Chianti Classico will have a new jockey in Saturday's BoyleSports Becher Handicap Chase, with Jonathan Burke taking over from Tom Bellamy who is facing a couple of weeks out of action due to injury and a riding ban.
Bellamy was unseated from Guard Duty at Haydock on Wednesday and has been stood down for seven days, with another seven days off to follow due to suspension, which means Jonathan Burke is taking over on the seven-year-old Cheltenham Festival winner for the first time this weekend.
Trainer Kim Bailey explained on Thursday’s Nick Luck Daily Podcast: “It’s very unfortunate for poor Tom Bellamy who was riding yesterday at Haydock. He picked up a spare ride for Emma Lavelle which should have been ridden by Harry Cobden. Harry got stood down, Tom Bellamy then rode and he hit the front four hurdles from home and a loose horse ran across him, took him out and he landed the other side - flat.
“He’s now been stood down for seven days with concussion which is very frustrating for him - and for me.
“It’s actually quite a difficult weekend (to organise a replacement) because you’ve got Chepstow, Sandown and Aintree.
"Luckily, I already had Johnny Burke lined up for two horses down at Chepstow so I rerouted him, very kindly thanks to our next door neighbour Fergal O’Brien for letting me do that, so he rides The Kemble Brewery (11.47) and Chianti Classico up there.
“Tom is actually out of action for 14 days (seven days serving a suspension) so he should be absolutely fine by the time he gets over that.
“For Chianti Classico it’s a bold shout to carry that weight on that ground. There’s so much rain forecast around the country, I’d prefer it not to be bottomless ground but we know he handles it.
“It’s the right race for him so he needs to go. The first thing is that he takes five weeks to get over his runs and he had quite a hard race at Ascot. It might not look it but he did and it took a while to get over it, which ruled out the Coral Gold Cup last weekend. If that had been this weekend I might have thought differently.
“But I’ve always said he’s hopefully a Grand National type of horse so this is to find out really. If he handles the track, even if he finished third or fourth, I know exactly where I’m heading to for the rest of the season.
“And if he happens to absolutely bolt up, which is I think nigh on impossible, it would open up another option where we might be looking at Grade 1 races. But it’s an ideal opportunity for him to go and learn about the Grand National.”
Bailey also hopes fellow staying chaser Trelawne could one day be competing at Graded level following his seasonal debut success in last month's Betfair Exchange Graduation Chase at Haydock.
He said: “He’ll run in a handicap next time and providing I can find the right handicap for him, he’s going to be close to 160 afterwards. I know it’s a big ask, but I have a huge amount of faith in this horse.
“He’s an out-and-out three-miler and has only run over three miles once when he didn’t get past the second fence (Ultima Handicap Chase).
"So it’s quite difficult really, but I was really impressed with him at Haydock. I thought it was a really tough performance and the form will work out really well.”
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