Sky Sports Racing Ambassador Hollie Doyle is optimistic ahead of So Logical's run at Newmarket on Saturday, whilst looking ahead to a full book of rides in Germany next week...
Friday 17 May 2024 19:04, UK
Sky Sports Racing Ambassador Hollie Doyle heads to Newmarket on Saturday for a full book of rides before jetting on to Germany on Monday.
John and Thady Gosden's improving three-year-old So Logical could be my best chance of a winner on a busy day at Newmarket on Saturday.
She destroyed a field of maidens over seven furlongs at Newcastle last month but gets into the Jenningsbet Handicap (2.05) off an unchanged opening mark of 77, which looks workable given her profile.
This daughter of Footstepsinthesand has already had experience of her home track, having been placed over the same trip in a maiden and a novice last autumn, though both runs were on slower ground.
Archie Watson's talented sprinter Saint Lawrence has a mind of his own but has the ability to be a serious threat to all his rivals in the trustatrader.com Handicap (2.40).
Though he's been below his best lately, he won the Wokingham at Royal Ascot last summer and then went close in the Group One Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville.
Archie's left the headgear off this time, just to try and keep him on his toes, as he gets familiar with things like that very quickly. This is only his second start in handicap company since his success at the Royal Meeting, so I'm hoping he can bounce back at big odds back over his optimum trip and off a falling mark.
None of his 10 rivals have been in the same form as the hat-trick-seeking Great Blasket who re-appears in the Jenningsbet Britain's Leading Independent Bookmakers Handicap (3.15).
Successful over one mile at Southwell and Yarmouth for Kieran Shoemark, this four-year-old should remain competitive in this higher grade off just a 4lb higher mark.
It's a tougher task, but Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole have been flying along with their Flat runners (I rode a winner for them last month at Yarmouth) and this lad is clearly at the top of his game.
My boss Imad Alsagar's Screaming Eagle is a horse we've always liked so it would be satisfying to make him a winner in the Jenningsbet In Newmarket Handicap (4.25).
He's put together some nice runs in defeat on the All-Weather at Kempton Park for his trainer Andrew Balding but didn't build on that promise on his handicap debut last time.
Stepping up in trip on what should be a sound surface, he has the ability to acquit himself well off a workable mark of 78.
We'll find out how successful wind surgery has been when Amy Murphy's Tremblant lines up for the Jenningsbet 150 Shops Nationwide Handicap (5.00).
A winner in France for Andre Fabre, he posed an improved performance at Yarmouth last time on his first start since undergoing that procedure.
If that's given him some added confidence, he may just step forward for a trainer whose team has been ticking over nicely this week with a winner at Beverley and another at Vichy in France.
New Charter makes her debut for my old boss Richard Hannon in the Tattersalls £40,000 EBF Fillies' Novice Stakes (1.30), which looks a potentially strong race.
Among her rivals is Godolphin's Lope De Vega filly Mountain Breeze, who made a big impression on debut at the Guineas Meeting for Charlie Appleby.
New Charter is bred to stay much further than this six furlongs. She's by New Bay out of a Frankel mare who won over one mile and four but hopefully this will prove a nice introduction.
Later I'm on Charles Hills's filly Lake Teo in the Darley Fillies' Novice Stakes (3.50). She made a pleasing enough start in a one mile maiden at the Craven Meeting but is another who is bred to appreciate middle distances so hopefully we'll see some progression.
French raider Big Rock's dominant display in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot last October sets a high standard in the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes (3.35) at Newbury on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Racing.
If the ground stays on the easy side he'll be tough to beat, but I'm expecting a bold show from Roger Varian's progressive four-year-old Charyn.
He's looked a much-improved horse for another winter on his back, landing the Group Two Bet365 Mile at Sandown last time. Victory for him would be a welcome boost for Roger and his team after stable star King Of Steel was sadly ruled out of Royal Ascot by injury this week.
I'm planning to fly to Hanover in Germany on Monday to ride Archie Watson's Sattwaa in a Listed race, the Grand Prix of the Hannoversche Volksbank.
Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's filly had a near miss in a similar contest at Dusseldorf earlier this month with Laura Coughlan in the saddle, after winning at Lingfield for me in April.
Archie does well with his international raids so I'm hoping this daughter of Saxon Warrior can gain some more important black type in the seven-furlong feature. He also sends Havana Ball for the same race.
