Ben Jones Saturday rides blog: 'He's favourite to win the race and I have to say I agree'

Ben Jones has two rides at Kelso on Saturday, February 28, 2026. The Ladbrokes ambassador previews those rides after surpassing his season's best for winners on Wheresmemoneygone at Taunton on Thursday.

Ben Jones Saturday rides blog - February 28, 2026

Ben Jones Saturday rides schedule

• Starmount - Kelso - 2.15 race odds

• Vivre Le Reve - Kelso - 4.00 race odds

Record-breaking season

I'm absolutely delighted to have finally got over the line with the record-breaking winners in a season on Thursday afternoon. I think I've had 77 less rides than last year to get to as many - or one more now - winners, so as far as stats are concerned, obviously I'm riding at a higher strike rate, which is brilliant. Look, we've got another couple of months left of the season, so we'll keep our head down and keep on going. You never know, I might not be too far away from the century, so if I can get to that, that would be a phenomenal season.

In terms of celebrating on Thursday night, I'm off to the pub with my wife and my daughter for a nice meal out, and then we're back to Newbury tomorrow before the long drive up to Kelso!

𝗕𝗲𝗻 𝗝𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀: 𝟳𝟴 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴!

A Taunton success means our man Ben has achieved a new personal best of 78 winners in a single season!

This is just the beginning 👊@BenJone04644251 pic.twitter.com/sEQieco0Qg

— Ladbrokes (@Ladbrokes) February 26, 2026

2.15 - Kelso - Starmount

Starmount is my first of two rides on Saturday at Kelso, in a good novices' hurdle. He's a very nice horse who has won both of his novices' in quite some fashion. He ran in a Grade 1 at Aintree on Boxing Day, and I know it's a bit of a cliche saying the hurdles were out and wouldn't have helped him, but they really wouldn't have. He never got into a rhythm on that day and it just wasn't anywhere near him at his best. I'm not saying he'd have gone and won at his best, but I knew there was more to come from him.

I had a great feel off him the last day at Wetherby, and I schooled him on Thursday morning so can see he's very fresh and ready to go. I'll be very much looking forward to getting on him on Saturday - he's favourite to win the race at the minute and I'd have to say I agree with that. 

4.00 - Kelso - Vivre Le Reve

I've then got a juvenile called Vivre Le Reve who came over from France with a good reputation. Our juveniles usually take a run or two to get into the swing of things over here, and that was the case with him at Wetherby the last day. He travelled through the race and jumped really well, I just had to look after him in the end. Hopefully he can show a bit more of his French form, and if he does, he shouldn't be too far away either. He finishes the day for me, so not many rides, but a good bit of quality, so I'm hopeful with both of my chances.

Constitution Hill

I think Nicky Henderson has had many, many hard decisions and calls to make over the years, and it's very rare he's made the wrong one. I don't think he's made the wrong one here either, really; obviously Constitution Hill is the peoples' horse, and God forbid if something went wrong at Cheltenham, then a) Nicky would probably never forgive himself, and b) the public would probably find it hard as well, which isn't a good sight on racing. 

So as much as I'd have loved to have seen him run in the Champion Hurdle, and I'm sure he would have won it if he'd have stayed on his feet, we've got to have the horse's welfare at the forefront of everything. I'm guessing schooling can't have gone as planned, because if he schooled very well, I would have thought they would have chanced their arm and ran him. They obviously can't have been 100% happy with him, and they didn't want any doubt. 

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