Kevin Stott’s Blog: No time to Surface For Air at Newmarket and Chelmsford

I’ve got a busy weekend ahead, with a couple of rides at Newmarket on Friday and six at Chelmsford on Saturday night. Let’s hope they can do their best work and get a win or two on the board.

Newmarket, Friday

First up on Friday is Elegancia in the Group 3 Princess Royal over a mile and a half (2.25pm). She’s an improving filly who has won her last two starts at Bath and Ascot and she steps up in both grade and trip here. She’s bred for further, with some smart stayers in her pedigree, so the step up from 10 furlongs last time should help her, provided she settles. She looks a bit of a quirky filly, but she’s definitely going the right way, so fingers crossed we can get some black-type for her this time.

Miletus is next in the seven-furlong two-year-olds’ maiden (4.10pm). By Magna Grecia, this nicely bred colt is making his racecourse debut here for Charlie Hills. I’ve been able to ride him a few times at home, and we’ve been pleased with the work he has done so far. We’re hopeful for a good starting run. He has some pretty big entries in for the future, including the Futurity Stakes and next year’s 2,000 Guineas, and I know that Charlie has been a fan of him since day one. Let’s hope that he lives up to expectations and can make a nice start here and progress from there.

Chelmsford, Saturday

Desert Raider is kicks us off on Saturday in the nursery handicap (4.57pm). He wears a visor for the first time here, and he’s well drawn in stall one. He was well fancied last time at Newcastle on his handicap debut, but was fairly disappointing, so the visor has to do the trick. He’s shown glimpses of promise before, and his nice draw should help him bounce back to better form.

Deira Mile follows in the 1m2f novice (5.30pm). In this four-runner race, he really should take all the beating. I rode him on his racecourse debut at Sandown, where he was third by just half a length despite being pretty green. If he takes a step forward, he’ll be difficult to get past and the trip should suit him nicely. I felt at Sandown that he would stay further so, provided he takes to the All-Weather surface, he should be bang there. I expect him to be up in grade pretty quickly after this.

Surface To Air is next in the six-furlong nursery (6.00pm). He returns to six-furlongs here, having run much better over five last time out at Chepstow. He’s still a maiden but looks capable of getting his head in front and is nicely drawn here in stall three. If he can follow up his Chepstow run, he should have a chance.

In the six-furlong handicap is The Waiting Game (7.00pm). He’s in good form at the moment, having managed to rack up three wins on the bounce. He’s drawn quite nicely in five here, and that hat-trick of wins came on the All-Weather, which is a positive. It’s my first ride for Jack Jones, so it’d be really nice to win for him here. This horse should have a decent chance and I think he can keep on improving.

Sun Festival follows in the 1m2f handicap (7.30pm). He was a course and distance winner last time, has had plenty of starts at Chelmsford and goes well here. He’s been drawn a bit wide here, but it’s not the end of the world. We’ll just hope for a bit of luck. It’d be great for me to ride another winner for Joseph Parr here, and this horse is a nice, consistent type.

In the 8.00pm six-furlong handicap, I’m on Last Date. He’s a three-time winner on the All-Weather, including at this track, and – while he hasn’t been in winning form for a while – this could be a nice opportunity for him to bounce back. He’s gone well here in the past, which is a help, and he’s nicely drawn in three. Let’s see how he goes and hope for some luck.