Free is Flying!
It’s great to be back both on the track and on these pages as the Flat season really cranks up a gear this weekend with the 2000 and 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.
I’m feeling very fit physically, I’ve been doing a lot of work in the gym, and I’ve been very busy over the last month or so with the horses running in very good form. Statistically I’ve had 20 winners from 98 rides in April so things are going well.
I’m pleased with how the early weeks of the season have gone and I’m hungry for more.
Everyone wants to be Champion Jockey and I’m no different, I want that title and trophy once again. I’m sure it will be a running theme in the press throughout the season and it looks like there will be plenty of contenders.
I see my main threats as Tom Marquand and William Buick. Tom has a very powerful stable given he’s backed by William Haggas and Buick has Charlie Appleby, so they’ve got the firepower.
I’ll be giving it my best shot and hope to ride as many winners as I can.
FOUR TO FOLLOW
I know everyone likes a horse to follow or four, so here’s a quartet to note down that I’ve either ridden on the track or at home in recent weeks.
BERKSHIRE SHADOW – I really liked this two-year-old when I rode him at Newbury. He was a £40,000 yearling and I was really pleased with the feel he gave me, he fell out of the stalls and picked them off and it’s hard to do that at Newbury. He’ll stay further in time and I was very happy with him.
JUAN DE MONTALBAN – The son of Lope De Vega is a horse we really like and he made a winning return at Sandown. He deserved to go up 7lb for his win and he’s definitely one for your trackers.
FLYIN’ HIGH – I’ve been riding him a little bit at home and he’s a big raw horse who I hope will get to a high level. I can see him improving physically as he strengthens up as time goes on, he’s from a lovely family and is a half-brother to Izzi Top by Siyouni.
HARROW – He’s a Highclere horse by first-season sire El Kabeir. His work has been nice at Andrew Balding’s and he looks a very straightforward horse. He’s grey like his sire and I’ve been really pleased from what I’ve seen of him at home, he goes fast pretty easily.
Ruler to measure up in 2000 Guineas
It looks a fantastic renewal of the QIPCO 2000 Guineas and it looks an Aidan O’Brien v Charlie Appleby shootout on paper, as well, but I wouldn’t be quick to rule out Mutasaabeq.
He impressed me at Newmarket, we went quick and he travelled well, absolutely bolting up. He’s bred for the job as his dam won a Guineas, I just wonder if he’s too inexperienced.
Thunder Moon showed a great turn of foot when he won at the Curragh and he should get his ground, even with the forecast rain, as he got stuck in the mud a bit in the Dewhurst.
Wembley looks tough and he’s respected, particularly with Ryan Moore choosing to ride him, and I thought Battleground, a lovely horse out of Found, would be Aidan’s number one although it doesn’t appear that way now.
All of the above have a chance, but if I could ride one in the race it would be One Ruler. He is a fabulous horse and has done fantastically well through the winter.
I’m a little bit concerned that fast ground on the Rowley Mile won’t be ideal for such a big horse, but he won the Autumn Stakes there and I just love him as a type. He’ll take some beating.
Goodwood Saturday Rides
GAVLAR – 1.00
He’s an old horse that stays well. He’s come down the handicap and hopefully he can run a good race but he is getting on now.
NEBULOSA – 1.30
We’re very pleased with this filly’s work at home. It’s not ideal being drawn one as I don’t want to fire her out of the gate and light her up. She led when I won on her at Newmarket but it was easy to get her out from the draw with a hood on, there was wide open space. It won’t be as easy, but I think she’s better than her handicap mark.
AMNIARIX – 2.05
Owner Bjorn Nielsen is my neighbour and good friend, so it’s nice to be wearing his colours again. She ran very well at Kempton and has improved a lot since I first rode her at Ayr, it would be nice to settle behind the leaders and then hope she’s good enough.
AZANO – 2.35
An interesting recruit for David O’Meara, he did nothing wrong at Thirsk the other day and hopefully he’ll improve for the blowout. I remember him winning at Yarmouth as a novice, he looked a really smart prospect back then, slightly disappointing afterwards in patches, but hopefully he can come back to somewhere near his best.
STONE OF DESTINY – 3.10
He’s a very difficult horse to ride. He doesn’t pick the bit up going to the start, very quiet and relaxed, but when the stalls open he likes to charge into the back of other horses. He’s not an ideal horse from a jockey’s point of view, but he has lots of speed and a quick five could help him settle. I’m a bit concerned about the draw in five, I could get locked up on the rails a little bit, but hopefully they’ll go fast. If thinks drop right he’s got the ability to win and if the first two furlongs go well I think he’ll do it.
DAWNDIVA – 3.45
She ran very nicely on heavy ground last year, a daughter of Dawn Approach. I was down to ride her at the Craven meeting where she was a non-runner. Hopefully she’ll run well getting the 5lb but there are some nice horses in against her here; General Lee and Ensyaaby in particular.
RUSHMORE – 4.20
We should see more from Rushmore now he steps up in trip but this is a bit of a head scratcher of a race with several potential improvers. Wink Of An Eye looks an obvious threat for William Haggas and Her Majesty the Queen.
Newmarket Sunday Rides
ALCOHOL FREE – QIPCO 1000 Guineas – 3.40
I rode her on Wednesday when she went four furlongs with Bounce The Blues and she feels very well in herself. She’s finally come in her coat, we just need her to stay happy and healthy between now and Sunday.
I was pleased with the way she did it at Newbury because I made her come back and wait and go through the gears, whereas over six we just let her roll on. I wouldn’t be comfortable doing that in a 1000 Guineas so that’s why I rode her the way I did at Newbury.
The big question is will she stay and I’m pretty confident she will. She’s an easy enough ride and should relax, even if she doesn’t have cover if I say ‘woah’ she comes back to me. She’s a jockey’s dream in a race, at home she can be a nightmare.
She can get angry in the stable unless you’re feeding her, she likes treats, but to tack up she pulls faces with her teeth out, and she pulls her way back to her stable, but at the races she’s a legend. I’m really looking forward to riding her.
FRANCESCO GUARDI – 1.15
I’ve been riding him in work and he’s really come to himself. I think the handicap mark is fair, he’s done well from two to three and his form is good. He’s ready to go, he’ll have to relax - but he has been at home – so he goes there with a chance.
MELLOW MAGIC – 2.25
She ran very well at Newbury, kind of surprising us and she has a decent shot of getting some black type here. She can always come back for a maiden afterwards. Hopefully she can finish in the first three.
BERKSHIRE PHOENIX – 4.15
This horse hung right under pressure at Bath, he’d been very straightforward at home and leads in a lot of his work so hopefully he can jump out of the stalls and make use of his experience. He’ll stay a lot further than five but he’s better than his Bath run.
NAPPER TANDY – 4.50
We’re very pleased with him at home he’s taking his work very well this year. He looks fat but he’s just finding it so easy, he’s carrying plenty of condition! I was happy with him at Newcastle, he found plenty for pressure and he should improve from that. He’s from a very lucky family and I think he’s better than his mark, I just hope it’s not rattling quick ground.
BONNYRIGG – 5.20
He’s a pony, he’s not very big but he’s got a big heart and was very tough when winning at Newmarket last year. He’s not badly handicapped off 75, we could just never get into a rhythm at York but he’s been showing pace at home. He’s fresh and well and I’d be surprised if he’s still off 75 at the end of the year, but you could say similar about plenty in the same race.