Hollie Doyle aims for her second win in Saturday’s valuable Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury and discusses some interesting chances at Newmarket on Friday night.
Windsor Castle run puts me in with ‘Super’ chance
My boss Archie Watson knows what it takes to win the Weatherbys Super Sprint Stakes (3.35) at Newbury on Saturday – live on Sky Sports Racing. We struck with Eddie’s Boy two years ago and I’m hoping we can follow up this year with Vingegaard.
He compares favourably with Middleham Park’s star at this stage and has done nothing wrong in two starts so far, winning on debut at Chepstow and then finishing a creditable fifth in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Eddie’s Boy won from a high draw, but Vingegaard will have to do it from the far side after being allotted stall four. He has plenty of speed, although we are drawn away from most of the fancied runners.
Improving Kyle has plenty in his favour
Kyle Of Lochalsh has grown up a lot since I won on him at Newbury last summer, and I’m delighted to be back on top in the two-mile Mettal UK Handicap (2.25) on Saturday.
Hughie Morrison’s four-year-old showed what an improving stayer he is when running on to be third in the Ascot Stakes over two-miles-and-four at the Royal meeting last month.
We have a reasonable draw in stall seven, and on ground that he should appreciate, so I expect him to show up well against the likes of All-Weather Marathon champion Prydwen and William Haggas’ Group-placed Naqeeb.
Sons And Lovers can record another chapter
I always enjoy riding for Jane Chapple-Hyam, whose Sons And Lovers holds a chance in the Listed Get Best Odds Guaranteed At BetVictor Stakes (registered as the Steventon Stakes) (1.50) at Newbury.
Sons And Lovers, seen here with Luke Morris
This lightly-raced colt won his only start at two at Newmarket back in October, and he ran okay in Group and Listed company before posting a respectable mid-division finish in the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot.
He’s currently the outsider of five, but I’d love to think we can claim some black type for his part-owner and breeder Kirsten Rausing, who also stands his sire Study Of Man.
Rohaan out to reproduce Hackwood form
Rohaan hasn’t been at his best this year, but Dave Evans’ sprinter was a close fourth in the Fidelity Energy Hackwood Stakes (3.00) two summers ago.
He’ll have to find plenty of improvement on Saturday to get back to that sort of form, but he’s undeniably talented on his day and it’s always fun to ride for Dave, so we’ll give it our best shot.
Hollie Doyle finished third aboard Rohaan at Haydock in 2022
Archie Watson’s Blue Point colt Yafaarrr has really strengthened up through the summer, so it’ll be interesting to see how he shapes on debut in the Take A Lucky Dip At BetVictor EBF Novice Stakes (4.10).
Later on, I ride Mallavelly for Jane Chapple-Hyam in the Darley EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes (4.45). She should be more than capable of winning a race like this off an official rating of 80 and comes in on the back of a solid run for Hayley Turner in a fillies’ handicap at Goodwood.
I don’t know all that much yet about Circe in the British Stallion Studs EBF Premier Fillies’ Handicap (5.20). Richard Hannon’s filly hasn’t run since finishing fourth to subsequent Listed winner Francophone at Southwell, but she looks fairly treated off a mark of 83.
Hannon filly a Friday highlight
I’m really looking forward to riding Richard Hannon’s filly Stellenbosch at Newmarket on Friday night – one of six chances for me on the gorgeous July Course.
I put this daughter of Wootton Bassett through her paces on Thursday morning and really liked her, so I’m hopeful of a big run in the TrustATrader Fillies’ Novice Stakes (5.15).
She showed a lot of promise on her only previous start at Newbury, staying on nicely to be third in a six-furlong novice, and should appreciate the extra furlong this time.
Simmo out for repeat performance
I’m also hoping for a prominent performance from Steph Hollinshead’s Al Simmo, who won the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies’ Handicap (7.00) two years ago and returns off just a 1lb higher mark this time around.
She will need to have come on for her first run since September when down the field at this track last month, though.
I link up again with Jane Chapple-Hyam in the second division of the Aston Martin Novice Stakes (6.25) on Shimmering Spin, a US-bred son of Hard Spun who makes his racecourse debut. I don’t know much about him, but I do know that Jane will have him well prepared.
Ajdayet (5.50) will have to improve on what he’s shown so far in the first division (5.50), while Amy Murphy’s Myconian (7.35) has fallen to a workable mark in the My Pension Expert Handicap (7.35) and Where’s Freddy (8.40) has claims in the Air Charter Services Handicap (8.40) for local trainer Stuart Williams, returning to the scene of his course-and-distance win a year ago.