PADDY BRENNAN expects to make it third time lucky on Merseyside this weekend with Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Imperial Commander.
Nigel Twiston-Davies’s nine-year-old was a hugely impressively winner of the Gold Cup at last season’s Cheltenham Festival in March. But either side of that he suffered heartbreak at Haydock and Aintree.
But when he returns to the former for Saturday’s feature – the £200,000 Betfair Chase – Brennan thinks he is the horse to beat.
Last year in Haydock’s Grade One contest – the highlight of the opening day of the Northwest Racing Masters weekend – Imperial Commander lost out by the narrowest of margins to Kauto Star. And although he was beaten by the same rival at Kempton in the King George on Boxing Day, he gained his revenge on the dual Cheltenham Gold Cup hero by taking his crown in thrilling fashion at Prestbury Park.
A month later back on Merseyside though, Brennan and Imperial Commander were brought back down to earth. The jockey was unseated in the totesport Bowl at Aintree, a race won by another chaser from champion trainer Paul Nicholls’ stable, What A Friend.
Part-owned by Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, What A Friend will reoppose after being declared among the 10 entries at the five-day declaration stage yesterday.
And although he will come on for the race, Brennan expects Imperial Commander to go one better than 12 months ago and make his seasonal reappearance a winning one.
The Irish jockey said: “Imperial Commander will be a lot fitter for his first race this season. But he probably wouldn’t need to be because he and Kauto Star were 30 lengths clear of the rest last November.
“He’s fresh and well, and he’s ready to handle any track. Imperial Commander does take time between his races – he’ll run in only three this season – but he’s uncomplicated.”
The three-race programme mapped out by connections will be Saturday’s Betfair Chase, and another likely meeting with four-time winner Kauto Star in the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day and back to Prestbury Park to defend his Cheltenham Gold Cup crown next March.
The middle leg of that will again throw up questions over whether Imperial Commander is capable of showing his best on right-handed tracks but Twiston-Davies’s stable jockey believes he can show his real ability at Kempton Park over Christmas.
Brennan added: “Kempton is quite a tight track so it’s not ideal, and Kauto Star can go over any distance from two miles to over three miles. But the plan will be to go to Kempton. I don’t see any reason why Imperial Commander won’t run well.”
Brennan will also be riding over the John Smith’s Grand National fences this weekend when he is likely to partner Twiston-Davies’s Irish Raptor – who fell in the big race in April – in the totesport Becher Chase at Aintree on Sunday.
And although he would love to conquer the daunting obstacles and win the National for a first time next April, another taste of Gold Cup glory is his chief target.
He said: “Until I won the Gold Cup the first time, I might have said the Grand National (was the one to win). But I have got the taste for the Gold Cup. The race gave me the most satisfying feeling. The Grand National is like a lottery ticket – it’s for the public. For a jockey, when you get on a young horse, you are thinking if it’s good enough for the Gold Cup.”
Champion jockey Tony McCoy, who may ride Albertas Run if he lines up in the Betfair Chase and in the Becher Chase, finally landed the Grand National at the 15th attempt on Don’t Push It.
But Brennan would love to emulate him in being champion jockey one day.
He added: “It has always been my aim (to win the title). I dream about it, but it’s impossible at the moment with Tony McCoy. If it weren’t for AP, then there would be five or six jockeys in it. It would then be realistic for me.”
Although Brennan is focused on his reunion with Imperial Commander he is hoping another horse he will be partnering can end up joining him at the Cheltenham Festival.
Brennan said: “Tell Massini, trained by Tom George, is a horse to follow. He won a novices’ chase at Stratford at the end of October, and will probably run in a three-mile novices’ chase during the Hennessy Gold Cup meeting at Newbury. He’s going to improve, and he’s being aimed at the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.”
Meanwhile, trainer Jim Goldie is eyeing a third victory in the £60,000 totesuper7 Grand Sefton Handicap Chase at Aintree on Sunday.
Goldie has three of the 26 entries for the Grand Sefton Chase run over an extended two miles and five furlongs of the Grand National course with Stormin Exit, last year’s third Craiglands and the 2007 victor Lampion Du Bost.
Goldie also won with Endless Power and he said: “Stormin Exit is probably my number one contender for the Grand Sefton. We’ve trained him for the race and he is in good order, so hopefully we can get there feeling 100%.
“Craiglands and Lampion Du Bost are in the totesport.com Becher Chase and the Grand Sefton. The two of them are liable to be out of the handicap in both races, so we’ll have a look and go for the race in which they’re not as far wrong at the weights.”
Twenty thousand racing fans will be at Haydock Park and Aintree Racecourses this Saturday and Sunday for the sixth annual Northwest Racing Masters. For more information and tickets go to www.aintree.co.uk and www.haydock-park.co.uk. The first race at Haydock on Saturday is at 12.40pm with Aintree’s first is at 12.05pm on Sunday.
TODAY’S NAP: Red Skipper (3.30pm Fakenham).
