'He's really turned the corner' - key quotes and insight for the Kim Muir

Thursday: 5.30 CheltenhamFulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Chase | 3m2f | 5yo+, 0-145 | RTV

The jockey booking can be just as important as the form of the horse when it comes to the Kim Muir. It is the only handicap confined to amateur riders all week and the range of abilities on show in the saddle is probably wider than that in a handicap for professionals.

When you factor in the fact that a 23-runner field lines up, it probably isn’t the easiest race to ride and that may explain why Jamie Codd has dominated the race recently.

Codd is not only the best amateur in Britain and Ireland, but he would almost certainly have been a leading professional had he chosen to go that way. On the amateur scene, he has ridden more than 900 winners in point-to-points and he has been equally effective under rules.

In the last ten years, when considering only riders who have ridden 60 winners or more, only seven jockeys have a better strike-rate than Codd and only some of the most famous names are ahead of him – AP McCoy, Ruby Walsh, Paul Townend and Ryan Moore to name a few.

It’s not all purely about ability, though. Codd’s astounding success means he is offered better opportunities and, when he rides a horse he has not previously ridden, the winning chance of that horse increases because of what the booking implies about how it is expected to perform.

Two of Codd’s four wins in the race have come for David Pipe, but his last victory was for Gordon Elliott and it looks like Elliott has first dibs on the great man’s services nowadays.

It is therefore surprising that, of Elliott’s four runners, Codd is on Smoking Gun and not market leader Frontal Assault. Could it be that the market has yet to factor in his booking?

Jamie Codd won the 2016 Kim Muir for Elliott on Cause Of CausesCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

The other rider that most will be looking for is Derek O’Connor. He is the only man to have ridden more point winners than Codd – more than 1,200 in total – and his booking on School Boy Hours, for owner JP McManus, is similarly revealing in what to expect from that horse.

O’Connor has ridden the winner of this race only once, but that was in 2019 on Any Second Now, who was also owned by McManus. That took the record of the leading rider in the race to 1-5 for the green and gold in recent seasons and School Boy Hours is the pick of his pair.
Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

Elliott boasts strong hand

This was one of the most unusual races run at the most unusual of Cheltenham Festivals last year, when Mount Ida defied in-running odds of 999-1 to come home victorious.

Not only was the mare detached in the early stages and seemingly going nowhere – hence her meaty in-running price – before she stormed to success, she did so under the stewardship of Jack Kennedy, with amateur riders unable to compete due to Covid-19 restrictions, while Denise Foster was the successful trainer with Gordon Elliott suspended for the meeting.

Normality returns this year, at least in terms of the training and riding, with Elliott fielding four runners as he seeks a third victory in this contest, having previously triumphed with Cause Of Causes and Milan Native.

Smoking Gun (near side) is the mount of Jamie CoddCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Frontal Assault, eighth in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle last year, has been targeted at this race by Elliott, who also saddles Smoking Gun, Fakir D’alene and Glenloe in a show of strength that means he runs at least double the amount of runners of any other handler.

“Frontal Assault hasn’t won over fences yet but he has been running some good races in defeat,” Elliott said. “The step up in trip looks as though it will bring about a bit of progress in him and you’d like to think he’s got a very solid chance.

“Glenloe hasn’t won for a long time. I’m hoping he runs well but he's got it all to do. Smoking Gun has some nice bits of form to his name, particularly when winning the Porterstown in November. He’s definitely not out of it. Fakir D’alene will enjoy the step up in trip but he needs to come forward again.”

What they say

Henry de Bromhead, trainer of Ain’t That A Shame
He might lack a bit of experience for a race like this but he's in good form and I've been very happy with him recently.

Nicky Henderson, trainer of Mister Coffey
Mister Coffey has been running well but I've stupidly been racing him right-handed when he blatantly needs to go left-handed. He is going to love three miles two furlongs as well.

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Cat Tiger
He has a nice each-way chance and teed himself up for this with victory at Ascot. He's capable of running well.

Noel Meade, trainer of School Boy Hours
He needs all the rain that's forecast. If the ground is the same as it was on Tuesday, we couldn't run him, so we have to hope it does arrive. He's in great form and travelled over well.

Joe Tizzard, son and assistant to Colin Tizzard, trainer of Elegant
Escape
He's dropped down the weights this season and we thought it was a good race to give him a spin in and give his jockey a chance in a big race at Cheltenham. Hopefully the occasion will spark him up a bit and if it did he’d have an each-way chance.

Neil Mulholland, trainer of Lord Accord
He wouldn't want too much rain. He's had four runs over fences and won two. He's good and solid and I wouldn't be worried about his last run because the ground was too soft. I'm very happy with how he is and he can run a nice race.

Tom George, trainer of Come On Teddy
He's in good form and this has been his target for a while. He's got experience of the course and wasn't quite at his best last time. He's got the right profile for the race and I'd like to think there's more to come from him.

Alex Hales, trainer of Omar Maretti
I'm really looking forward to running him. He's a massive improver and I think he has room for more, he's done nothing but go the right way this season and he won very easily last time.

Venetia Williams, trainer of Chambard
He's really turned a corner this season and turned into the horse we always thought he could be. We thought we'd need a 5lb penalty to get in, although that didn't turn out to be the case. He's going into the race in good form. Hopefully he can keep doing what he's been doing but it will require him to step up on his performances.

Gary Moore, trainer of Larry
I think the race will be run to suit him. If that's the case, then he'd have an each-way chance.

Emmet Mullins, trainer of Rightplacerightime
It's plain to see that has all the ability in the world but it's his mentality that's holding him back.
Reporting by Peter Scargill

Thursday's Cheltenham Festival previews:

1.30 Cheltenham: 'It'll be some spectacle' – key quotes ahead of Bob Olinger v Galopin Des Champs

2.10 Cheltenham: 'A Grade 1 winner carrying 10st, it's up to him' – clues for the Pertemps Final

2.50 Cheltenham: 'Everybody is up against it' – is there any stopping Ryanair banker Allaho?

3.30 Cheltenham: Paisley Park 'likes to have a laugh' but can he produce another miracle?

4.10 Cheltenham: 'He looks to have been overlooked' – analysis and trainer quotes for the Plate

4.50 Cheltenham: Dinoblue heads seven runners for Willie Mullins in bid to resume normal service

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