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New Betfair ambassador discusses her Saturday rides
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Rachael "looking forward to riding Kemboy again"
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Read her exclusive thoughts here on Betting.Betfair
I'm really looking forward to the weekend now. The Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown, it should be a great weekend, top class National Hunt racing. The atmosphere last year was brilliant, I'm sure that it will be the same again this year.
I'm delighted to be involved in the weekend, and I'm lucky to be going there with a good book of rides.
Deep Cave should not be too far away
13:20 Leopardstown - Deep Cave
The weekend kicks off with a bang, the first race is a Grade 1 race, the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Novice Hurdle, and I ride Deep Cave. He is a lovely horse, he won nicely over Christmas, he kept on well to beat a good mare in Lot Of Joy.
He's an improving horse, he improved from his first run for Henry at Punchestown in November to Christmas, and I'm hoping that he can improve again. It looks like a very good race, as you would expect for a Grade 1, there are lots of potentially high-class horses in there, but Deep Cave should not be too far away. He could be an under-rated horse.
Ascending is entitled to improve
13:55 Leopardstown - Ascending
Ascending is entitled to take his chance in this. Again, it's a good race, it's another Grade 1, and Lossiemouth is unbeaten, she sets a high standard. But Ascending ran well at Leopardstown over Christmas to finish second to Tekao, beaten just a half-a-length.
Ascending is probably going to have to improve on that if he is going to be involved, but it was his first run over hurdles, so he is entitled to improve. He was a good horse on the flat in Britain last year when he was trained by Clive Cox, and I am looking forward to seeing how he will go here.
Kemboy goes really well at Leopardstown
It was nice to get the call up to ride Kemboy in the Irish Gold Cup. He is such a consistent horse and he goes really well at Leopardstown. He has won there twice and he has finished second there four times. He won the Savills Chase at Leopardstown in December 2018 and he won this race two years ago.
On his latest run, he finished second behind Conflated in the latest edition of the Savills Chase at Leopardstown's Christmas Festival. I have ridden him once before, in the French Champion Hurdle at Auteuil in May last year, and I am looking forward to riding him again.
Belle Metal could run a big race
15:40 Leopardstown - Belle Metal
Belle Metal is going to have to improve on her runs this season if she is going to be involved here, but she has a chance on her overall form.
She won her two bumpers, and she won her maiden hurdle at Navan in March last year. She stays three miles, she is out of a half-sister to Galway Plate runner-up Themoonandsixpence, and she has a lovely weight of 10st 2lb. If she can reproduce her best form, she could run a big race.