Don’t Mind If I Do will enjoy the likely better ground at Newbury on Saturday

March 20

Don’t Mind If I Do, runner-up to the smart Regent’s Stroll in the Goffs Hundred Grand bumper at Newbury’s final jumps meeting of last season, is back at the Berkshire course on Saturday, his aim being the John Haine Memorial Novices’ Hurdle.

Alan said:”Forget Don’t Mind If I Do’s disappointing run at Wincanton last time when he was beaten at odds-on. I was kicking myself for running him and he floundered on the deep ground, but he is a horse that i have really liked and he will definitely be better suited by the likely underfoot conditions.

“Don’t Mind If I Do had previously won well on the same course on his jumping debut, but he is a big, tall horse, who still has some strengthening to do, so there is still more to come from him.”

That is Alan’s only runner on Saturday, but he is already looking forward to Aintree and Es Perfecto and Grandeur d’Ame ran well enough at last month’s Cheltenham Festival to warrant consideration for the Topham Trophy at the big Grand National fences.

Alan added:”It was a shame that Es Perfecto was nailed for fourth place close home as he produced a terrific effort in the novices’ handicap chase. He is a second-season novice even though he is a ten-year-old, but he jumped beautifully at Cheltenham, while Grandeur d’Ame’s race was over before it began in the Ultima, and I must say that the starts for the first three days of the meeting were embarrassing.”