There is usually a good vibe at this meeting, and the racing is always very competitive. It would be nice if we could come away with a winner or two.
What is it like to ride at York?
York is one of my favourite racecourses to ride at. It’s a fair track with long, sweeping bends, which gives you time to take your horse into the race. Your horse will also need to stay well, as it can be a long way home up the straight.
On the sprint track, it can favour speed horses, and it often pays to be up with the pace, so getting a good start is crucial. Overall, I would say that 9 times out of 10, the best horse usually wins.
My Saturday rides
2.00 – Cuban Tiger (Karl Burke)
It’s great to get another ride for Sheikh Obaid, who has been having a top season with his horses. This lad looked like he was going to be a very good horse at one point, but he just found life a bit tough at Royal Ascot, as that was his first go in a big-field handicap. Hopefully he’d have learned from that experience, and he appears to be in good order at home. He’ll also be receiving the three-year-old weight allowance, which will help him.
2.35 – Korker (Karl Burke)
He knows York very well, and he ran a solid race to finish third in this contest last year. The start can be key to him, as he’s not always the sharpest away from the gates, which makes him a little bit in and out. However, when he gets it right, he’s a very good horse who has plenty of talent. If he’s on a going day, then he’ll be in the mix.
3.10 – Liberty Lane (Karl Burke)
I thought he was unlucky last time out at Epsom, where he didn’t get the clearest of runs. He’s a horse who has a lot of ability, and he did well to win at Newmarket earlier in the season. It looks like there will be some rain around York on Saturday, so he won’t mind if the ground eases up. The John Smith’s Cup is always a very competitive race, but he’s got the right profile for it, and I can see him going well.
3.45 – Al Qareem (Karl Burke)
He’ll like coming back to York, as he’s won around here before. I know him quite well, and I won a Listed race on him at Chester last year. The ground is key to him, as he’s got a bit of ease in it, and he looks like he’s going to get here. Though there are some very good horses in this race, I think he has a good chance of going close, and I wouldn’t swap him.
4.15 – Triple Charged (Karl Burke)
He showed he had ability in his first couple of runs for Karl, but then he was a bit disappointing at Hamilton last time out. This will be his first time in a nursery, and he’ll be running against horses of a similar rating. I’d be hopeful he could improve in this type of company.
5.25 – Showtime Mahones (Grant Tuer)
Some of you might know this horse from the ITV documentary It’s Showtime, which was on TV earlier this year. It’s been great being associated with this horse, and he has done his owners proud. The last time we saw him, I rode him at Doncaster last month, and he ran well to finish second. He was carrying a lot of weight that day, and he’ll probably find it a bit easier to carry a low weight in a higher grade. He’s won at York before, so it would be nice if he could add another course win to his CV.