Robbie Power has not always had the cleanest of breaks but he was delivered a superb bit of news last week after it was announced that the Irishman would be retained rider for Alan and Ann Potts.
Power partnered Supasundae (Coral Cup) and Gold Cup winner Sizing John to victory at the Cheltenham Festival in the Potts’ colours and he has been rewarded with a retainer by the owners for their host of talent which includes Aintree hopefuls Finian’s Oscar and Queen Mother Champion Chase second Fox Norton.
Jessica Harrington, who trained Supasundae, Sizing John and also Rock The World, who Power also rode to victory at Cheltenham, retains Power as stable jockey and she will be given first refusal on Power’s services but this still comes as an excellent chance for 35-year-old Power who prior to this year’s Cheltenham Festival had gained just one winner at the meeting.
Alan Potts told the Racing Post:
Robbie will be my number one and will ride for me whenever he’s available. He’ll ride Finian’s Oscar, Fox Norton and Supasundae for me next week at Aintree. My other runner at Aintree will be Sizing Solution in the Foxhunters’, but that’s obviously for amateur riders.
Unfortunately Finian’s Oscar had to miss Cheltenham, but he’s back fit and firing again and he heads to Aintree in great form. Fox Norton made up a lot of ground late in the Queen Mother, and perhaps if he was a bit closer he might have won it. The thing that impressed me most about Robbie was that he told us what he was going to do before the Gold Cup and he went out and did it. I was very impressed by what he did at Cheltenham.
Power, who rode Gordon Elliott’s Silver Birch to victory in the 2007 Grand National, said:
I’m still Jessie’s number one, there’s no change on that score. But when I can I’ll ride for Alan, starting with two at Taunton for Colin Tizzard (Sizing At Midnight and Sizing Granite).
Looking forward to Aintree there’s so many really lovely horses to ride like Fox Norton and Finian’s Oscar for Colin, two really exciting types. Jessie is sending over Supasundae, too, so hopefully we’ll have some fun. I haven’t got a confirmed ride in the National yet, we’re still working on that.
