J J Slevin’s William Hill blog: Hope bookies have got it right with Lark In The Mornin’s price

I’m lucky to have the few rides that I have here and I’m looking forward to what will hopefully be another great meeting. There is a good team of Irish lads over here which is great as well and we all can’t wait to get going.

I look forward to the meeting every year and once you get out of there on the Friday evening you are already thinking about what horses will get back there next year and what races they can run in. I’ve been lucky enough to have been to Cheltenham already this season but riding at the Festival is a big deal.

Tuesday

Busselton (2.5opm)

He has struggled a bit this season, but he has been a great horse all along. He has won a Kerry National in the past and this sort of race ought to suit him. If the ground could dry out a bit more that would be a big help to him. In all honesty though he is probably up against it, and it would be a big run from him if he could get in the money.

I thought the race the last day at Leopardstown would suit him, but the ground probably wasn’t to his liking, and he got a bit of hardship early on as the horse in front of him at the first fell and he was then on the back foot from then on. It turned into being a non-event for him when it wasn’t happening for him. I wasn’t too hard on him and hopefully we can put a line through that. He needs to show a bit of spark but hopefully the big occasion might get him revitalised.

Colonel Mustard (3.30pm)

It was a great run from him in the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton. The Nemean Lion beat him that day and he is back in against him again. The blinkers have been put on him and he has been in good form with the blinkers. He has been working well and schooling well in them and travelling sharply. He has shown plenty of spark in the blinkers. He is a very good horse on his day. He wasn’t far behind State Man in the County Hurdle a few years ago. I know he is the outsider of the field, but I’m hoping he can run better than his odds suggest. It would be great if he could put on some sort of show, and I don’t think it is beyond all possibility either.

Hopefully they will go good and hard in front as he likes stalking, and sneaking into a race. I’ll be riding him to pick up whatever he can, and there is a good chance he can do that.

I’ve been riding him quite a bit in the lead up to this and he feels really good. It would be brilliant if he could sneak into a place.

Lark In The Mornin (4.50pm)

Ground is a big factor for him as he was pulled out a few times in the winter because of the deep ground back home so hopefully it will keep drying out for him. The drier the ground the better his chance. He ran well, and learned plenty the last day, but he came home well without every threatening to land a blow. I thought to myself going into the last day that he would be nearly good enough to go and win that race and he kind of flattened out when he got there. It has always been the thinking that he will be a better horse on better ground.

I think he is man enough for this race, but you can never be sure until they go and do it. He is going to have to travel, and jump sharp, as one little mistake will put you out of a race like this.

My previous winner in the race Band Of Outlaws was a real sharp horse that was a seven furlong/miler on the flat. He had a lot of speed. This horse is nearly a mile and a half horse on the flat so they are different sorts of horses. I’d say this lad will be a stayer in time. He has a good flowing rhythm to him, but the ground will determine what sort of chance he has. You have to be optimistic and I hope the bookmakers have him priced up right.

Wednesday

Built By Ballymore (2.50pm)

He is a horse that has improved nicely, but the slower the ground the better his chance will be. He is a good staying horse that won well the last day. His mark is plenty high enough for what he has achieved. He won a maiden at Limerick and a rated novice hurdle at Punchestown the last day so they haven’t missed him with his mark.

We are hopeful and Martin (Brassil) has popped the cheekpieces on him so hopefully he can work his magic on him again. Martin always likes to try and have them ready for these spring festivals and his chances will be strengthened with the more rain that falls. I think he is streetwise for a race like this even though he is only a novice. He has done plenty of jumping, and has had a great upbringing, so he should be good enough to hold his place in a race of this nature.

Solness (4.50pm)

They will be going fast in this race, and he is a good traveller so that will suit him. His mark is probably high enough so there is nothing hidden with that and the handicapper has him where he wants him. It was a good run at Leopardstown, and he stuck on well. The ground was probably a shade slow for him the last day, but a good real strong pace will suit him here.

I wouldn’t be worried where I sit on him in the race as long as he is not too far out of his ground. If he can hang in there, and jump well, then he should be able to come up that hill to good effect. They go very fast in it, and those that do don’t tend to have a huge amount left at the finish. It would probably be hard enough to turn the tables on Madara as he won well enough the last day and even with the swing in the weights you wouldn’t be sure to beat him, but we will give it a good go.