Jamie Spencer thinks his big race mount will be hard to beat
Coral horse racing ambassador Jamie Spencer talks through his Newmarket rides on Saturday, as the flat season soon draws to a close.
Newmarket rides on Saturday
On Saturday, I ride Sweet Dragon Fly in the first race at Newmarket. She’s got a good bit to find on the ratings. This is her last run before she goes to America and it looks a good spot to try and get some black type for her.
Parsnip is my mount in the Nursery at 2.20. She probably needs a little rain. The form of the Nursery she ran second in last time out has worked out really well. This is a very open race but she ought to have a decent chance really.
Starchitect is among Jamie Spencer’s Saturday Newmarket rides.
The Betfred Cesarewitch looks a very open race as always. I ride one of the market leaders, Starchitect, but we haven’t got a great draw. However the favourite, St Michel, is also drawn out wide. I’m not sure that the wide draw is as big a problem as some make out over this trip. They’ve protected Starchitect’s handicap mark well. He missed the cut at Ascot, and so he looks to have a really good chance in this. He’s won over hurdles over two miles and five furlongs so he’s got plenty of stamina. He improved last year over hurdles, and is rated 150 over the obstacles. He’s a five year old, he’s a strong horse and he’s improving, so he should be hard to beat. I won the Cesarewitch for Phillip Hobbs many years ago on the grey horse that won the Triumph Hurdle, Detroit City.
The Dewhurst looks a gimme for Churchill. He’s one of those Galileos that is a little bit lazy but when he’s called upon he pulls it out. He doesn’t win by far but last time was the first time he’d run in a Group One and when Ryan got hold of him he stretched clear. The better the ground the better he’ll be. I thought he would be hard to beat. The rest of the field look like they want soft ground. Blue Point looks pacey and this step up to seven might be his undoing. South Seas looks like he wants softer ground, and I wasn’t that impressed by Rivet at Doncaster. I rode in the race he won and it didn’t ride like a good race. They all need to step up to challenge Churchill.
On Saturday night Nemoralia runs against Tepin at Keeneland in the Group One First Lady. I spoke to Jeremy a few days ago and he said that nothing had come to light to explain her disappointing run last time. So he’s just keeping on going with her. Obviously taking on Tepin is a formidable task. It doesn’t look very easy. If all goes well I think she may run on the dirt at the Breeders Cup. That’s what Jeremy was thinking when I spoke to him the other day.
Jamie
