Kevin Stott’s Blog: Hoping to Slide in some winners at Newmarket

It was great to get a couple of winners in last weekend at Chelmsford and Newmarket for Jack Jones and George Boughey.

I’ve some nice rides coming up at Newmarket on Saturday and am hoping there’ll be some chances among them – only three to go ‘til I hit 90 winners for the year!

Newmarket, Saturday

Lady Alara is first up on Saturday in the fillies’ handicap (1.30pm). She’s been in really good form on her last two starts, winning at Ascot and finishing second last time out at Newmarket, and she steps up in trip here from one mile to 1m2f. I think she’s been crying out for a greater distance, so this should suit her well. She’s really bounced back to form lately, having been a bit out of sorts earlier in the year, so I think she is overpriced at the moment. Those two recent runs tell me she can go much better than the market is suggesting.

Cuban Slide follows in the Tattersalls October Auction race, which is worth £150,000 (2.05pm). He’ll wear a visor for the first time here, which could help him regain the form of his debut earlier in the year, when he won by nine lengths. Admittedly, that was in a small field of four, but it was impressive nonetheless and he stepped up in grade afterwards. He hasn’t really shown much more promise since, but he’ll get better ground here than he has done all season, which should help. He does have to leave his recent form behind him, but he should be able to do so in these more suitable conditions.

I’m riding Goldana for Joseph O’Brien in the G1 Sun Chariot (3.15pm). It’ll be my first ride for Joseph, so I’m hoping for a good result. Goldana has got some decent form, albeit her best performances have been on soft ground, but her third place form behind Jackie Oh in a Group 3 last time out is looking much stronger now that Jackie Oh was the runner-up to Blue Rose Cen at Longchamp last weekend. She is not without a chance here and could sneak into a place. She does have plenty to find on ratings with the likes of Inspiral in this race, but hopefully she can do herself justice.

Hand Of God is next in the one-mile maiden (3.50pm) for Harry and Roger Charlton. This Churchill colt has had two starts to date, running nicely both times for fourth and fifth place in decent-sized fields. The ground this time is good, which is important for him as he was a non-runner last week due to the ground being too soft. He could improve on his existing form here, and wouldn’t be without a chance if he finds the conditions more to his liking.

Then I’m riding Point Sur in the Godolphin colours in the seven-furlong maiden (4.25pm). He’s a Too Darn Hot colt with a smart pedigree, being a half-brother to St. Leger runner-up New London, and wears a hood on his debut. He will likely stay further in time as he’s from a family of talented stayers, but we’re just hoping for a nice debut and a promising start for this exciting colt.

Ivory Madonna is my final ride of the day in the seven-furlong fillies’ handicap (5.00pm). She’s still a maiden after 10 starts, but she’s run some good races in defeat and was rated 97 as a two-year-old. Her last start, which was at Newmarket over six furlongs, was much more encouraging as she was beaten less than two lengths and had been running on really strongly. She wore a first-time visor that day, which is retained here and could be key. I’m hoping she can run on strongly again here at a track that she seems to like.