Aidan Coleman
Aidan’s column - I left Aintree last Saturday night with mixed feelings
I left Aintree last Saturday night with mixed feelings. What should have been a red letter day with my first ever win over the Grand National fences on Stewarts House in the Grand Sefton Chase, turned to disappointment when I was given a seven-day ban for breaking the new whip regulations.
The ride on Stewarts House was the best I've ever had and the finish was so close it must have given a lot of people a lot of pleasure, but in the drive to the line, I was judged have struck my horse three times more than the allowed limit.
I appealed but the disciplinary panel disagreed with my submission this week that two of the strikes were for corrective purposes and, unfortunately for me, upheld the ban.
I reckon it's cost me almost £4,000 and there's more hurt to come as I will miss out on the busy Christmas period when I would have expected to pick up another winner or two.
But that's racing. You just have to take it on the chin and get on with it. All I have ever wanted was to win a race over the big Aintree fences and nothing can take away the thrill of that achievement.
Stewarts House showed plenty of guts to beat off Linnel's strong late challenge in the dying strides of the race. That was his second win from three starts since joining Tim Vaughan from Arthur Moore's stable in Ireland in the summer and I reckon there's more to come.
It will be interesting to see whether he turns up in the Grand National or the Topham Chase in the spring.
Mon Mome our 2009 Grand National winner, was to have run in a novice hurdle at Cheltenham tomorrow, but will miss the race because ground is unlikely to be as soft as he would have liked it for his first run back.
He's in great shape, though, and Venetia Williams hopes to have him out very soon. He's got an entry in the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow on December 27, the day I return from my suspension, but ideally we'd want to get a race into him before then.
I've got five rides at Cheltenham tomorrow, but the one I'm most looking forward to is Rileyev in the Jenny Mould Memorial Handicap Chase.
He stayed on well to win by a neck at Newbury last time out, having overcome a blunder four out, after a strong finishing second at Ascot previously. He's consistent, honest and always runs his races, and I think he has a good chance.
I will be at Hereford on Sunday and hope to be among the winners with Sawpit Supreme in the Totepool Handicap Chase. She's a nice mare and jumps well.
She ran well to finish second at Uttoxeter last time out, despite clipping the second last fence, and there's no reason to think she could not go one better this time round.
