2011 Garry Wen ONE MORE sleep till all hell breaks loose at Prestbury Park and I've had a last look at what racing royalty Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson are thinking about their leading lights for the Festival. We'll start with Ditcheat wizard Nicholls and his banker bet for the week... Master Minded (Champion Chase 10-3): "We gave him a breathing operation and it's made him a different horse. He was good at Ascot, even better at Cheltenham, then AP said he was in front too soon back at Ascot where he was idling and Somersby ran a better race. "He looks well, is working well and has an outstanding chance. The operation has given him back his confidence. Hopefully, there are lots with chances but if you gave me one bet I would back him." It's unusual for Nicholls to have no Champion Hurdle interest but he has a live one in the Arkle with Ghizao (4-1): "A big scopey horse, he was always going to do better over fences than hurdles. "He loves Cheltenham, jumps great and has an outstanding chance. He's probably our best shot on the first day." Ainteen Thirtythree (RSA Chase 8-1): "He's one of my favourites. He won by 50 lengths at Newbury and the handicapper has raised him to 159, just 2lb behind Time For Rupert. He jumps and gallops well and Noel Fehily and Nick Scholfield said he's one of the nicest they have ridden. Loves Cheltenham and could be a Gold Cup horse next year." Poquelin (Ryanair Chase 3-1): "Put up a career best when winning at Cheltenham in December. Loves decent ground, jumps great and goes well fresh." Big Buck's (World Hurdle 5-4): "Tactics will be interesting with Grand Crus lining up. "If he does get beat I'll be persuading owner Andy Stewart to go chasing. It's not just a two-horse race but Big Buck's remains the one to beat." Sam Winner (Triumph Hurdle 9-1): "A strong chaser in the making. A fast-run race on ground with cut would suit. Ruby thinks he'll be a different horse at Cheltenham." Denman (Gold Cup 13-2): "If we have helped him with his breathing I don't see why he can't win again. Not running between the Hennessy and the Festival has done him good. He's in good shape and enthusiastic in his work." Kauto Star (Gold Cup 13-2): "Looks and works well. He always gives the impression he is right so it is more of a job to work him out. He'll get the good gallop he needs in the Gold Cup and Clifford Baker (Kauto's work rider) is very happy with him." Henderson heads for Cheltenham with more ammunition than Colonel Gaddafi and the Seven Barrows shrewdie is second only to the great Fulke Walwyn in turning out Festival winners. Long Run (Gold Cup 11-2): "My best chance in the race for a long time. Nothing went right for him in the RSA last year and I had an inkling the week before, with his coat and demeanour suggesting he had gone after what had been a long season coming over from France." Long Run beat Kauto by 19 lengths in the King George and Henderson said: "The extra two furlongs is not a worry - he'll keep galloping all day. If Kauto turns up the way he was in the King George last season he is still the horse to beat. I fear him more than the favourite." Finian's Rainbow (Arkle Chase 4-1): "He'll go well. He's better allowed to get into his rhythm at the front as he eats his fences." Grandouet (Triumph Hurdle 11-2) "He's a justifiable favourite. He has beaten A Media Luz and is fresh and ready to go." Spirit Son (Supreme Nov Hurdle 6-1): "Very likeable, was impressive on horrible ground at Exeter and has the raw speed for better ground." Ericht (Champion Bumper 10-1): "Won the Listed Bumper at Newbury very easily. He's neat, not overbig and has all the right attributes for the race." Celtus (Fred Winter 14-1): "He probably ran as well when third in the Dovecote on Saturday as Molotof did in the Adonis but Molotof has been handicapped out on 143 and this fellow has a mark of 132. If you speak to anyone in France they'll tell you Celtus is the better horse." Now I want have a look at what some of the master plotters have lined up for the handicaps. Philip Hobbs - Snap Tie (County Hurdle 12-1): "He's in very good form even though he hasn't run for 18 months because of a suspensory problem. When he was seventh in the 2009 Champion Hurdle he would have been placed if he hadn't missed the break and from what I see he's just as good." Nigel Twiston-Davies - Ackertac: "I don't know which race he'll go for but he is an improving novice and he could be the one. He is in the Martin Pipe and the Pertemps." This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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