Kevin Stott’s William Hill blog: Closing in 100 winners for the year

Friday, Kempton

I’ve got a busy couple of days with seven rides at Kempton on Friday, followed by six at Wolverhampton on Saturday. The week so far has been pretty good in terms of how my rides have run their races and I’ve had good luck with winners lately, so the hope is that this weekend I can reach the magical 100 for the year. I’m booked in to ride plenty of horses who should be in with a chance, so can only hope for the best!

Friday starts with Gilded Moon over one mile (4:40pm). He has blinkers on for the first time, and possibly was a bit disappointing on his Handicap debut at Chelmsford – he was a little but keen in the early part of the race. Hopefully the blinkers will make a difference, but we’re drawn wide out at 11 and, at Kempton, the stall is massively important.

Ciara Storm is next (5:15pm) over a mile. She massively improved from her first to second run. I rode her last time at Nottingham where she finished a really nice third, and I think she’ll handle the All-Weather track with no problem. Again, though, we’ve got a rubbish draw; widest of all, out at 14, which’ll be hard to overcome. Hopefully I can ride a patient race and try and pick up the pieces. If they go a good gallop we might be able to finish well, but at Kempton they don’t always go that fast, so it can be hard to come from behind. It does happen, but it’s not all that easy. She has experience, which is a plus, and I’m just hoping for a nice run round and hopefully gaps will open up for us when we need them.

In the next race I ride Mneefah (5:45pm) over one mile again. She is fairly well drawn in stall 4. She finished fifth on her debut at Chelmsford, where I rode a different horse in the race for George Boughey and finished in front of Mneefah. Hopefully she has gained experience and learned from that run so that she can jump out and get a nice position. She might end up being a horse that wants further in time. George’s two-year-olds are seeming to be the types to build and improve over the course of a few runs, so let’s see if she can do that.

Then, over seven furlongs, I’ve got Alrteeme (6:15pm) – a son of Dream Ahead who is running for the first time. Yet again, we’re drawn really wide out at stall 12. Most likely he will improve from this as George’s two-year-olds often do. From where we are drawn, the likelihood is that we will have to drop in and ride for a bit of luck, hopefully giving him plenty of education from his first start on the track.

I’m really gutted that Mr Rascal (6:45pm), who goes over six furlongs, has got a wide draw, because he ran a really promising racing on debut at Doncaster. The ground was very testing that day and that’s probably not what he really wants, but, nonetheless, he ran a really promising race and will build on that. He has had a run and hopefully can be sharp out the stalls. If he breaks nicely then we might be able to get a nice prominent position without using up too much fuel in the early stages. Without a wide draw, he’d have a really, really good chance, so it’s all going to be about the start for this horse.

I’ve then got Gloucestershire (7:15pm) over one mile four furlongs. He’s a horse I’m really looking forward to riding. He won on his debut for Martyn Meade over one mile three furlongs at Kempton, so the course is ideal. He was trained in America for a little while and won on the dirt, but he’s returned recently to Freddie and Martyn and has had one start since getting back to the UK. It was at Salisbury in a small field and it was a bit of a muddling race, but he didn’t disgrace himself by any means. He seems pretty uncomplicated in the way he gets ridden, and we’re drawn in stall 8 so I’d like to see him break and get into a nice rhythm. Being back at Kempton is a huge plus for him. To be riding a horse like this, who’s rated in the 90s, at this time of year when we haven’t many exciting races, is something to look forward to. A bit of quality. If he starts well, he wouldn’t be without a chance.

My last ride on Friday is Alafdhal (8:15pm) over seven furlongs. He, thankfully, has got a good draw in stall 3. I won on him last time at Chelmsford – that was over six furlongs and he’s now up to seven this time. That shouldn’t be an issue. He does travel nicely, but hit a bit of a flat spot before staying on in what was quite a tight finish. Both of his wins have been at six furlongs, but I think he can win over seven, too. I want him to jump nicely so we can get right behind the leaders. He’s probably my best chance of the night, having been given a good draw. Let’s see if I can leave Kempton with a winner and keep up the good run of things.

Saturday, Wolverhampton

On to Saturday, where my first is Peripeteia (5:30pm), who steps up in trip to one mile six furlongs. I’ve won on her before at Wolverhampton, and she was very impressive that day. She can definitely handle the track, so that’s that box ticked. Last time out at Catterick she ran a good race considering how soft the ground was, which is not what she wants at all. It’s good to have her back at Wolverhampton.  I’ll ride it patiently, just holding on to her to allow her to stay the extra distance. If she settles nicely, she’ll manage that fine. We are drawn quite wide in stall 9, but, like I say, I’ll be riding patiently for her turn of foot. My aim is to get her to run a nice race and see if we can get her back to winning form.

Next for me is Foxy Rascal (6:00pm) over six furlongs. She ran a really good race over five furlongs last time. Despite a slow break, she finished very well, especially considering that this was her first run after some time off. She steps up in trip this time, which, given that she’s never won over five, will be no bad thing. She’s drawn fairly well and, if she can be sharper out the stalls this time, she’s certainly got a good chance.

Then I’ll ride Attrazione (7:00pm) over seven furlongs, who was an eyecatcher last time out at Newcastle. She ran a really good race, absolutely flying home late on. That was her second run in a handicap – she had run at Yarmouth previously but didn’t love the conditions there. She goes well on the All-Weather and we’re drawn really well in stall 1, which is great. Seven furlongs certainly looked the right trip for her at Newcastle last time. She can’t be without a chance, especially with such a great draw. I’d like her to get away from the stalls quickly and go well from there.

In the following race I’m riding Diamond Ranger (7:30pm) over one mile and an extended furlong. He is also drawn in stall 1. This is another horse who has won at this track previously. I rode him last time out at York, where he was drawn badly and the ground was atrocious. Even though he travelled nicely, he just couldn’t pick up as well as he can in that horrible, dead ground. The trip was not the problem there. When he won at Wolverhampton previously, that was over seven but I can’t see the step up in trip being an issue. It’s a competitive race; I want to get a good position and go from there.

Another good draw for Intricacy (8:00pm) in stall 4 over an extended mile. This is the first run for this very expensive colt of Simon and Ed Crisford’s. He sold for £750,000 as a yearling. It’s another competitive race, with a mixture of experienced runners and greener horses who are well-bred. It’ll be interesting to see how he runs. We’ve no excuse for a poor run with that draw, so I hope he makes an impressive debut for his connections and learns and improves from there onwards.

Wrapping up the evening for me is Banbrook Boy (8:30pm), who steps up in trip to the extended mile. He ran a pretty good race at Kempton last time, even though it was a bit muddled with a leader that ran on a bit too much, so Banbrook Boy weakened slightly in the final furlong. This was coming off a break, so he might well improve having had that run. It’s a different type of track at Wolverhampton and they tend to go a bit faster there, which is good. This is definitely his level, and at some point he should be able to get his head in front. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t have a chance.