Aidan Coleman
Aidan Coleman Blog
I am delighted to be nominated for two categories for the Lesters Awards, and am especially honoured to be in the running for the Jumps Jockey of the Year award.
I am in extremely esteemed company with Dicky Johnson, Jason Maguire and AP McCoy also nominated. That said, the Lesters is normally - and quite rightly - the AP show, so I am under no illusions that I will win it, but the nice thing for me is that the jockeys vote, and it means a hell of a lot to have their respect.
I’m also up for Ride of the Year on Stow, when he won at Chepstow in November. He’s a bit of a character and needs plenty of persuasion so I was hard at work for most of the race, but he responded well in the closing stages and got up to win by a short head on the line.
The result could easily have gone the other way, and if it had, I’m sure no-one would have remembered the ride. It’s a very thin line between victory and defeat. If you do lose by a short-head, you always ask yourself if you could have done anything different – but in this case there wasn’t. I threw everything at it, and we just got up. Again, when you think of all the great rides in the season, it is very humbling to think that one of mine is up for the award. I really am chuffed.
I’ve certainly had a good time of it recently, as there’s been a steady stream of winners and Venetia’s horses are really on a roll. Everything she saddles seems to be winning or getting placed and hopefully the ball will keep rolling until the end of the season now. When Venetia’s horses hit form, there aren’t many better yards to follow.
Looking back to last Saturday, it was an informative and, on the whole, positive day. Houblon Des Obeaux showed he is a horse with huge potential when winning at Haydock. He is now around 16-1 for the Triumph, but he will only run at Cheltenham if the ground comes up soft. He’s crying out for a longer trip and he is a horse with a big future, first over longer-distance hurdle races and then certainly as a chaser.
I pulled up Mobaasher in the Grand National trial as he simply didn’t enjoy running back over fences. Simple as that. We’ll now revert to hurdles and the Pertemps at the Festival looks a likely option. It means I don’t have a ride in the National at the moment, but the race is a long way off and hopefully something will materialise.
On to Saturday, and I have picked up the ride on Mount Oscar in the day’s feature race, the Racing Post Chase. It’s always nice to have a ride in the big Saturday races, but we’re not running simply to participate. I see he’s a 50-1 shot, which seems pretty generous. Colin (Tizzard) said in the week he’s not without a chance, and he’s gone well for me when I have sat on him at Colin’s. He won a valuable race at Newbury on his penultimate run and looks a decent each-way price.
Qrackers is my only other ride on the card, in the two and a half mile handicap chase. He had some time off but showed some promise on his latest run at Ludlow. That course was a little bit tight for him and Kempton should suit him better. He’s a realistic mark now and if he can build on his last run then he’s definitely in with a chance.
Please credit racinguk.com if any copy is reproduced
