Doyle rides Get Ahead for Clive Cox in a Listed race (6:25) at Bath, live on Sky Sports Racing; she then heads to Thirsk to ride an Archie Watson newcomer called Albasheer, who sold for 130,000gns earlier this year
Friday 21 April 2023 14:22, UK
Sky Sports Racing ambassador Hollie Doyle heads to Bath for a Listed race on Friday night before travelling up to Thirsk on Saturday.
I'm going to need plenty of luck to win the Listed Whitsbury Manor Stud British EBF Lansdown Stakes (6.25) at Bath on Friday evening, live on Sky Sports Racing, despite being on one of the best horses in the race.
The draw in stall 13 hasn't done Clive Cox's filly GET AHEAD any favours in the 5f dash. We're stuck out wide in what looks a strong renewal but if she gets the breaks she's entitled too go very well.
Third in the race last year before going on to be placed in the Listed Westow Stakes at York, she has the speed to avoid getting trapped out wide if we get the early breaks.
Among those we have to beat is Karl Burke's Prix de l'Abbaye runner-up White Lavender who is looking to win this for the second year in succession and has a better draw in gate eight.
It's a rare visit to North Yorkshire for me on Saturday with three rides at Thirsk, including ALBASHEER in the Vickers.Bet EBF Michael Foster Conditions Stakes (3.10).
I've been riding Archie Watson's five-year-old at home so I'm really looking forward to putting him through his paces in this 7f contest on his eagerly-awaited stable debut.
Connections paid 130,000gns for him out of Owen Burrows' stable at the July Sales last year with the hope of running him in some nice races this summer and the signs are encouraging.
Albasheer's a lovely big entire horse but because of his size, he's taken quite a lot of work to get fit. Whatever he does he'll come on for the run which will be his first around a turning track. He has plenty of back class, finishing second in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster as a two-year-old.
I'm hoping All-Weather winner DEMOCRACY DILEMMA can maintain his form back on turf in the Best Odds Guaranteed Daily At Vickers Bet Handicap (2.00) at Thirsk.
Dave Evans's three-year-old has enjoyed a productive winter, winning at Wolverhampton a few starts ago, and this 5f dash will be a good measure of his progress.
He's no stranger to racing on turf, winning around Chester on easy ground last summer, and will have that edge of sharpness over some of his rivals, which can be a distinct advantage in what is likely to be slow ground.
SOCIETY LION, a horse I won on at Wolverhampton last summer, should be ready to put his best foot forward in division two of the Stephanie Pennington Birthday Celebration Handicap (4.15) at Thirsk.
Ed Dunlop's six-year-old ran well on his recent re-appearance over 7f at Chelmsford City earlier this month and will enjoy the underfoot conditions on a track he finished second at off a higher mark last season.
This is a competitive division but he's more than capable of justifying the long journey from Newmarket on what could be a successful afternoon for me.
