Richard Dunwoody - Winning Tips From a CHAMPION

By Richard Dunwoody

RUBY WALSH is as good an odds-on shot as you will find next week. Rather than siphoning through the form of a never-ending stream of horses with chances, back him at 1.5 with Sky Bet to be the top jockey at the Cheltenham Festival. Walsh heads the lists with 24 winners and needs just two more winners to become the winning-most rider at the Festival. Barring injury, he is fully expected to break the record of Arkle’s jockey Pat Taaffe, who holds the record at present with 25. The book of rides he has in enviable, with Celestial Halo, Master Minded, Al Ferof, Alfie Sherrin,

Looks set to be to be the top jockey at the Cheltenham Festival Ruby Walsh

Poquelin, Big Buck’s and Kauto Star among some of the big guns he rides for Paul Nicholls. That’s without the great chances he has in some of the handicaps.

Sky Bet also have betting without Walsh, with Barry Geraghty their 2.25 favourite in this market. But there could be a few takers of the 12.0 offered for Paddy Brennan. Tom George is expected to call on the Irishman to replace injured stable jockey Sam Thomas on Albert Bartlett favourite Tell Massini and outsider Olofi in the Triumph Hurdle. Plus he also has Khyber Kim in the Champion Hurdle and Imperial Commander in the Gold Cup for his retaining yard. The no.1 jockey to Nigel Twiston-Davies could also be called up for leading RSA hope Weird Al from the Ian Williams yard if not required to ride for his boss.

Both riders will be hoping to stay upright this afternoon at Sandown, and they cross paths in the Paddy Power Imperial Cup, Walsh aboard Pepe Simo and Brennan partnering Sambulando. The former took on the Champion Hurdle favourite Go Native in the Christmas Hurdle last time, but the soft ground was very much against him and after a comprehensive defeat there, Nicholls sensibly put him away, waiting for better ground. The two-mile handicap hurdle is obviously competitive, made more so by the £75,000 bonus offered to the winning connections, should the same horse go on to land any race at next week’s Cheltenham Festival.

Pepe Simo has a leading chance, but preference is for the Philip Hobbs-trained QASPAL (15:05pm), who has won his last two, including a novices’ event here last month. He pulled hard and could not have won any easier in beating Rebeccas Choice. The ground will be much faster this time, but he has improved a lot since that run and I’d be very hopeful that Richard Johnson can have a richly-deserved big-race Saturday winner. DANI'S GIRL also has a good each-way chance. Irish owner Clive Craig wants to breed from her but is looking for one big day before that and if she returns to the sort of form which saw her beat Pascha Bere over this trip at Ascot in October, she has a fair chance off a low weight. The drying ground will suit her.

At Ayr, FRED BOJANGALS (15:50pm) looks primed to record his third success in four outings in the two-mile Blue Square Handicap Chase. He won very cosily under Brian Hughes here last time. He runs off 9lb higher mark and while it will take a career-best to keep the handicapper at bay, I feel he is improving and has not yet reached his peak.

Finally, BURGHLEY (14:50pm) can follow up his all-weather debut victory for trainer Michael Bell and jockey Hayley Turner in a competitive seven-furlong handicap. He won with authority in what looked a relatively hot maiden here last time and looked potentially quite useful.

Richard's selections:

15:50 Ayr Fred Bojangles 2 pt win at SP

15:05 Sandown Qaspal 1 pt win at SP

15:05 Sandown Dani’s Girl 0.5 pt ew at SP

14:50 Wolverhampton Burghley 1 pt win at SP


About Richard Dunwoody

One of the greatest jockey’s in British racing history, Richard Dunwoody broke the previous record for the greatest number of career wins for a jump jockey of 1678 when Yorkshire Edition won at Wincanton. Richard went on to ride a career total of 1699 winners. That mark was finally beaten by Tony McCoy in August 2002. As an amateur jockey, he rode his first winner on Game Trust at Cheltenham in May 1983, and the following spring rode a four-timer at Hereford as a 7lb claimer. He was champion jockey for three seasons and is one of only four post war jockeys to have captured the illusive triple crown of the Gold Cup (Charter Party 1986), the Champion Hurdle (Kribensis 1990) and the Grand National (West Tip 1986 and Minnehoma 1994). Richard also rode more than 100 winners in ten consecutive seasons.  His best season saw him ride 197 winners in 1993/94. Yet, to most, he is most well known for his partnership with the iconic Desert Orchid. The pair won seven races, including the King George V1 Chase in 1989 and 1990.

Richard has undertaken various expeditions since hanging up his boots, including a 350-mile cross-country ski race to the Magnetic North Pole and in January this year completed an amazing 673 mile trek to the South Pole, something he considers his greatest ever achievement.

He joined the BBC racing team at Aintree this year, writes a column for the Daily Mirror pull-out section on Saturdays and is a consultant to the British Racing School at Newmarket, where he coaches young and up-and-coming jockeys.

Richard Dunwoody also runs his own highly successful racing service. Recent winners include Wayward Prince 4/5, Ginger Grey 9/4, Grey Command 11/10, Dvinsky 11/8, Clear Sailing 11/10, 'Shadows Lengthen 11/4, Gargano 11/8, Milans Man 11/10, Qozak 2/1, Oiseau De Nuit 2/1, Clear Sailing Evs, Wunder Strike 2/1, Ere Alfie 100/30, Doctor Pat 9/4 & What A Friend 11/2.