Jamie Spencer hoping to ride Frankel’s first daughter to victory
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I ride Queen Kindly in the Albany Stakes at 2.30. She is the brilliant Frankel’s first born daughter. I’m really hoping the ground continues to dry out for her. I’m drawn a bit high but she’s a lovely filly. I finished fourth in the Queen Mary on Richard’s horse Kocollada and Queen Kindly would be a good bit better than her. Richard is very happy with her and on I’m really looking forward to riding her.
She’d been ready to go for a while before she won her maiden at Catterick. It’s probably a long time since a Royal Ascot winner came out of a Catterick maiden. Bruce Raymond, the racing manager to the owner, did it a long time ago. It’s a different route to take but she can go well. We have Cuff to beat I thought. I will be disappointed if I am not there or thereabouts.
Ashadihan is my mount in the Coronation Stakes at 4.20. She was going to run in the Irish 1000 Guineas but was taken out because of the soft ground. So we’ll have to see how the ground dries out. It’s annoying that we’ve got this soft ground because she’s been working really well. She did such a good piece of work two weeks ago and she will definitely outrun her odds if the ground’s ok and we decide to run. I’d be surprised if we weren’t at least in the first four but the ground is the pain. She’s a very good moving filly out of an American family on her dam side. Soft ground just isn’t in her pedigree. It’s annoying but it’s just the way the week’s gone with this rain and ground.
In the Duke of Edinburgh I ride Felix Mendelssohn at 5.00. He’s been dropped 5lbs for his first start of the season which will be a big help. I like this horse. I think easy ground, going a trip will suit him and he’s by Galileo, so he will have a squeak. The ones at the top of the handicap have done a lot of winning and therefore have the weight to carry so it’s tougher for them. David is very happy with him and I can see him running a nice race. He’s been showing up well on the gallops. David just wouldn’t run him for the sake of it.
In the Queens Vase I ride Gunnery at 5.35. He’s a son of Le Havre, he’s going to improve for the trip. The two miles will be a big help to him and he will love the ground. He has a strong knee action, he’s a powerful horse and he will stay well as well. A lot of these horses aren’t really bred to get the trip. I’m looking forward to riding my horse. He hasn’t got a great draw in fifteen but we will try and mosey on up there and get a reasonable position in sixth or seventh and ride the race from there. He’s a horse that stays really well.
Jamie
