Gold Cup puzzle for ice-cool Francome
John Francome is considered by many who saw him at his best to have been the finest jump jockey of all time, and he enjoyed his greatest success in the saddle on Midnight Court in the 1978 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
He now provides expert analysis and opinion as part of the Channel 4 team (as well as writing novels), and he is finding it as hard as any to pick out the winner of this year’s blue riband.
“I think it is a very open race, and a lot will depend on the ground,” said the former seven-times champion jockey.
“If it came up soft I think the two Irish horses, Beef Or Salmon and Rule Supreme, would be the two to beat.
“But it does look a very good race this time, and it is sad that Best Mate does not run. But there are a number of young up-and-coming horses in there too, like Strong Flow.”
Francome won all the events that mattered at Cheltenham, including the Champion and Stayers’ Hurdles as well as the Gold Cup.
However, while he was taking part in the actual race, he might as well have been in action at Plumpton on a cold December Monday.
“Riding in the Gold Cup was no different to riding in any other race,” he explained.
“You do not get any more nervous, although perhaps you put a bit more thought about riding the horse into it for the sake of the owners.
“People always ask me about winning races like the Gold Cup and the Champion Hurdle and how it felt.
“Winning the Gold Cup on Midnight Court was probably my best memory there, really because I was giving his trainer Fred Winter his first winner in the race.”
It came in unusual circumstances, as the 1978 contest originally had to be called off because of heavy overnight snow, and it was eventually run in April.
Although not quite sure about this season’s Gold Cup, Francome has a few fancies elsewhere at the meeting, and added: “Gold Medallist would be my nap of the Festival in the Royal & SunAlliance Novices’ Hurdle. He is a horse I like a lot.”
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