Baby Run should lift Twiston-Davies

The talented teenager, who will also be crowned champion conditional at Sandown today, is reunited with the frontrunning Baby Run – the horse that carried him to Cheltenham Festival success last year.

This year the horse has been ridden by Twiston-Davies’s precocious 16-year-old brother Willie who was in the saddle when Baby Run prevailed at Wetherby, and then over Aintree’s fearsome Grand National obstacles.

Yet, with the younger brother sidelined with a broken leg that he suffered at Stratford last weekend, Twiston-Davies hopes victory today will complete an amazing year for the family.

He has just become the No 1 jockey at his father Nigel’s yard after Paddy Brennan, one of the country’s top riders, decided to go freelance in direct response to the emergence of the brothers.

“I can’t wait to ride him. Willie did a great job on him at Aintree,” said Twiston-Davies.

“To be honest I was a bit surprised when I was told I was going to have a go back on him again before Willie’s fall. He tries very hard and hopefully he’ll do the business.

“I actually schooled him on Thursday and he jumped brilliantly so touch wood all will be all right.

“It would be absolutely great to win it for Willie. I’ll be having a chat about the race with him. I’m not sure where he will be watching it.

“He’s getting around but I don’t think he’s quite up to going racing yet.

“He came out of hospital on Tuesday evening and we went to the cinema on Thursday. I think his best friend is going to watch the race with him.”

With both Twiston-Davies brothers riding next season, their family rivalry could eclipse the perennial struggle between AP McCoy and Richard Johnson for the jockeys’ championship.

McCoy, who rides Grand National faller Can’t Buy Time in the Sandown marathon, will be crowned champion jockey for the 16th successive year today – with Twiston-Davies a deserving and emphatic winner of the award for conditional up-and-coming riders.

Yet, while Twiston-Davies is a potential champion in the making after winning last November’s prestigious Paddy Power Gold Cup on Little Josh, Johnson poses a huge threat on Balthazar King following his Scottish National victory a week ago on Beshabar.

Trained by Johnson’s main retainer Philip Hobbs, Balthazar King appears well handicapped following the defection of the Paul Nicholls-trained duo of Kauto Star and What A Friend.

Johnson and Hobbs have already teamed up to win the Sandown showpiece with Lacdoudal in 2006 and Monkerhostin in 2008.

“Balthazar King won the other day at Cheltenham and he’d have a great chance,” said Johnson. “The way he stayed on at Cheltenham up the hill there you’d hope he’d get the three mile, five furlongs.”

Church Island carried just 10st 5lb to victory in this race 12 months ago but is now burdened with top weight of 11st 12lb.

Michael Hourigan’s charge bids to become only the third horse to win the race in successive years after Larbawn (1968-9) and Topsham Bay (1992-93).

The Irish-trained veteran would also be making history as no 12-year-old has prevailed since the prestigious chase was inaugurated in 1957.

“He’s in good form and is a horse that wants better ground. This has been the plan since last year, and Adrian (Heskin) will ride him again,” said Hourigan.

“He likes it around there, and ran really well when fourth in 2009. I still think he has that bit of spark in him but it will be tough carrying plenty of weight.”

Equally bullish is North Yorkshire trainer Ferdy Murphy as Poker de Sivola lines up a week after unseating Graham Lee in the Scottish National after being hampered by a faller.

Yet, in many respects, it is crucial that this is an incident-free race following the equine fatalities in the English and Scottish Nationals, and also the new debate that is raging about the use of the whip.

A meeting that traditionally celebrates National Hunt’s champions, the sport needs a race to remember for the right reasons – and Sam Twiston-Davies can provide the spark to end a challenging season on a high.

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