RACING: Henrietta Knight yesterday reported that Best Mate was "60 per cent likely" to go for the Pertemps King George VI Chase at Kempton on St Stephen's Day.
But the Wantage trainer reiterated that the dual Cheltenham Gold Cup hero would switch to Leopardstown for the Ericsson Chase two days later if the ground at Kempton was firm.
"It all depends on this wretched weather. I think 60 per cent of me would rather go to Kempton because he's been there before but I don't want to go there if there's any danger of it being on the firm side," Knight said yesterday.
"I don't want to jar him up. We jarred him up the year before last when he was quite stumped up. It took him about six weeks to recover from the race and I don't want that to happen again.
"I don't think it will be very soft at Kempton because I don't think we are going to get that much rain."
Best Mate finished second to Florida Pearl in the race two years ago but made amends last December when beating Marlborough by one and a half lengths.
He has raced just once since winning a second Gold Cup in March when beaten by Jair du Cochet on soft ground at Huntingdon last month.
"It's difficult to know. His owner Jim Lewis and I really don't know which race to go for at the moment because we want to do the right thing for the horse," she went on.
Best Mate was put through his paces on the gallops of her Wantage neighbour David Gandolfo yesterday morning. It had been the intention to work him on Mick Channon's gallops at West Ilsley but that plan was ditched because of frost.
Meanwhile, Guillaume Macaire has no intention of abandoning his man as the Pertemps King George VI Chase approaches. Macaire saddles rising star Jair Du Cochet in the prestigious Kempton contest.
And he refuses to contemplate deposing regular jockey Jacques Ricou, who has not endeared himself to Britain's racing fans.
The French trainer described the riding style of Tony McCoy as "like a soldier going to war" and said Ricou had a unique understanding of Jair Du Cochet.
"I know what everyone thinks about Jacques, but he is a French jockey and he rides in French races," explained Macaire.
"French races over jumps are not run like British races and the style of riding that you need is different.
"Jair Du Cochet has to go at his own speed. He needs to get into a rhythm and Jacques understands him. A British jockey might try to be the boss and he wouldn't want that.
"Tony McCoy is a jockey I have a lot of respect for. But he rides like a solder going to war, like a man who cannot lose at any cost and who would rather fall at the last than lose by a short head.
"I respect him because there is nothing he wants more than winners and I am the same. But his style does not suit every horse.
"Some of the jockeys who ride in Britain would be more suitable, jockeys like Mick Fitzgerald or Ruby Walsh.
"But it does not matter because Jacques knows the horse better than anyone else and rides him better than anyone else could."
Ricou's riding style has been the subject of considerable criticism in Britain, ever since Jair Du Cochet first came to prominence three years ago.
Asked about some of the more negative reactions to his riding, Ricou smiled and said: "It is funny, it makes me laugh. It just motivates me even more.
"I am always listening to the horse when I ride him. If he is free I will let him go, but if he is cold I will leave him in behind . . . If I wasn't on him, it would be difficult for the horse to win. I need to feel how he is and hear what he is telling me to know how to ride him."
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