Hollie Doyle blog: Trip and track to suit Albasheer in Sprint Trophy at York!
Our ambassador Hollie Doyle partners Archie Watson’s Albasheer in the handicap event at York on Saturday and reveals her verdict on the two big races at Newmarket.
ALBASHEER LOOKS HOT IN YORK FINAL
York brings the curtain down on another memorable season on Saturday and I have a great chance in the final race, the £100,000 Coral Sprint Trophy (2.25).
ALBACHEER loves this test of speed – he has previously enjoyed success in a similar race on The Knavesmire, tying with Summerghand at the Ebor Festival in August.
Her fourth place in the Ayr Gold Cup was eye-catching and backs it up wholeheartedly for this 6f sprint as we aim to overturn a three-quarter length verdict with Julie Camacho’s winner in meaningful fashion.
Archie Watson’s gelding ran a bizarre race at Ayr as he didn’t travel at first but returned far too late. Like many sprinters, he needs everything to go well, but if he has a consistent day, he is more than capable of winning on Saturday.
NICHOLLS FILLY READY FOR CLASSROOM INTEGRATION
Adrian Nicholls and I are no strangers to sharing Listed successes. We returned from Deauville with black type for his pretty filly Mo Celita two years ago, and I hope we can repeat the feat closer to home.
I go up to Adrian’s INGLEBY IVY in the Coté Coral Rockingham Stakes (1.15)another filly who deserves her chance at this level after taking a big step forward in her second participation.
She left her debut at Beverley well behind to win decisively at Ripon last month so she has every chance of making the progress needed to play a role at a potentially high price. This of course requires much more, with Andrew Balding’s 104-rated Molecomb runner-up Purosangue setting the standard.
IDEAL ENDURANCE TEST FOR PUNCTUATION
The demanding course of just over 2m should prove ideal for Fergal O’Brien. PUNCTUATION in the Coral gets closer to action handicap (4.10).
The six-year-old, whose last start was a hurdle victory at Aintree in the spring, will no doubt have some valuable wooden targets in the coming weeks. He’s a smart jumper these days, but even though it’s his first race on the flat in three years, he’s handicapped enough from his old form to be interesting.
ALFRED SHOULD ENJOY BACK ON SOFT GROUND
Peter Chapple-Hyam ALFRED was in winning form at Yarmouth in September and reappears in the Play Coral ‘Racing Super Series’ for free for a nursery handicap (1.50).
He took advantage of soft ground on the seaside track before finishing fourth on good to firm at Newmarket and gets similar conditions at York as he tackles 1m again.
He runs 5 pounds higher but should remain competitive. Later, Roger Fell and Sean Murray found a great opportunity to IRON SHERIFF in the Coral ‘Committed to Safer Play’ Final Handicap (4.45). A consistent gelding, he takes the weight off all his rivals in the closer 10.5f and ran well enough at Beverley last month to be competitive here.
TROY TO EXTEND UNBEATEN RECORD IN DEWHURST
Can’t argue with Aidan O’Brien’s favorite CITY OF TROJA in the big race of the weekend, Group 1 Native Trail Dewhurst Stakes (2.00) in Newmarket.
This undefeated son of Justify did nothing wrong, decisively winning the Group 2 Superlative Stakes ahead of subsequent Vintage Stakes winner Haatem. Runner-up in the Goodwood race was Iberian, whose form received a timely boost.
City Of Troy has risen to the top of next year’s 2000 Guineas and Derby markets
He was impressive in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster, beating Richard Hannon’s Rosallion who won the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère on the Arc weekend. My husband Tom (Marquand) is understandably interested in his chances on the Charles Hills colt, but it will probably take a mammoth performance to kill City Of Troy.
HAYLEY THE ONE TO BEAT IN CESARWITCH
This season Club Godolphin Cesarewitch (2.40) might be dominated by the Irish with Gordon Elliott’s Pied Piper at the top of the market, but I favor Andrew Balding’s. GREAT PROVIDENCE.
Hayley Turner continues to roll after scoring impressively on the three-year-old in last month’s trial. He has no weight on his back, he is guaranteed to stay and seems to be the ideal horse for a race like this.
It would be great to see Hayley win the famous old race and I’m excited to see Irish show jumping star Rachael Blackmore come and ride Willie Mullins’ outsider Jackfinbar.