Cheltenham
12.45pm
Aye Aye Charlie
I was gutted that he made such a bad mistake 3 out here last time as I reckon he would have finished a hell of a lot closer but for that. It actually wasn’t a bad mistake as such but it stopped his momentum, and he lost ground, at a crucial part of the race and I was always playing catch-up from there. He clearly needs to step up on that bare form here against the likes of Pym and Stoney Mountain, but he gets weight from the winners and this is a good horse, all right. And I would expect his jumping to improve as he gathers experience.
3.40pm
Goodbye Dancer
I have actually ridden him once before when he finished fourth to Might Bite at Kempton back in 2016, but he is a new addition to the yard, and one that I expect to get on the scoreboard before too long. This is a competitive handicap but he has come down a fair bit in the weights since finishing sixth in this race last season and he is a lot lower than for his last win back in 2017. His work has pleased us and I hope he can be in the shake-up on his first start for the stable. It’s a tough handicap but he looks to be well-enough weighted these days, and he is fit and well.
