Bristol De Mai: 'He always turns up and gives it his all as he wants to win'

Fans' Favourites is a weekly feature in the Racing Post Weekender in which we talk to those closest to racing's most popular horses and find out why they tug on our heartstrings. This week's subject: Bristol De Mai

A connection between a jockey and a horse can often blossom into something special, and for Daryl Jacob his relationship with Bristol De Mai is one he holds close to his heart.

The Irish jockey has partnered the 11-year-old on 34 occasions, enjoying nine wins with five of those coming in Grade 1s. Three of those top-level victories were in the Betfair Chase at Haydock, and on Saturday the popular grey attempts to join Kauto Star as the joint-most successful horse of the race.

Jacob says: "It’s a great race to win, just look at the history of the race and the horses who have won it before. Kauto Star and Cue Card are just some, so to have your name on a plaque after winning the race is very special.

"You’d like to use this race, if you win it, as momentum for the season. There are only five runners in the race this year and Bristol De Mai is an older horse trying to beat some very talented and younger horses with fresher legs.

"It’s going to be very difficult, but hopefully we can get a lot of rain so it’s as heavy as possible for him. The heavier the ground is, the better his chances are of winning."

Trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, the veteran has been a fine servant to the yard ever since he arrived from Guillaume Macaire’s yard in France towards the end of 2014.

Bristol De Mai and Daryl Jacob on the way to winning a Grade 1 at ChepstowCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Bristol De Mai was always destined for success, having begun his career in Britain with a Grade 1 triumph in the Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow, a result that didn’t feel like a shock to Jacob.

He says: "I wasn’t surprised because he came over from France after winning very impressively at Auteuil. His work was nice when he came to Nigel’s and it’s why we chucked him into that race at Chepstow.

"We were very confident of a bold show from him and I thought he went away and won the race very well that day."

Twiston-Davies adds: "We thought he was a very good horse and the ease with which he won that race reaffirmed that. I wasn’t surprised with the victory because we thought he’d win, but I was just surprised at the margin of how he did it."

Jacob, who is the retained jockey for Bristol De Mai’s owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, has nothing but praise for a horse who has played such a pivotal role throughout his career.

He says: "He’s been an absolute worldie for me. When I got the job with Simon and Isaac he was one of the first real good horses I was connected with. Along with him, Sceau Royal and Top Notch were the other two and they’ve all been with me on my journey.

"They all come out every year, they perform to the highest level and give you absolutely everything. It sounds silly but they kind of know when you need them the most and they always deliver when you need them to.

Daryl Jacob: 'For me, Bristol De Mai is like one of my best friends'Credit: Edward Whitaker

"For me Bristol De Mai is like one of my best friends because you get that relationship and that connection. We have a really good solid bond of love and care, as well as the determination he gives me. He’s a wonderful racehorse."

Jacob has ridden three Cheltenham Festival winners, his most recent success coming in 2020 with Concertista, but he feels the Twiston-Davies-trained Bristol De Mai is "right up there" with the best horses he has partnered.

He says: "He’s not the easiest to ride in his races and I sometimes feel mentally very tired when I’m on him. Even though he looks like a big, grey and galloping machine because of his physique, he still takes a lot of riding whenever he runs.

"He’s a big horse, a big galloper and he’s a powerful horse who takes a bit of knowing. He has a big heart and he tries every time he’s on a racecourse.

"He’s right up there with the best I’ve ridden. I've won three Betfair Chases and five Grade 1 races. A lot of jockeys go through their career without even winning one, but I’ve ridden five with him.

"To win the Betfair Chase three times is an astonishing achievement. Not only that, he’s won those Grade 1s and the big handicap races. He’s a loveable horse who is very kind-natured and like I’ve said before, he’s one of my best friends."

The 2015-16 campaign in particular was a memorable one for connections as they enjoyed four wins from eight starts. In January 2016 Bristol De Mai added a Grade 2 win to his CV after beating Amore Alato by 32 lengths at Haydock, before bolting up by six lengths in the Grade 1 Scilly Isles at Sandown a month later.

"He was remarkable right from the start and his win in the Scilly Isles was very smooth," says Twiston-Davies.

Bristol De Mai’s first appearance at the Cheltenham Festival followed as he finished second to Black Hercules in the JLT Novices' Chase.

Twiston-Davies adds: "He ran with credit at Cheltenham and it was a very good display, but the ground was probably a bit too quick for him."

