Heading to York!
I absolutely love York. I’m not as busy this year as I would have been in the past, often I’d have a ride in every race or so, but there’s not a lot I can do about that.
It would be great to get a few winners on the board and I have some high-pofile rides, particularly on the first day, so it would be great to begin the meeting with a bang.
Wednesday Rides
Kameko
He seems very well since Goodwood, his work has been as good as it’s ever been recently. The 7lb weight-for-age allowance he gets in August is fantastic and could be crucial, so there are plenty of positives for him.
It’s a new distance for him and he has to prove he stays. However, I always thought 10 furlongs would be fine for him and this is a very different stamina test to the one he faced at Epsom.
He’s sharpened up a lot from the Guineas to Goodwood, he was quite aggressive in the Sussex Stakes, but I’m going to ride him with loads of confidence and see what we can do.
I’m sure he’ll travel very well and the tactics look pretty much set in stone. Ghaiyyath will go forward, Magical will probably press him in the straight and then you’ve got Lord North who was so good in the Prince Of Wales’s.
I’m sure James Doyle will ride him patiently like he did at Ascot, while Rose Of Kildare’s breeding rights have been bought by Sheikh Fahad so wouldn’t it be great if she ran well?
She’ll go forward and if her and Magical could soften up Ghaiyyath it would be great for me. I’m hoping Kameko’s mile pace can be a potent weapon and that he can follow in the footsteps of Roaring Lion, whose career-best performance came in this race two years ago.
Darain
Darain goes in the Group 2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes earlier on the card and it’s just a shame we couldn’t exploit the handicap mark of 96!
His work has really sharpened up in recent weeks but this looks a very hot race.
There are some good horses in there and Mogul looks the one to beat, I’d say Ryan Moore will ride him pretty handily given he stays so well.
So we’ll see what happens with Darain. He was a bit keen for me at Newmarket last time so I’ll be trying to get him to switch off in the first furlong or two, but it looks like we’ll go a good gallop so that should help him.
Hopefully he’ll relax well. It’s a big step up for him, but we need to see what we’ve got now and his other option, a Listed race at Deauville, looked like being run on heavy ground so he’d have had a hard race for no reason.
This looked the only other option for him, but it will tell us plenty about where we are with him.
Magic J
I’m really happy to be getting on Magic J again in the Sky Bet And Symphony Group Handicap.
I made too much use of him last time at Ascot and need to get him to relax a bit more. I think you can excuse that run, he was still on the bridle at the furlong pole and didn’t finish.
I still think there’s a lot of upside to the horse, but this is a very competitive race.
Michael Dods’ Jawwaal is on a hat-trick and there are several others in there with a chance, too, so we’ll see what happens.
Volcanic Sky
His work has been good and he looks very well so I hope he can run a big race in the Sky Bet Handicap over two miles.
It’s a tough race again and Make My Day looks a typical Ralph Beckett improver, but my fellow stays very well and he’s had a good freshen up since his last win.
Dreams gave me an unreal feel
What a fantastic performance it was from Dream Of Dreams in the Unibet Hungerford Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.
I was thrilled to step in when Ryan was suspended and I was delighted for connections, it was an unbelievable feel he gave me when winning by seven lengths.
He’s got to come back to six furlongs for sure. The feel I got was incredible. On the way to the start I was a bit worried, as he was super chilled and I wondered if that was normal.
To have a loopy rein going to the start is rare on a top-class sprinter but he’s the ultimate professional.
Bright future for Fivethousandtoone
Fivethousandtoone was beaten the other day at Windsor with Silvestre De Sousa on board and I have a very high opinion of him.
It was first day at school for him and he got a little bit lost, but I’d definitely forgive him that and he’s a horse that you’re going to hear a lot about.
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Thursday Rides
Sir Busker
The Clipper Logistics Handicap should really suit Sir Busker, an improving horse that will just love coming from off the pace at a track like York.
If he’s in the same form as he was at Goodwood I think we’ll be hard to beat. He just didn’t get any luck in-running at all that day and for me he’s felt like he’s been in fabulous form his last three runs.
It’s not often you say you think you’ll be hard to beat in a 20-runner handicap, but he’s improving and there’s a good chance he’s a fair bit better than a handicapper.
Wings Of A Dove
I ride Wings Of A Dove for Richard Spencer in the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes and she’s up against it here.
On her best form, her second in the National Stakes, she’d have a chance of running well, but she has to improve plenty from that career-best to win here.
Talbot
He ran okay on his last start in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood considering he was so slowly away.
I actually liked him after he won for me on debut at Lingfield and he’s been pitched in at the deep end since.
This is a wide-open race and it’s much more his level, so I wouldn’t rule him out at a big price ,particularly if you’re thinking each-way.
Bharani Star
She’s another big-priced filly in the Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes and she doesn’t want extremes of ground.
The one to beat is Vivionn for Sir Michael Stoute. She’s a typical improver for the trainer, she’s not very big but up in trip she’s thriving.
There are lots of progressive fillies in there but I think you can forgive Bharani Star’s Epsom run, this is more her level.
Bonnyrigg
On his homework Bonnyrigg is better than a horse rated 77, there is no doubt.
He’s a tough little horse and I’d rate him as one of my best chances of the week. He’s straightforward, he shows a lot of speed at home, he’s bred to stay seven furlongs, there’s loads of upside to him and I would’ve been gutted if I was unable to ride him.
You never know what’s in opposition in this sort of race, but if you’re looking for well-handicapped lightly-raced ones my fellow definitely falls into that category.