Speaking to Simon Mapletoft, Sky Sports Racing ambassador Hollie Doyle looks ahead to her chances on All-Weather Finals Day at Newcastle.
Babe my best hope on stellar Finals Day
The six handicaps on a stellar All-Weather Championships Finals Day card at Newcastle on Good Friday – live on Sky Sports Racing – are all fiercely competitive, with £1m in prize money at stake.
Riding a winner won’t be an easy task but I’m pinning my biggest hopes on my boss Archie Watson’s French recruit Paris Babe in the seven-furlong BetMGM Fillies’ And Mares’ Championships Handicap (2.25).
A winner over seven on soft, she also won a six-and-a-half furlong Deauville handicap on Polytrack for Gavin Hernon back in November and should enjoy the stiff test at Gosforth Park on debut for Archie.
The daughter of Mehmas has been pleasing us in her homework following her 32,000 euros purchase at the Arqana Sales and we couldn’t be happier with her going into this. Whatever the outcome, we should learn plenty about her off an opening mark of 91.
Rogue working well ahead of three-year-old Dash
Rogue Supremacy is a colt we haven’t had long at Archie’s Saxon Gate Stables but we’re pleased with his progress heading into the BetMGM All-Weather 3 Year Old Championships Handicap (1.50).
A smart two-year-old for David O’Meara, he ran pretty well on debut for us at Lingfield when he was only beaten two-and-a-half lengths in the valuable trial at the end of February and ran another solid race at Southwell last month.
He was classy enough to finish a close third in the Group Three Sirenia Stakes at Kempton last year but an 8lb hike for that performance made life harder for him. He’s come down 3lb since to a mark of 94 which we feel he can be competitive off. Newcastle’s straight six furlongs will suit him, he has plenty of pace and has been working well at home.
Zyran a live outsider in Classic
David O’Meara has a great record with his French recruits and Zyran is another he has done well with this winter. The Midnite All-Weather Easter Classic Middle-Distance Handicap (4.10) is his biggest challenge so far but I’m hoping he’ll give me a good ride.
The five-year-old, who was a dual winner for Francis Graffard, won a competitive Class Three handicap over course and distance at the end of January and will enjoy being produced off what should be a strong pace.
Hoping Barenboim can reproduce course form
Tom Dascombe’s done a great job to get Barenboim back into winning form this winter and I’m looking forward to riding him in the Midnite All-Weather Easter Plate Marathon Handicap (4.42) – a race I won three years ago with my old favourite Rainbow Dreamer.
It’s not easy to coax an eight-year-old back to form but this gelding has really enjoyed a change of tactics, making the running to win a decent 2m handicap at Kempton Park in January before going close to Andrew Balding’s useful Berkshire Sundance at Lingfield.
Of course, he’ll need everything to fall right in such a hot final but he has plenty of form at Newcastle and is clearly heading to the North East on very good terms with himself, so I’m hopeful of a good run.
Encore in deep in mile final
The BetMGM All-Weather Championships Mile Handicap (3.00) is one of the most intriguing races of the day with the likes of Listed winners Chancellor and Tyrrhenian Sea heading the weights.
I ride the outsider of the field, Rogue Encore, for Peter Chapple-Hyam, who will be hoping his gelding can get back to the form he showed when winning over course and distance last autumn.
He also ran quite well in the mile trial at Newcastle in January when he finished just out of the placings. This is a big ask but Peter will have him in good shape following his return from a short break last week.
Amerjeet seeking deserved success
I’m heading to Wolverhampton on Saturday night for just one ride on Michael Herrington’s Amerjeet in the Founding Member Of ACCI WRPA Handicap (8.00).
Michael’s enjoyed another productive winter season and I’m hoping I can partner this gelding to a deserved win on the all-weather following a string of good efforts since joining the trainer in December.
He twice went close behind the in-form pair Shala Aasker and Sam’s Hope over course and distance and is well drawn in stall five to at least get into the money once again.
Watson filly can shine at Bath
Archie Watson’s Wathnan Racing filly Shine On Me is set to make her seasonal reappearance in the Listed Whitsbury Manor Stud/British EBF Lansdown Stakes (3.10) at Bath on Sunday and must have a leading chance.
Shine On Me runs at Bath on Sunday
She broke her maiden at Wolverhampton on her final juvenile start in October after going close in a Group Three at Longchamp and a Listed sprint in Deauville.
I rode the daughter of Havana Grey at home last week and we’ve been happy with her work over the winter so this looks an ideal starting point off a rating of 96.
