At residence with Jagwar: LIZZIE KELLY meets Cheltenham’s subsequent flying machine forward of Festival bow within the TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase

The first Monday in March and spring is unmistakably in the air. It is 7am as I pull into Greenall Guerriero Racing headquarters. This is an unassuming yard, hidden away in the countryside close to Chester, but it is one that knows how to deliver big results.

I’m here to talk to Josh Guerriero, an old weighing room colleague from our point-to-point days. We will laugh about old stories in due course but, first, Josh wants to give me the lowdown on the horse he hopes can deliver a success for him and Ollie (Greenall), who was also a former rider.

So here I am, my boots polished and my old ‘jockey riding out kit’ on — it makes me as smart as a pin, a welcome change from dirty waterproofs and the Devonian mud I am used to!

Mondays are schooling mornings here but given that Duke Of Deception, the horse I’m riding, is only doing a routine canter, I’ll be able to watch Jagwar schooling. When you write about sport, you want to be as close to the story as possible so, yes, it’s all going swimmingly so far.

I tack up, hop on ‘The Duke’ and we filter out of the yard, quietly, on this sunny morning. I’d never seen Jagwar (one of three horses McManus has at the yard) in the flesh before but there he is, ahead of me in the string — and I’m pleasantly surprised.

He’s a gorgeous big scopey horse and TV pictures don’t do him justice. He’s still unfurnished — like a gangly teenager, he’s got plenty of filling out left to do. I’d say he’ll be even better next year once he’s grown into himself.

Lizzie Kelly pays Josh Guerriero a visit to learn about Jagwar, a potential Cheltenham star

Jagwar is rapid over the fences and Kelly gets to observe from four yards behind 

The string makes its way to the gallops and we jump away at the bottom, Duke Of Deception carrying me up nicely, allowing me to look stylish for the cameras — heaven forbid I’m seen as past it!

We return to a sand ring near the schooling fences and I begin to get comfortable aboard Duke for the schooling show but, to my surprise, my name is called. I’m told to give my mount a look at the fences.

I steer away towards the obstacles, somewhat nervously. We have a look, Duke Of Deception grows two hands (the equivalent of a foot), we turn away to fall in line behind Jagwar, who is going to lead the pack.

When I was told I’d be watching Jagwar schooling I hadn’t imagined it would be from four yards behind him! My nerves start to jangle, I can’t remember the last time I schooled over fences, but it’s too late to back out now. I do a quick run through of my ‘****ing myself song’ Drunken Sailor.

We turn, we burn and it all comes flooding back.

Jagwar is quick over his fences, I hold my ground and we don’t get left behind. But he sets a decent gallop up over the three fences. He’s fresh and well under Toby Wynne, the yard conditional and a damn good one too, and is plenty pleased with himself after his performance. 

An intimate crowd has been watching and he leaves you in no doubt he will enjoy an audience of 60,000. I end up schooling two more horses, a decent work out for me now, and giggle like a schoolgirl the whole exhausting trot home.

When we get back to base, Josh reels off Jagwar’s intended routine for the next 10 days — two more pieces of work and one more schooling session, the most important last tests. As we sit in his office, it’s clear to see that nerves are starting to nibble away at him.

Owned by J.P. McManus, Jagwar is likely to get better once he’s grown fully into himself 

Josh will be anxiously checking that Jagwar has eaten up all his food, has a clean nose and he’s sound in the run-up to his big day. With no other runners at Cheltenham, the week will drag, but this isn’t their first rodeo.

The team had their first Festival winner with Iroko in 2023. ‘It was an amazing day,’ Josh recalls. ‘It was quite a big surprise. We went there thinking he would run well but we didn’t think he was that well handicapped at the time.

‘He’s a very slow horse at home and he doesn’t show a lot, you have to pick his work companions carefully. Me and Ollie were watching on the lawn and we both just couldn’t believe it. It was all a blur.’

Jagwar, however, is the complete opposite of Iroko — a ‘flying machine’ at home who works well and, judging by what I can see, he’s in good form.

As a jockey I always wanted a few rides at Cheltenham before a ride with a big chance to help get rid of some nervous energy. Josh explains that his busy daily routine will help take his mind off the building pressure: ‘I start at 6.15am, feed the horses, do the board, watch all the lots, stop for lunch and then go around and check them all and feed them in the evening. I’m here every day from start to finish.’

Josh’s commitment to his horses is easy to see but you get an appreciation of the pressure involved with preparing such fragile animals. The daily worries that pave the way to the glorious afternoons on the biggest stages horseracing has to offer.

It doesn’t take long before, like all old boys, we start to reminisce about our glory days. Josh came close to riding a Festival winner in the 2006 Kim Muir but was beaten in a photo-finish.

‘Oh it was horrible,’ he recalls. ‘You know how hard it is to even get that close, so when you get that close and still don’t win, it’s frustrating.

Kelly hears from Guerriero about how committed he is to his horses – rising early and finishing late 

Guerriero and Ollie Greenall had their first Cheltenham winner with Iroko in 2023 

‘I get more frustrated now that I’m training. When you’re riding, you give the horse back and go and have a drink, but now you’ve got to deal with the fallout.’

We were at the beginning of our careers back when we were riding in point to points and my overriding memory of Josh is being upsides him in a race watching him attempting to stay on while his saddle had deserted him (he succeeded by the way!).

But the carefree youth has been replaced by a man driven by winners, someone who enjoys plotting the path to victory.

The route has been carefully picked for Jagwar, the boxes have been ticked and he had even had a winning spin over course and distance in January under his belt.

On paper Josh’s job is done — but the pressure won’t relent until the tapes are up.