NICE TO GET A BIG WIN AT AYR: Last Saturday I made the long trip to Ayr and it proved to be really worthwhile with Shaden winning the Group 3 race and Hillbilly Boy running a cracking race in the Silver Cup.

I then turned my hand on Sunday to Showjumping at the Newmarket Open weekend and that was a really enjoyable day out.

Shaden was brilliant though in the Sprint race and it was great to get another big win under my belt before I finish riding at the end of the season. I think she might be finished for the season now which is a little sad for me because I won’t get to ride her again but she was brilliant on Saturday so it was a good way to finish.

Plan A was to drop her in a get a lead if we could. It was her first time running over six furlongs so we were a little worried about that but she broke out of the stalls so well and there was no one going on so I just had to let her lead. She settled nicely out in front and I was trying not to hit the front too soon but when the second horse came near to me that helped a lot and she ran on again.

The winter break should do her really and I think she’ll be really competitive in sprint races next season.

Hillbilly Boy ran a cracking race in the Silver Cup. We hit the front just over a furlong out but he couldn’t keep that pace up in the dying yards and we ended up two lengths back in third. He’ll be very competitive in those big handicaps before the end of the season. Although I’m not sure if he’ll run again or not, he’s in great form and when sprinters are in good form like that, they generally thrive on racing and he’s no different.

NEWMARKET SHOULD SUIT SPIRIT RAISER

newmarket3200Today I go to Newmarket for one ride but it’s a nice ride with Spirit Raiser in the Listed race over a mile. She’s probably had a few more seconds than she’s deserved but she won nicely at Kempton two runs back and she was unlucky last time.

I think Newmarket should suit her. She’s won on the July Course before so I don’t see the Rowley Mile as being much of a problem today and I’m hoping for another big run from her.

Tomorrow, I’m also at Newmarket for four rides, including one that has sneaked in at the bottom of the Cambridgeshire.

Franklin D is going to make sure that I don’t have too many meals before 3.50 on Saturday as I’m down to do 8 stone. He’s been running well off the same as he has tomorrow, 89, this season and was second behind Ashridge Lad who I’ve won on before as well so that form doesn’t look too bad.

The big issue for him tomorrow though is that he’s going to be running from two pounds out of the handicap and that’s not always ideal in these Heritage Handicaps but he still goes there with a small chance. He’s versatile in terms of ground conditions and he’s never really been beaten too far so I’m hoping for the best.

In the following race I ride Granita for Lady Cecil. It’s difficult in these types of races at this time of year because it’s hard to know what you’re up against and there are usually some very unexposed ones in it. We’ll be hoping for the best though as she was fourth on her debut at Windsor so that wasn’t a bad run.

WILLIE HAGGAS CAN CONTINUE GREAT FORM

Tomorrow at Newmarket there are two really good Group 1 races for 2 Year Olds. Unfortunately I don’t have a ride in either but they should be very interesting races to watch.

williamhaggasI think that Willie Haggas has two really good chances with Besharah in the Cheveley Park Stakes and then with Ajaya in the Middle Park.

After winning at Ascot in July and then at the Ebor meeting in York, Besharah looks like being the one to beat in the Fillies Group 1. It looks like a really good race but she looks quite special and I think she’ll be hard to beat.

In the Middle Park, Shalaa is the stand out one in the race and is unbeaten but he tends to make plenty of use of himself and that may just set things up for Ajaya.

He’s another that won at York in August in what looked like a really good renewal of the Gimcrack.

Either way, both races will be very informative when we start to look at the Group 1’s for 2 Year olds near the end of the season and also for next year’s Guineas.

NEWMARKET OPEN WEEKEND

newmarketopendayLast Sunday we had a really enjoyable day at the Newmarket Open weekend. As I mentioned last week, I took part in a Showjumping competition with some of the other jockeys and trainers and that was great fun.

It was actually quite tough because it was quite a tight course and the crowd were very close to us all so it made everything quite tight. My horse went in and just froze and we ended having a couple of refusals but we got around the course in the end.

My friend, Laura was also riding there on the day and she was also having a little trouble with her horse who went to refuse at a fence and when Laura gave him a kick, he jumped it but jumped too big and stumbled and Laura fell off. She ended up breaking her wrist which was really unfortunate but I got to ride her horse then and he gave me a really good spin after!

For me, it was good to finish on a good note like that as the horses weren’t easy rides but it was all really good fun and it was for a good cause.


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