Kevin Stott’s William Hill blog: Hoping to come Thundering home at HQ

Newmarket, Friday

I’m off to Newmarket on Friday and I begin with Believing in the Oh So Sharp Stakes (2.25pm). I worked her on Tuesday morning and she went really well. The step up to seven furlongs for the first time should help her improve again, and she was a real eye-catcher at Ayr having flown home. She could go really close.

I’m booked to ride Thundering in the Old Rowley Cup (4.10pm). The ground was too quick to see him at his best last time at Haydock, so it’s best to not worry about that run too much. He ran a huge race at York before that and with the rain about he could have a big each-way chance. I could see him finishing really well once we meet the rising ground.

York, Saturday

X J Rascal goes in the nursery (1.30pm). He’s two from two at a mile and in the frame on all his starts. He won a two-runner event last time so that’s hard to read into but the horse he beat has won since. It’s a really open and competitive field and we are drawn widest of all, so we will need some luck but he’s an in form horse which is good.

Bielsa (3.15pm) is yet to win since our Ayr Gold Cup victory together last year but he ran really well here at York in May. The rain this week will help his chances and he has blinkers on for the first time. He’s one pound below his last winning mark, so could be competitive. Dakota Gold is drawn two so there should be the pace on our side and I’ll want to keep him in sight.

Modesty is having his first run in the maiden (3.50pm) but he is beautifully bred being by Dubawi out of a Group-winning mare. The majority of runners have had little to no experience yet so it will be wide open. Hopefully Modesty can make an encouraging start to his career.

George Boughey’s Diamond Ranger (5.00pm) is an unexposed horse with only four starts, but is the winner of two of those. He wasn’t beaten all that far at Newbury on return from a break last time and hopefully he can build on that. The step up to 10 furlongs could help see plenty of further improvement as well. We are drawn wide again so will need luck but hopefully he can finish well at this new trip.