Action Point and Johan are among Hollie Doyle’s best chances at Redcar on Saturday, and she also looks ahead to another British Champions Day with star stayer Trueshan.
Big run expected from Watson colt
Archie Watson’s colt ACTION POINT has the form to go close in the feature race of the day at Redcar on Saturday, the £150,000 Listed William Hill Two-Year-Old Trophy (2.45).
His fourth in the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York in August looks strong form with Karl Burke’s leading market rival Kylian behind him that day. I was pleased with his latest run in a Group 3 in France where the ground turned out to be softer than he prefers.
That came quickly enough after such a hard race on the Knavesmire but Archie’s freshened him up nicely for what looks a winnable opportunity.
Johan ready for step up
JOHAN‘s record in big handicaps suggests he can make an impact at Listed level in the 7f Guisborough Stakes (3.55).
Jack Channon brought last year’s Lincoln hero back from a lengthy lay-off to win the Golden Mile at the Qatar Goodwood Festival on his latest start and heads to the north-east with a fresh horse.
Though his best form’s at a mile, he has the gears to cope with this shorter distance and deserves to take his chance at this level now he’s back on a career-high mark of 106.
Conditions ideal for course winner
Course and distance form always counts for plenty so Alice Haynes’s MAYSONG should give me a good ride in the SDDE Smith Group Straight-Mile Series Final Handicap (4.30).
A winner at Sandown in June off just a 2lb lower mark, and a close second in a hot handicap at Ripon in August off his latest rating, the six-year-old appreciates a sound surface and looks nicely drawn in stall 10 to hopefully emulate his win at this track in the spring.
Hannon filly can bounce back
I ride for my old boss Richard Hannon in the 10f handicap (2.10) when AL HARGAH goes in pursuit of her third win of the season.
She always seems to run well and had excuses for a blip at Sandown last month when the soft ground and a slow start put paid to her chances. We have a good enough draw to take advantage of what I think is a workable mark of 68 – that’s only 2lb higher than the figure she won off at Newbury in August.
Better ground could be the key to an improved performance from Hannon inmate DETROIT LION in the 7f Novice Stakes Division 1 (1.40).
He got stuck in the mud on debut at Newbury but I’m expecting to see Middleham Park Racing’s colt in a better light on the forecast good ground.
In the second division (3.20) I link up with team Hannon again on the more experienced SPEEDING BULLET, who sets the standard off a rating of 79. He only just failed to win a similar race at Ffos Las before running well in defeat to stable companion Blue Lemons at Leicester.
All-Weather winners to convert form
HAKU needs to translate his good All-Weather form to turf to win the Market Cross Jewellers Handicap (5.05). Mark Loughnane’s gelding is a triple winner on sand who appears to stay well but tries this 1m6f trip for the first time.
Similarly, NELSON GAY has produced his best efforts on Tapeta and bids for his breakthrough win on grass in the closing 5f handicap (5.35). Michael Dods clearly has his sprinter in top form and his third in a Catterick handicap on fast ground back in June offers encouragement.
Trueshan ready for Champions Day
It’s all systems go for an attempt at a fourth Long Distance Cup triumph at Ascot next weekend, live on Sky Sports Racing, with my star stayer TRUESHAN following his second win in the Group 1 Prix du Cadran in France.
He couldn’t be heading to British Champions Day in better form after posting another great performance in Paris – one that showed he has another dimension to his armoury.
We knew going into the Cadran that we had to change tactics in a small field with no obvious pace and all agreed that the best way to ride him was from the front.
It was a calculated risk as he’d never made the running before and we didn’t know whether he’d settle or not but he did, of course. We had it easy enough in front despite Emily Dickinson coming to his girth a few times and saw it out really well on the quickest ground he’s ever encountered.
It was another huge training performance by Alan King and I can’t wait for British Champions Day, when I also have big chances on the wonderful NASHWA in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes or the Champion Stakes and Wokingham winner SAINT LAWRENCE in the Sprint.
Excited about second Japanese stint
In a month’s time my husband Tom (Marquand) and I will be flying out to Japan to ride out there until Christmas for the second year in a row and can’t wait to get started.
We’re both really grateful to the Japan Racing Association (JRA) for granting us both a short-term licence after enjoying the experience so much last year.
We’ll be based in Tokyo again with trainer Horo Yasu Tanaka but expect to be riding for a number of different stables between flying out on November 11 and returning on December 29.
