Diamond Geezer
Gone But Not Forgotten
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Marcus Armytage in The Telegraph
Sam Waley-Cohen, already in one elite group of jockeys – those who have ridden a Gold Cup winner – will join an even smaller club, possibly of one man, on Sunday when he lines up for the Velka Pardubicka, the Czech Grand National, on the Enda Bolger trained Zest For Life.
As far as I know it means he will be the only person around to have ridden in the holy trinity of steeplechases before which it is wise to check the small print of your life insurance; the Grand National (in which he has finished second and third), the Maryland Hunt Cup (third) and the Velka
If you take Bolger’s word for it Waley-Cohen has already completed the difficult leg. The trainer, who gives Zest For Life an each-way chance, described the Maryland Hunt Cup over upright timber as “suicide altogether”.
Some 21 horses have been declared for the 4¼ mile Velka, in which my major contribution as a rider was to bring down the winner Zeleznik (the Czech Red Rum, who was remounted, caught them up and went on to win) in 1991.
Four years ago Waley-Cohen went on one of Bolger’s infamous schooling sessions round the Limerick countryside, which ends up with the horses picking at the geraniums outside the pub while you sup whisky inside. I regretted that the pub was not first stop rather than last. Even Waley-Cohen described the experience as “life changing”.
He had hoped for a similar session to acquaint himself with Zest For Life, but traffic problems meant he missed his flight and had to make do with a quick whizz round Bolger’s gallops (which still boast more jumps than Hickstead).
“I’ve been told not to look back at the Taxis [one of the Velka’s most notorious obstacles] from the landing side because I’ll think it’s un-jumpable,” Waley-Cohen said. “It’s a unique race.”
Other British and Irish jockeys in the race are National winner Liam Treadwell on Seslost and amateur Freddie Mitchell on the Slovakian-bred Cantridara. Other Bolger runners, Freney’s Well and Mount Sion, will be ridden by Martin Ferris and Richie McLernon.
Last year’s winner, Orphee Des Blins, will be hard to beat while the unbreakable Josef Vana, 60, will be looking for his ninth victory in the race on three-time winner Tiumen.
Sam Waley-Cohen, already in one elite group of jockeys – those who have ridden a Gold Cup winner – will join an even smaller club, possibly of one man, on Sunday when he lines up for the Velka Pardubicka, the Czech Grand National, on the Enda Bolger trained Zest For Life.
As far as I know it means he will be the only person around to have ridden in the holy trinity of steeplechases before which it is wise to check the small print of your life insurance; the Grand National (in which he has finished second and third), the Maryland Hunt Cup (third) and the Velka
If you take Bolger’s word for it Waley-Cohen has already completed the difficult leg. The trainer, who gives Zest For Life an each-way chance, described the Maryland Hunt Cup over upright timber as “suicide altogether”.
Some 21 horses have been declared for the 4¼ mile Velka, in which my major contribution as a rider was to bring down the winner Zeleznik (the Czech Red Rum, who was remounted, caught them up and went on to win) in 1991.
Four years ago Waley-Cohen went on one of Bolger’s infamous schooling sessions round the Limerick countryside, which ends up with the horses picking at the geraniums outside the pub while you sup whisky inside. I regretted that the pub was not first stop rather than last. Even Waley-Cohen described the experience as “life changing”.
He had hoped for a similar session to acquaint himself with Zest For Life, but traffic problems meant he missed his flight and had to make do with a quick whizz round Bolger’s gallops (which still boast more jumps than Hickstead).
“I’ve been told not to look back at the Taxis [one of the Velka’s most notorious obstacles] from the landing side because I’ll think it’s un-jumpable,” Waley-Cohen said. “It’s a unique race.”
Other British and Irish jockeys in the race are National winner Liam Treadwell on Seslost and amateur Freddie Mitchell on the Slovakian-bred Cantridara. Other Bolger runners, Freney’s Well and Mount Sion, will be ridden by Martin Ferris and Richie McLernon.
Last year’s winner, Orphee Des Blins, will be hard to beat while the unbreakable Josef Vana, 60, will be looking for his ninth victory in the race on three-time winner Tiumen.