William Hill ambassador Sam Twiston-Davies previews his rides on Saturday in Haydock’s Betfair Chase Day.

Haydock, Saturday

I’m very much looking forward to Haydock on Saturday for Betfair Chase Day. It’s an event I enjoy, even though I’ve never had much luck in the main race. Clan Des Obeaux came closest for me in 2018 when second to Bristol De Mai. It’s a race I know well, with a great crowd and buzz. I’m lucky to have some good rides this year, which I’ll go through below.

I kick off with Bowenspark (1:15pm) in a competitive handicap hurdle—the first of two rides I have for Henry Daly. I’ve never sat on this lad before, but he ran a nice race at Aintree in October, travelling and jumping well. Hopefully, that run has done him some good, and he can put in another decent performance. It looks like a competitive handicap hurdle, but his homework has been solid, and his schooling has been fantastic, so a slight improvement would be great.

Next up, I have the privilege of riding the fan-favourite Hillcrest (1:50pm) in the Graduation Chase, also for Henry Daly. The team has been incredibly patient with him, as he’s been off the track since the Albert Bartlett in 2022. This race presents a great opportunity to bring him back, and his schooling at home has been excellent. It’s a huge honour to ride a horse like Hillcrest, especially knowing how much effort Henry and the team have put into his recovery. Being even a small part of his journey is a privilege, but it also comes with great responsibility. I’m really looking forward to seeing all that hard work pay off.

I then have Push The Button (2:30pm) in what used to be the Fixed Brush Hurdle. He will have come on for his first run, and this is a race that Dad and Willy have always had in mind for him. It’s a very competitive handicap hurdle, as it should be given the prize money, but one we’re excited about. He has a good attitude and will enjoy the three-mile trip. He took a blow at Cheltenham last time but ran on well again, which was good to see. Hopefully, he runs a strong race at Haydock.

Then comes the big one, and it’s my first time on Bravemansgame (3:05pm). His record speaks for itself, and I’m very privileged to pick up the ride. Hopefully, the ground won’t be too soft—good-to-soft or soft would be fine for him. Blinkers have been applied, which adds another positive. At the end of the day, he’s a King George winner and a Gold Cup runner-up. The form is there for all to see. Paul (Nicholls) says he’s in great shape, and he’ll give it a proper go.

I close the day with Credo (3:40pm) for Anthony Honeyball, who was incredibly consistent last season. She placed in many big-field handicaps and definitely deserves her turn now. Things happened a bit quickly for her at Wincanton on her reappearance when she finished third, but it was a good run under her belt. I’m hoping she can improve further on Saturday in the final race.

Cheltenham November Meeting review

Looking back at the Cheltenham November Meeting, I was fortunate to have some nice winners across the three days with some smart horses I’m excited about. Potters Charm was very impressive. With his action, he would certainly still prefer slower ground. He’s very versatile, and while Cheltenham did a superb job, you can see why a handful of runners opted to go elsewhere. The horse will do most of the talking now. He’ll either go to Newbury for the Challow Hurdle or Aintree on Boxing Day for their Grade One (Formby Novices’ Hurdle). One is over two miles, and the other is two miles and half a furlong, so he has two options. It will likely depend on how wet and testing the ground becomes. The nice thing is he can go to either, hopefully get the job done, and then we can leave him really fresh for Cheltenham, which is very exciting.

East India Dock was also very good. He stayed very well on the Flat with slower conditions in some of his runs but handled the nice surface at Cheltenham. What really impressed me was how he crossed the line and finished off. He was very strong up the hill and has established himself as a very exciting prospect going forward.

Matata gave me another nice winner at the November Meeting. He got into a really good jumping rhythm out front, and you could see, by the middle of the race, he was stretching the field. He’s a very likeable horse who loves his job and wants to get on with it—he just wants to please. He left a slight question mark as to what type of race suits him best, but win, lose, or draw, you know Matata will always tough it out.

On another note, I was a little surprised when Harry (Cobden) said he would rather win the new Jockeys’ Cup than the Champion Jockey’s title, but at the same time, he’s already won that. My view is that for anyone growing up dreaming of being a jockey, becoming Champion Jockey would be the ultimate achievement. At the end of the day, the David Power Jockeys’ Cup is a fantastic initiative. Any jockey will tell you that riding top-class horses is a privilege, and the ultimate goal is to win prestigious races with significant prize money. However, above all, it’s the thrill of partnering with exceptional horses that we jockeys truly crave.

This incentive could be a great thing for the racing industry, not just for jockeys but potentially for trainers and owners too. I can understand why some feel it’s currently too focused on jockeys, but it could be the start of something much bigger for the sport as a whole.