Bristol De Mai has made six career appearances at the home of jump racing but has yet to cross the finishing post in front.

"He ran a very solid race in the JLT and has had some nice placed runs around the course, but Cheltenham is not his ideal type of track," said Jacob.

"He likes a flat left-handed track and he’s normally at his best when he gets that. However, he always turns up at these tracks and gives it his all as he wants to win."

Haydock, which plays host to Saturday’s Betfair Chase — the first Grade 1 of the British jumps season — is a track Bristol De Mai adores. He has won five of his nine races there and amassed close to £430,000 in prize money.

Jacob says: "Haydock is very special to that horse because it’s a unique track with some big fences and that suits him down to a tee. It takes a lot out of some horses, but he loves them and heavy ground feels like soft ground for him. Where other horses struggle, he loves it and relishes it."

Bristol De Mai won his first Betfair Chase at Haydock in 2017Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

The first of Bristol De Mai’s three Betfair Chase wins came in 2017 when he produced a devastating front-running performance to blow the field apart and finish 57 lengths clear of Cue Card.

"He started that season very well by beating Blacklion in the Charlie Hall and that was followed up by winning the Betfair Chase by 57 lengths — he beat Cue Card who was a special horse," says Twiston-Davies.

A first visit to Kempton did not go to plan as he finished sixth of eight in the King George and his season was brought to a close when he came second to Might Bite in the Betway Bowl at Aintree.

What followed proved to be yet another landmark in Bristol De Mai’s glorious career as Jacob did the steering once more to win a second successive Betfair Chase in 2018.

The jockey says: "It was very special because everyone had written him off despite him winning the race the year before. It was all about Might Bite and Native River and it was a two-horse race, but we were very happy with Bristol De Mai.

"That day was him at his very best. He was superb, his jumping quality was there and everything was 100 per cent. He gave me an extraordinary feeling that day and it was in my top five races I've won in terms of satisfaction. It was a magical moment and by far one of the best moments I’ve ever had, it was very special."

A return to Kempton for the King George for the second season running proved difficult as he endured a rough early passage and crashed out at the sixth fence.

"Kempton never suited him and every time he’s gone there it’s not worked," admits Jacob. "We’ve learned that over the years and it’s not his track.

"He is an extraordinary horse with a massive heart. He has a will to win and his dedication is huge because he’s always there for you."

He did, however, run with credit in the 2019 running of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, finishing third to Al Boum Photo at 18-1, but an attempt at winning a third straight Betfair Chase fell narrowly short following a length-and-a-half defeat to Lostintranslation.

Explaining the reason behind the defeat, Jacob says: "On any day given he would have beat Lostintranslation. However, we struggled with him leading up to the Betfair that day as he didn’t have the perfect run before the race.

"Under the circumstances, he ran a huge race but he made amends when he beat Clan Des Obeaux a year later."

Nigel Twiston-Davies after Bristol De Maiâs win in the Betfair Chase Haydock 25.11.17 Pic: Edward WhitakerCredit: Edward Whitaker

That nine-and-a-half-length success took his record in the Betfair Chase to three wins from four appearances, and led to connections dreaming of Grand National glory at Aintree, but despite racing keenly, Bristol De Mai was pulled up on his first attempt in the race.

Jacob says: "The problem was that he jumped the fences too well and was very keen. He jumped the fences like a Grand National horse should, but because of the modifications of the fences now you have to jump them quick and low and that's not the horse he is.

"He would’ve been happier on the old-style National fences, but in this day and age he’s too good of a jumper to run in the race."

Attention quickly turned back to Bristol De Mai’s favourite race, the Betfair Chase. However, he was pulled up two fences out in a race won by Gold Cup hero A Plus Tard.

Jacob says: "You could write off the Betfair Chase last year because they said it was good ground when it was good to firm. He ran some tidy races during the middle part of the season when Sam [Twiston-Davies] rode him as I was injured.

"At Lingfield, he was nearly back to his very best because he had to give weight to all of those horses. It was a brilliant race."

Jacob has been part of the journey with Bristol De Mai and it’s one that has yet to come to an end.

He says: "He’s just a phenomenal horse who gives his all every time he’s on a racecourse.

"To have that longevity is a testament to the hard work Nigel and his team have put in because they’ve kept him very fresh and very much in love with the game still."

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