Champion Jockey Luke Morris provides you with ten horses to look out for this season

The first big race of the British Flat turf season takes place on Saturday with the Lincoln at Doncaster and there is sure to be plenty of exciting action taking place in the months to come. With that in mind I thought I’d give you a few horses I’m looking forward to this season, some of which I will hopefully be riding to victory myself and others I shall be watching with interest.

Barsanti

Roger Varian
He looked the classic ‘Group horse in a handicap’ when winning the Rosebery Handicap in really good style last month. I expect there to be plenty more to come from him.

Cartwright

Sir Mark Prescott
He had three runs last year and starts his life off in handicaps off a mark of 57. He’s a big, raw horse and I’d be disappointed if by the end of the year he’s not rated a fair bit higher than that.

Certified

James Tate
She won nicely first time at Chelmsford and has had a break over the winter after that. She seems to be working nicely and off 75 I think she’s got a good bit of room for manoeuvre.

Decorated Knight

Roger Charlton
He was with Roger Varian last year when he showed some very good form to be placed in a couple of Group races. He strikes me as the sort of horse to improve again this year as a four-year-old and would be one to keep on the right side of.

Marsha

Sir Mark Prescott
She showed smart form last year when winning a maiden and finishing the season off by taking on the older horses and finishing third in a Listed race at Dundalk behind Take Cover. She’s a very fast filly and those five and six furlong races will be what she’s aimed at. She won’t be the easiest to place but if anyone can do it, it will be Sir Mark.

Minding

Aidan O’Brien
I think this filly will take all the beating in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket. I thought she looked very good when she won the Fillies’ Mile last year and will be a difficult filly to beat this year in all sorts of races.

Namhroodah

James Tate
She’s highly regarded by her trainer and was Listed placed last year. She was unfortunate last year as she never really got her ground at any point; it can’t really be soft enough for her. When the ground gets soft she’s one to keep an eye on as I think there’s a decent prize in her on that sort of ground.

Order Of St George

Aidan O’Brien
He put up one of the best performances of the whole season when winning the Irish St Leger at the Curragh. I can’t really see anything that will be at the same level as him in the staying races this year and he’s going to be extremely tough to beat in those distance races.

Royal Artillery

Sea Pride

Sir Mark Prescott
She’s a very big girl – nearly 17 hands – and she’s going to continuing improving this season I think. She ran really well in the Irish Cesarewitch when finishing third last year and I think off her mark of 94 she can hopefully pick up a nice staying handicap somewhere before moving on to try and gain some black type.

I will be concentrating on Kempton on Saturday with five good rides and I think there is a good chance I’ll be in the winner’s enclosure as well.

Rebel Heart – 1.55 Kempton
The Mark Johnston horses have been on fire in these races so far and he has one in there, Wesley Ward has a runner as well and so does Richard Hannon so there are a lot of powerful two-year-old stables represented. Bill Turner, who trains Rebel Heart, generally sends his horses to the races knowing their job 110 per cent so I’ll try and ride the filly as I find her, but I suspect she’ll be plenty switched on enough about it all.

Solar Flair – 2.30 Kempton
I rode him once last year and I think he’s a nice, progressive horse. He strikes me as an improver and I think he’s on a mark still that leaves him room for manoeuvre. His trainer William Knight is good at getting them ready off a break and I’d like to think this horse had a good, solid chance in this race.

Ticks The Boxes – 3.00 Kempton
He’s generally been quite disappointing and as such has dropped a fair way in the handicap to what could be a reasonable mark. Ideally you’d want to see a bit more from him before you really fancied his chances in a race like this.

Light And Shade – 4.10 Kempton
We’re going for some black type with her and that would be a huge plus if we could achieve that. She’s got a bit to find at the figures with a few of them like Redstart and Kyllachy Queen, but I’ll be riding with the aim of securing some black type for her and anything more than that would be a bonus for sure.

Knife Edge – 4.45 Kempton
He won an Ascot maiden first time and then ran well enough in a muddling conditions race at Newmarket on his next start. I don’t think we saw the best of him on that day. He’s been working really well this spring and I’d be hopeful of a big run from him. Going forward I think he’ll be a nice horse to keep an eye on for this season.