Scudamore gives his thoughts on Sandown and Cheltenham

Unanimite is one of our challengers for the Fred Winter, along with Bidourey, and he’s a horse we like a lot. I sat on him during the week and he went well. My Fred Winter picture will become clearer after the Imperial Cup and Bidourey, but he’s a very good contender in his own right. He’s a good string to David’s bow. From a personal point of view I’m hoping that he has two strings to his bow in the Fred Winter because that will have meant Bidourey has won the Imperial Cup.

Moon Racer runs in the Bumper and he has been the most impressive Bumper winner this side of the Irish Sea. But with the Bumper there is always so much untapped talent in there you never know what you have in there until the day. There are all kinds of horses that you’ve never heard of that go on to become household names like Cue Card or Briar Hill. They come from seemingly nowhere.

It’s a wide open World Hurdle and I see no reason why Un Temps Pour Tout can’t win it. There are plenty in there with a chance. Noel on Zarkander, Saphir De Rheu, Rock On Ruby, Lieutenant Colonel, Whisper, they will all be fancying their chances. But there’s nothing I’ve seen that doesn’t make me think he has a good chance. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see him in the winner’s enclosure.

Baraka De Thaix in the Triumph would have a chance on his one run. He disappointed last time and hasn’t been seen since. Off his one run at Cheltenham he deserves his place. That was a decent run behind Golden Doyen and Hargam but he’s got to bounce back to that form. Similar sentiments would apply to Stars Over The Sea who blew horses away on his first two starts and then disappointed last time. He was a very good Flat horse.

I haven’t sat on The Giant Bolster recently but then I never sat on him before previous Gold Cups. I sat on him back in October time and I’m looking forward to getting back on him, and taking them on again. I’m looking forward to it. It’s great to have a ride in the race for a start. It’s a very deep race but I don’t think it’s a better race than this time last year. The Giant Bolster is going into the race in the same kind of form as last year and there’s no reason why he can’t run a good race. I think you’re looking at the same horses again that are likely to be there or thereabouts. Lord Windermere and Silviniaco Conti. The Giant Bolster never runs well until he gets to the Festival and seems to come alive there. He loves Cheltenham and I see no reason why he won’t run another massive race.

Monetaire is a grand horse. He won well at Newbury. He’s obviously got some pretty big shoes to fill, given the colours he wears, with Salut Flo and Ballynagour winning at previous Festivals. I don’t know which race he’ll go for. It will probably be out of the Grand Annual or the Plate.

Sandown

The Imperial Cup at Sandown has a full field and is 6/1 the field. With my horse, Bidourey, all the clichés are going to come out. He’s done nothing wrong. He’s got all the potential. The honest truth is we just don’t know. He could be 10lbs well in. He could be 10lbs badly in. He’s a horse I like a lot. He’s obviously been a good servant for us. He’s won five races on the bounce, four of them for us, three over hurdles. Everything we have asked him to do, he’s done, and he’s done it impressively. He’s beaten nothing, but he’s beaten them in a style that you’d hope a good horse would do. Tomorrow we are going to find out. He feels like he’s ready for the step up in class, and ready for the big field. But the only way we’ll learn the answer to the questions is tomorrow. I’d love to say that he’s an absolute aeroplane but he feels like a good horse. In terms of the Cheltenham bonus, the Imperial Cup is his target and we’ll get through that first,

I ride Mount Haven in the 2.00pm and he’s got one or two good bits of form. It’s been disappointing not to get his head in front. He’s a really likeable individual, he’s just got to get it together. I’m on Anay Turge in the 4.55pm and had a good year last year, not so good this year. He’s been dropping down the handicap and it’s his most realistic chance so far. Sandown should suit him but it’s probably a watching brief. He’s got the form in the book but he’s got to bounce back to it. I had a double for Nigel Hawke yesterday and his horses are running well. That gives me some confidence.

Tom