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| Leading Jockey |
Brennan Hoping For Memorable Festival With Best-ever Book Of
Rides
05/02/07
Paddy Brennan is a jockey going places. The 25-year-old from Ardrahan,
Galway, has not looked back since landing the conditional jockeys’ title
in 2004/05, when second rider to Philip Hobbs, and in July, 2006, he
was snapped up by Howard Johnson’s powerful County Durham yard
to replace Graham Lee as stable jockey.
Having secured a first Cheltenham Festival triumph last year, courtesy
of 40/1 shot Shamayoun in the Fred
Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap
Hurdle, Brennan is looking forward to returning to Prestbury Park this
March with his strongest book of rides yet, with the memory of that maiden
Festival success still fresh in his mind.
The young Irishman explained: “Riding Shamayoun to victory at
last year’s Festival was the highlight of my career so far, no
doubt. Charles Egerton is a shrewd trainer and he told me before the
race that the horse was very well handicapped, so it wasn’t a shock
really, despite his 40/1 starting price.
“When I crossed the line, I felt so much relief, it was amazing. You see other jockeys weighing in having ridden a winner at The Festival and it’s something you dream of. Now I’ve done it once, I’ve got the taste for it!
“You build yourself up for The Festival - it’s what the whole season is geared around. This year, more than ever, thinking about the rides I have, I can’t wait for the event to kick off.”
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Brennan’s exciting list of likely mounts includes Inglis Drever
in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle, Lennon in The
Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy and Degas Art in the JCB
Triumph Hurdle - all three
are trained by Johnson for main patron Graham Wylie - while the Kevin
Bishop-trained Ashley Brook in the Seasons
Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase represents another cracking ride.
Brennan continued: “Inglis Drever would certainly be one of my
best chances. He seems like he’s coming back to his best after
injury and, when he’s walking around that parade ring with the
big crowd there, he’ll know exactly what’s happening. He
won the Ladbrokes World Hurdle in 2005 and is a class horse.
“Lennon has won all three starts over fences and he’s grown in confidence as the season has gone on. He needs to improve still and I don’t know if he would be good enough to win The Irish Independent Arkle, but I think he’ll put up a hell of a performance.
“I’m really, really looking forward to getting the leg-up on Degas Art. He’s the only one to have beaten Katchit over hurdles, and he seems to be the forgotten horse in the JCB Triumph Hurdle. Come Cheltenham, he’ll have a serious chance.
“As for Ashley Brook, I’m just delighted for him and his connections. He’s come back better than ever after his knee operation - he showed so much speed when scoring at Cheltenham over hurdles (in the Michael Doocey Memorial Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham on January 27), after more than a year out of action. Well Chief would be a tough opponent as his best, but I’m happy with my fellow.”
With the likes of Mr Pointment, Tidal Bay, Crocodile Dundee and Arcalis also in his armoury, Brennan - tipped by many pundits as a future champion jump jockey - has plenty of reasons to be optimistic ahead of this year’s Festival.
He added: “For me, to ride any winner is the best feeling in the
world, but to go to the Cheltenham Festival is something special - it’s
the Olympics for jump jockeys, and it’s unique. We are very lucky
that it happens every year.
“I’m getting to know the yard and the horses at Howard Johnson’s
and we’ve built a solid foundation so far this season, and I hope
we can build on that at Cheltenham in March.”
LEADING CURRENT JOCKEYS AT THE FESTIVAL
Tony McCoy 18
Mick FitzGerald 14
Richard Johnson 12
Ruby Walsh 11
Barry Geraghty 11
Paul Carberry 9
Robert Thornton 8
Carl Llewellyn 7
Timmy Murphy 6
Conor O’Dwyer 4
Tony Dobbin 3
Graham Lee 3
Andrew Thornton 3
