10.15am Pendleton calls reaction to Fakenham out of proportion
Dual Olympic gold medal-winning cyclist Victoria Pendleton won her first race as a jockey on Wednesday, courtesy of Pacha Du Polder at Wincanton. Her ambition is to ride at the Cheltenham Festival and a decision is expected on Monday.
Afterwards, Pendleton was back at the more familiar surroundings of London’s Lee Valley VeloPark and the Track Cycling World Championships as a commentator for the BBC.
Press Association Sport’s Matt McGeehan exclusively took the chance to get her thoughts on all things, from that winning feeling to being labelled in some quarters as an “accident waiting to happen” on a racecourse.
MM: Congratulations on Wincanton - what does it mean for your chances of Cheltenham and fulfilling that dream?
VP: Well, it’s always been one step at a time throughout this process. After Fakenham and being unseated in very unfortunate circumstances, I was really determined to get round, to have a clear round, to pop out quite handy, to give him an opportunity to do what he does well, to just crack on and get the job done. He’s an experienced horse and I didn’t give him a great chance to show that at Fakenham. And, yes, it was a very different ride. I just focused on each fence as it came and he met them all well. The second from last was a bit close, but on the whole he jumped exceptionally well and I’m very lucky for Andy Stewart [owner] and Paul Nicholls [trainer] to let me ride Pacha Du Polder.
MM: Any indication of Cheltenham?
VP: Not yet. We haven’t even had the discussion yet because I came immediately here after the race. We haven’t had a sit down to talk, we’re going to have a bit of a discussion in preparation to make the decision on Monday. Honestly I don’t know, but I trust and have faith in the experts around me to make the right decision and I’ll be happy with whatever decision they choose. It doesn’t mean I’m going to stop racing [if no ride at Cheltenham]. Hopefully I’ll have a few more hunter chases lined up and definitely a few point-to-points. I’m not going anywhere yet.
MM: How does being here affect preparation?
VP: It’s giving me a bit of a break, actually. It’s been quite intense. Since I fell off at Fakenham, I’ve been quite bruised and battered. You’ve just got to get out there and do it again. I schooled on Saturday, I raced on Sunday and then went to Paul Nicholls on Monday to school him [Pacha Du Polder] again and raced on Wednesday. I haven’t had a break in a while because I so wanted that to go well at Wincanton. This has given me a couple of days off riding, although I did miss not going to the yard [on Thursday] morning. I woke up early and I was, ‘Oh, I won’t be riding any horses today, sad. I wonder who’s going to be riding my horses?’. But I think it’s quite good to have a break. I’m racing on Saturday, so I’m just going to focus on that being my experience for the week.
MM: Reaction to “danger to yourself” comment?
VP: I “need saving from myself” and I was “an accident waiting to happen”. Well, in jump racing there are a lot of accidents waiting to happen. It’s what happens when you jump on board a 600kg racehorse, and ask it to negotiate some quite large obstacles at speed. Everybody falls off and everybody gets unseated. Not every day is a good ride. [The comments were] a bit out of proportion, I think. I’m not someone who is a risk taker, I’m not someone who seeks to do things that are dangerous. I would never wish for anyone or any horse to be in danger. My team wouldn’t, either.
MM: A lot of compliments, too?
VP: When AP McCoy says, ‘Well done, good ride’, and stuff like that, and Aidan Coleman and those guys, it means a lot to me. I have a lot of respect for them. Having had a small taste of what their world is about, I’ve realised how impressive, how difficult and how lonely the sport is and what they’ve achieved is something quite remarkable.
MM: If you make Cheltenham - can you compare to worlds/Olympics?
VP: If I make it to Cheltenham it will be like winning a bronze medal at the Olympics. If I finish at Cheltenham on board the horse, I would consider that a gold medal at the Olympics. That’s how much of a big deal it is. To finish on board the horse, cross the finishing line, wherever that may be, even last place, that would be like winning a gold medal.
MM: And a new tattoo?
VP: Definitely. I quite fancy the silhouette of a galloping horse, just a small one. Probably on the inside of my forearm or arm. Something subtle, discreet.
Friday’s best bets, by Tony Paley
Trainer David Barron is a renowned handler of sprinters and he looks to have unearthed another decent one in the shape of Wolowitz (6.45) who is the nap selection at Wolverhampton tonight. Graham Gibbons will have to be wise from a tricky outside draw but his mount’s decisive track and trip victory last time suggests he can get the better of Kadrizzi, who might have been a little lucky to get the better Field of Vision, another of tonight’s rivals, at Chelmsford last month.
Eastern Dragon (7.15) can defy top weight and complete a hat-trick in the following race on the card. The Seamus Durack-trained runner is still very well treated on his old form and can race off the same mark as when successful at Lingfield earlier this week.
Tipping competition, day five
Our winners so far:
Monday
Planetoid 16-1
Kilbree Chief 4-1
Lord Of The Storm 16-1
Tuesday
Court Dismissed 10-1
Troika Steppes 13-8
Wintered Well 9-4
Wednesday
Tagrita 5-2
Millicent Silver 4-1
Three Graces 9-1
Thursday
Daveron 6-1
Dolores Delightful 2-1
Sheikhzayedroad 4-1
And our leader is …
72luca +27
… who vaulted to the top with Daveron and Sheikhzayedroad. Other good scores: Lindsey6677 +21.13, Toptrapper +18.63, Mulldog +17.63, Carol Keen +13, factormax +12, Tommy2002 +10, AndieAndson +10, millreef +9, kingklynch +7.63, moidadem +6.25, Harrytheactor +6.25, cerises +6.25, NotThePubThePark +6, stanflashman +5, LexLondon +5.
For today’s thrilling climax, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 3.25 Newbury, 4.00 Newbury, 4.30 Newbury.
For one final week, thanks again to 32Red bookmakers, we can offer another £25 ante-post bet on any race (for which betting is available) at this year’s Cheltenham Festival. You can see 32Red’s Cheltenham markets here.
As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers. If you have not joined in so far this week, you are welcome to do so today, but you will start on -12.
In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day (TODAY).
Good luck!
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