We’re on our way to the home of National Hunt Racing with old favourite TOP VILLE BEN & new to the yard at Christmas, JASON THE MILLITANT in the box with us. It’s a hugely exciting day for our team, a runner in the Champion Hurdle is just such a privilege and dream and although Jason is a big price, he’s a talented Listed winner & in tremendous form at home. Jockey Joe Williamson gets the leg up, he rides him every day at home & there’s no underestimating that this will be the biggest day of his career to date and an experience to talk to his grandchildren about in years to come! Myself personally I can hardly believe we will be stood in the paddock with a runner in one of the biggest races in the National Hunt World – I used to read the Racing pages of the newspapers in the school library every day at Senior School and dream about the Cheltenham festival for weeks, compiling my fancies and taping everything fastidiously on my VHS to watch after school – that’s if I hadn’t managed to wangle some days off with my best friend Sue who shared my excitement and often accompanied me to Cheltenham or Aintree, taken by my long suffering Mum or Dad who weren’t really into racing !
Over in Lancashire, Phil was equally racing mad, inspired by his Greyhound trainer Dad, Geoff who was a regular at the Festival and can be seen in old tv footage next to Kribensis as he walks back into the winners enclosure, a horse he had a good bet on! So you can be assured that this isn’t just another day at the office for us, and despite our Cheltenham duo being big prices, we’re being realistic in thinking that they are not without an each way squeak on soft ground that is going to suit them both. Simon and Katie are with us today and you will see them leading up, they are as much a part of PKR as we are, they work over & above any normal day, every day, and it’s special race days like this to enjoy that gets everybody out of bed early every morning.
And finally to Tommy who lines up on Top Ville Ben, a horse he knows so well and has such a great partnership with – he’s a naturally talented horseman who as well as with Ben has enjoyed many big race wins for us on star mare Lady Buttons, Nautical Nitwit & Bushypark. He got such a great tune out of him in the National last year until Ben’s stamina gave way – today’s 3m 1f trip may also test him but he’s as fit as he can be and deserves another crack at a big prize having made such a strong impression when 3rd at the Leopardstown Festival in such a competitive handicap. Ben has a tremendous fan club and we know that many eyes will be trained on his green hood and tall ears as he jumps off at 2.50 today in the Ultima Handicap Chase. Safe journeys for both horses and riders are the most important outcome and we hope our Owners have a fabulous experience too 🍀🎉🐎
Watch Ben, Jason and out Midlands National hope, Bushypark freshening up at Redcar beach at the weekend…
We have 4 runners today in total – Carolyn and Madi have gone to Southwell with our duo there, Soaring Star & Lily in the Jungle.