Sean Bowen: I’m really looking forward to riding Back On The Lash

Jockey and Coral ambassador Sean Bowen previews his four rides at Cheltenham on Friday.

1.45 Cheltenham – No Risk Des Flos

He ran really well on his final couple of starts last season, but they did come over two and a half miles. He does have form over two miles, but that’s on heavy ground, and I’m not sure the ground is going to be that testing at Cheltenham tomorrow.

He’s a nice horse, and I do think there’s still room for manoeuvre off his handicap mark, but I’m just a bit worried he’ll be taken off his feet a little bit in this race. It is his first start of the season, and while Olly’s horses haven’t been needing the run so much this year, I’d say whatever he does tomorrow he’ll certainly step forward for it either on more testing ground or back up in trip.

2.55 Cheltenham – Back On The Lash

I’m really looking forward to riding Back On The Lash here in a race he’s won twice before, and off 2lb lower than last year, he’s certainly handicapped to win it again if he can return to his best form.

He was a bit lazy and never really in the race at Exeter last time, but I’m sure he’ll improve for that run, and hopefully this return to a cross-country race will ignite a bit of a spark in him. Some horses just come to life over the banks, and the twisting and turning and the jumping of the different obstacles just keeps a horse like him interested, so I’m very hopeful that we’ll see a better showing from him tomorrow than we did at Exeter last time.