Races
Getting To Know: Adam Wedge
Adam Wedge has enjoyed a fruitful spell in the saddle and heads to the Cheltenham next week chasing a second success at the Festival
Adam Wedge has enjoyed a fruitful spell in the saddle and heads to the Cheltenham next week chasing a second success at the Festival
Published
1 year agoon
The reigning Stayers’ Hurdle champion was a 4/6 shot to retain his crown and extend his winning run to eight.
Adam Wedge and Lisnigar Oscar, however, had other ideas.
The Welsh trained gelding, representing Rebecca Curtis, was a 50/1 shot to overturn the Cleeve Hurdle form with the 2019 winner.
Not given a chance by those outside of Fforest Farm, clearly. But that didn’t stop a two-length romp of Ronald Pump at Prestbury Park, giving Wedge his first-ever Festival success.
That Gloucestershire success sandwiched two other Grade 1’s that he’s achieved in the saddle. Esprit Du Large landed the King Henry VII at Sandown in December 2019, before Silver Streak won the Christmas Hurdle a year later.
And there’s the small matter of the Welsh National heroics in January. Not a bad couple of seasons all in all.
In a career spanning back to 2010, Wedge is now chasing down 400 winners as a professional pilot. Of his winners to date, it’s hard to envisage any were more special than that Festival success twelve months ago.
Can Lisnigar Oscar scupper the Stayers’ division once again? Adam spoke to cheltenham.co.uk’s Reece Charlton about life outside racing, what the Cheltenham Festival means to him and racing in general.
To win the Grand National would be absolutely fantastic. Having won the Scottish and Welsh is brilliant, but the pinnacle is the Grand National. It’s the race everyone wants to win.
Winning my first Grade 1 with Esprit Du Large meant the absolute world to me. To win it for William and Angela (Rucker) and Evan (Williams) who have supported me from a 10lb claimer is absolutely fantastic. To ride it for them meant more than anything.
The Cheltenham Festival is just so special because you get the best of the best horses in every race and it’s so competitive. To ride a winner there is why we get up at 5am every morning!
I would find it hard to pick between Energumene or Monkfish. Energumene looks very very exciting and Monkfish just looks a fantastic ride and travels so strongly through those staying trips.
Lisnagar Oscar ran a fantastic race at Haydock after a wind op and I think this is his time of year now. The ground just getting a bit better and I think he can put up a big show once again.
Work hard, keep your head down and enjoy every moment.
It has to be Chepstow for me, It’s nice, local and a lovely track to ride at.
I love walking my dogs, that’s all I do really!
It would have to be Paul Moloney. Having learnt a lot from him coming up through Evan’s yard, he gave me some very valuable information and passed down a lot of knowledge to me.
Motivated, honest and hard-working.
Jockeys. A different breed.
Reece Charlton is a Content Writer at Low6 that specializes in horse racing. He is an avid hunter of value in the racing world, picking out longshots six days a week across the National Hunt and Flat cards on offer across the UK and Ireland. He keeps punters and race fans in the know with his racing expertise with previews and value picks for all the big cards and meetings.
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