Jamie Spencer expecting big runs from his York rides today

In the first race today at 2.10, I ride Brando. He won well at Newmarket, and he went up plenty in the handicap but he’s an improving horse. Personally, I feel that any drop of rain we have up at York will help him. If the ground isn’t any quicker than good then it will suit him. I’m looking forward to riding him. I saw Doctor Sardonicus the other morning and he looks good and has been working well. Sadly you can’t cut yourself in half so you have to make a choice. I went for Brando because he’d had a run this season already and whether that’s the right or wrong decision? God only knows!

I ride Koora in the Middleton Stakes at 2.40. She was a huge, big backward filly last year. She got it together and won a maiden, and then was second at the Ebor meeting. She was a bit disappointing and probably didn’t stay in the Park Hill, and then went to Newbury and won a Group Three. The rain that’s about will do her no harm. She doesn’t want it too lively. She’s the sort of filly that Luca excels with, and she improved a lot from winning her maiden July time to winning a Group race in October.  I think you have to say with another winter behind her, she’s one to look forward to. Journey has very strong form and improved vastly last Autumn, having been beaten in maidens earlier in the season. She looks the one to beat.

In the 3.45 I ride Glory Awaits. I was second in the 2000 Guineas on him a few years ago, but he’s dropped a good bit down the weights since then and is rated 100 now. He was a bit disappointing on his first two starts in Dubai earlier this year and then we slapped the blinkers on him and he ran well on his third start there after being harried for the lead. It’s his first start back here. His owner bought him to run at all the nice meetings and this is the first stepping stone of the season. The handicapper is giving him a bit of leniency so sooner or later he’s going to strike. Nobody knows exactly when. It depends on which side of the bed he gets out of.

I ride Cardinal Walter in the last at 5.20. I’m really looking forward to him. He’s probably my best ride of the two days at York. He’s solid. He was a flat horse with David Simcock and then he got injured and had a long period off. He then went to Nicky Henderson and has been hurdling. He was placed here at York at the Ebor meeting as a three year old when David had him, and he was a very headstrong horse then.  Hopefully the jumping has settled him down a bit since then, not that it had settled down No Heretic last week! Going two miles on a round track, he’s got a hood one and I presume he’ll have a ring bit so that will help me to hold him a bit better. Off a rating of 90 I’d have thought he will be at the peak of his powers. He’s a huge horse, and now he’s seven he should be at full strength. I’m looking forward to riding him and I think the race sets up perfectly for him. The Cashel Man has had a long winter break and is coming along nicely. We’re claiming five pounds off him and hopefully he can run a nice race although I hope he doesn’t come and beat me.

Jamie