JJ Slevin’s William Hill blog: Chance to Dream with Solness in Champion Chase

William Hill ambassador JJ Slevin gives the lowdown on his rides on the first two days of the Cheltenham Festival.

I’m excited to be getting back over to the Cheltenham Festival as I think I’ve got a strong book of rides at the meeting this year. As it stands I will be getting busier the longer the week goes on as we have Banbridge in the Gold Cup and Home By The Lee in the Stayers’ Hurdle.

I’ve got chances in all those high-class races like the Champion Chase, Gold Cup and Stayers’ Hurdle which is a great position to be in. If you had the seven rides each day you would be glad to have them, but those big rides are what the meeting is all about. I wouldn’t swap what I have now for anything really.

Cheltenham, Tuesday

My sole ride on the first day is on for Joseph (O’Brien) aboard Beyond Your Dreams in the Fred Winter (4:40pm). The race has been good to us over the years as we won it with Band Of Outlaws back in 2019 and then last year with Lark In The Mornin. Her preparation for the race has been really good and she has got a nice weight on her back, but it is a big competitive handicap so wishing for a bit of luck is the main thing. We’ve slipped the cheekpieces on her here. She is not maybe as fast as Band Of Outlaws or Lark In The Mornin so we have popped the cheekpieces on to hopefully help her travel a bit better. Lark In The Mornin, and particularly Band Of Outlaws, were fast, sharp horses on the Flat and she is more of a staying type so they are different in that way.

She appears to be a good jumper and she seems to have really clicked over hurdles.

Cheltenham, Wednesday

It is great to be getting back on Solness in the Queen Mother Champion Chase (4:00pm) as these are the races you want to be riding in. Everyone knows what this lad is all about, and what he is going to do, as he will jump out and he will go forward and from there we will hope for the best. He has definitely turned a corner this season and I think maybe the change in tactics have been helpful as he likes getting out and going along there out in front. I don’t think the track is of a concern to him as Leopardstown is quite a stiff track as well. People might not see it watching, but it takes a bit of staying at Leopardstown, especially over those last three fences. He finished a long way behind Jonbon when they last met in the Tingle Creek at Sandown in December, but the ground was really soft that day and this better ground will help him. Jonbon is a champion having won 17 of his 20 races under rules, which is unbelievable stuff, so he will be hard to beat, but hopefully we can give him a run for a money and see what happens. It is great to be in against a horse like Jonbon and seeing if we can beat him.

Before I get on aboard Solness I will be getting back on Busselton in the Cross Country Chase (3:20pm) for the first time since he pulled-up in last year’s Ultima Handicap Chase. He has a lovely weight on his back and he will love this good ground. He ran well twice around the Cross Country course in the winter and I’m now looking forward to seeing what he can do over the fences with me on board. He had a lovely run in a good Grade Two hurdle at Navan the last day and he is going there in good shape. He is getting lumps of weight from Stumptown so we will hope for the best and see what happens.