Jockey Steven Pateman says the success of this year's jumps racing season has exceeded his expectations.Pateman rode a double at Sandown on Wednesday on Grand National Steeplechase contender Juan Carlos and former New Zealander Twitch but said jumps racing was the big winner.He said horses were jumping better than ever and that jockeys were again enjoying riding in races with an improved safety record."Up to today there have been seven falls this season which has been just incredible," Pateman s

Jockey Steven Pateman says the success of this year's jumps racing season has exceeded his expectations.

Pateman rode a double at Sandown on Wednesday on Grand National Steeplechase contender Juan Carlos and former New Zealander Twitch but said jumps racing was the big winner.

He said horses were jumping better than ever and that jockeys were again enjoying riding in races with an improved safety record.

"Up to today there have been seven falls this season which has been just incredible," Pateman said.

"I have ridden in races in the past where there have been eight falls in one race but the jumps racing this year has been fantastic.

"In my opinion the jockeys last year were very stale but now the racing is really, really good and the jockeys are enjoying their riding again."

Pateman said that importantly the horses had new-found respect for the new jumps and had adapted to them well.

"I went into this season thinking the older horses from last season would have bad habits and at the start of the season they did, but now they have respect for the jumps and it is like the old days now," he said.

Juan Carlos showed his liking for the new fences when making his steeplechase debut and boosted his Grand National prospects with an easy 4-1/4 length win over Nuvolari and Our Santa in the Pedro's Pride Steeplechase (3400m).

A dual hurdle winner, the rising 10-year-old finished second to Desert Master in last year's Grand National Hurdle.

He jumped cautiously in the early stages of Wednesday's race but was going to win a long way out.

"This is a world-class jumping track and I was on the class horse," Pateman, who confirmed he would ride Juan Carlos in the Grand National at Sandown on August 15, said.

"He chased really well and he did respect the bigger fences today and that's why he was a bit slow away early.

"After the first couple of fences he got comfortable and gave me a great spin."

Famous Prince was the only horse to fall in the steeplechase on Wednesday and he escaped injury.

Only last November Juan Carlos bowed a tendon racing on the flat but with some revolutionary treatment, which has a patent pending, he has made a remarkably quick recovery.

"He is just a beautiful jumper," trainer Allison Bennett said.

"The National has always been his goal and that will be his grand final."

Formerly trained by New Zealander Kevin Myers, Titch hasn't missed a place in six starts since joining Patrick Payne's stable two months back.

He added to his Moe Maiden Hurdle win 11 days ago when he held on to win in a photo-finish from The Pentagon in Wednesday's The Shu Hurdle (3400m).

Payne said Titch's next run would be in the Jim Houlahan Hurdle (3400m) at Sandown on Grand National day.

Pateman said he was undecided about a Grand National Hurdle mount with a number of options including the Payne-trained Sparking who will run at Warrnambool on Sunday.

"It is going to be an exciting National this year with it being so open," he said.