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Looking forward to riding Rioga Choice at Punchestown
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Senior Chief seems to be better now
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Read what Rachael has to say on both rides
In good form at home and I'm looking forward to riding her here
I got unseated of Rioga Choice at Leopardstown last time at the Dublin Racing Festival. We just ran into Risk Belle who fell in front of us. She went one way and I went the other. It was just one of those things.
She was none the worse for that thought, and she seems to be in good form at home. She won her maiden hurdle impressively at Roscommon last August, and she ran well to finish fourth behind her stable companion Magical Zoe in a Grade 3 novice hurdle at Down Royal in November on her next run.
The Model Kingdom was just three parts of a length in from of us there, and she won at Punchestown next time and finished second in the Grade 2 Moscow Flyer Hurdle last time.
This is a good listed mares novice hurdle and, with Kilbree Warrior in the race, there will probably be a good pace on.
Harmonya Maker was impressive in winning at Fairyhouse on New Year's Day and Hauturiere stayed on well to win there a few weeks ago.
Shecouldbeanything finished third in the Grade 2 Moscow Flyer Hurdle at Punchestown last time against the geldings, and Eabha Grace won easily at Punchestown last time, while Whatcouldhavebeen stayed on well to finish a close-up fourth in the Solerina Hurdle at Fairyhouse last time, and she could appreciate the step up in trip.
It's a good race, but Rioga Choice seems to be in good form at home and I am looking forward to riding her here.
Hoping that he can run a nice race
We think that Senior Chief is a nice horse. We were a bit disappointed that he was beaten on his first run over hurdles last time at Clonmel in November, he was just a little untidy in his jumping.
But he seems to be better now. I schooled him this morning and his jumping seems to have improved.
He is stepping up in trip too, to two and a half miles, and I think that that will suit him. He is a point-to-point winner, and he finished second behind Monbeg Park in a bumper on his racecourse debut over two miles and three furlongs.
His dam is a half-sister to Bob Bob Bobbin, who won three times over three miles over fences, and his grandam is Absalom's Lady, who was a top-class hurdler.
Senior Chief hasn't run since November, but he is in good form at home and I am hoping that he can run a nice race.