Graham ‘Wayward Lad’ Bradley – Cheltenham Blog Part 4
Gold Cup winning jockey Graham Bradley gives us the lowdown on this year’s Queen Mother Champion Chase and draws on some experience to give favourite and reigning champ Master Minded some sympathy. Blue Square PR Manager Alan Alger poses the questions:Alan – Graham, you’ve said that you are reluctant to state the obvious, but you see no way past the Nicholls big three of Master Minded, Big Buck’s and Kauto Star. Any reason to change your mind?
Graham – Well every year you’ll get a few bankers and law of averages says that one will get the bookies their money by getting beat. But I see it playing out differently this year.
Alan – How and why?
Graham – Look at those three horses and give me a solid contender that’s going to line up against them. There doesn’t seem to be any in those three races. Sure they could all beat themselves, but I wouldn’t be worried if I was Ruby on all three.
Alan – Beat themselves?
Graham – Well I guess the chasers could be prone to the odd mistake and Big Buck’s could need waking up on the run in, but the more I think about it the more it looks a solid treble.
Alan – What about the Champion Chase and Master Minded’s injury?
Graham – A broken rib is no laughing matter let me tell you. It hurts to breath, to laugh even to talk. That fella (Master Minded) has jumped round Cheltenham and come third carrying one. The fact they’ve fixed it since then and he’s won a race means he could be back to his best. I know Paul Nicholls has said as much.
Alan – So you’ve experienced the odd broken rib yourself?
Graham – Oh yes! Three times! A fall at Lingfield, diving into a swimming pool in Barbados and falling into a ditch outside a pub in Lambourn. Going in I might add.
Alan – So you sympathise with the champion chaser?
Graham – It’s a horrible injury and one of the most painful a human can suffer. As a horse you couldn’t tell for sure but something obviously troubled him last year.
Alan – Come on then Graham, what’s the value ‘without the favourite’ in the Champion Chase?
Graham – It’s much more competitive when you take Master Minded out. I like Big Zeb to follow the favourite home. On the better ground in Ireland last year he nearly beat a tired Master Minded. He’s likely to meet that kind of ground again and can certainly fill a place.
Join us at the weekend when Graham talks us through a ‘fantasy’ book of Festival rides.
Author: Alan Alger
