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Kevin Stott

Kevin Stott’s William Hill blog: Cambridgeshire second gives Anmaat a big chance

1 year ago
| BY News Team

York Friday

I’ve got a good book of rides at York on Friday and Saturday starting with Forza Orta in the 1m4f handicap (2.05pm). He’s a horse that clearly has ability and has improved once again this year but he’s got to put behind him underwhelming recent performances. Those probably came partly due to having had three hard races at the start of the year and there is every chance he was just a bit flat, so hopefully he’s freshened up now. His second in the Jorvik Handicap over course and distance was solid but he needs to bounce back.

Hala Hala Athmani runs in the Group 3 Summer Stakes (2.40pm). She’s a huge filly who is half-sister to my old friend Hello Youmzain. Given her size we’ve had to give her plenty of time to come into herself and hopefully she can build on the huge run in the Commonwealth Cup on her seasonal reappearance. She looked outpaced but ran on really well and hopefully there is more to come.

We’re slightly concerned by the quick ground and sharp six furlongs, but unfortunately seven-furlong fillies’ races aren’t easy to find! Drawn on the wing in stall one isn’t ideal as plenty of fancied runners are drawn high, but she is versatile and hopefully she overcome that to run well.

Princess Savannah travelled well for a while before tiring at Pontefract on her debut. She was green and babyish off the bridle, but hopefully will have learnt plenty. She drops back to five-furlong here (3.15pm) but will need to improve a lot. She’s likely to be better in nurseries down the line.

My final ride on Friday is Peggy Sioux in the five-furlong handicap (5.00pm).

She’s only had five runs so is still lightly raced and I think she’s still improving. She ran a huge race in the Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes at Ascot off a very light weight, though she faces the total opposite here as she carries a big weight of 9st 11lbs. That’s never ideal but it’s a drop in grade, so hopefully she can still be competitive. She never really fired on her only other visit to York but seems happiest when right up with the pace so I’m hoping we can go forward and make plenty use of her.

York Saturday 

On to Saturday and I begin with Scottish Summit in the mile handicap (1.45pm). He’s quite quirky but we did team up to victory the last time I rode him. He’s got plenty of talent but seems to often find one or two a bit too good which has been frustrating. He needs a good pace to aim at so let’s hope they go a good gallop and we can pick up the pieces.

It’s always a real honour to wear the famous Shadwell silks and I’m really looking forward to riding Anmaat in the John Smith’s Cup (4.05pm). It’s also my first ride for Owen Burrows which is exciting too and although his horse has been off the track for a while now, he’s been very consistent and has in fact failed to finish out of the first three in all seven career starts. He was last seen running a cracker to finish second in the Cambridgeshire which was his best run to date and if he can reproduce that then he’s got to have a big chance.

Despite being a now eight-year-old, Justanotherbottle is running off a career high mark of 107, so he’s clearly still improving. He broke the track record at Ripon last time over six furlongs, so it’s a bit of a concern stepping back in trip, especially at a sharp track like York. It’s a pretty handy race, but we’ll give it our best shot and see how we go.

Finally, I’m on Wentworth Falls in the six-furlong handicap (5.15pm). He’s getting on a bit now being a 10-year-old, but he’s down to a pretty low mark which is obviously a plus. He’s probably a bit vulnerable to younger types and it would be a pretty sizeable effort for him to win this off top-weight.

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