Luke Morris talks us through his Saturday rides and looks ahead to Royal Ascot

I’ve got a busy Saturday of rides this weekend but I cannot help think ahead to Royal Ascot next week and five fantastic days of racing. As a jockey, if you can pick up a couple of rides a day with a chance then you head to the meeting on a real high because these are the sort of events and races you want to be involved with. Winning is even better and I hope I can grab a few.

The St James’s Palace Stakes and the Diamond Jubilee Stakes are both going to be cracking races, but in terms of myself I’m really looking forward to riding Prince Of Lir in the Norfolk Stakes on Thursday.

I sat on him earlier this week and he felt in really good order and that he’d come on again since his debut. I’d like to think he’d be in with a good shout of winning.

Make sure you check back here every day next week to read my thoughts on my rides at Royal Ascot, and fingers crossed I can head to the meeting on a high after a win or two this weekend.

1.45 Bath – Putaringonit
She ran well on his seasonal debut the last day when she finished second and hopefully she can build on that. She’s stepping up in trip and if she improves for that she should have a solid chance.

He’s been running reasonably well for a while now. He’s an old boy and is slowing down a bit, but he still enjoys himself and I’d like to think he’d be in with an each-way chance again.

5.50 Lingfield – Cape Crystal
She ran reasonably well the last day from a wide draw and she’s drawn wide again this time in ten. She has a good chance of being thereabouts at the finish if she handles the ground, but that’s an unknown for her.

I thought she won well last time at Chelmsford and that will certainly have got her confidence up for this race. However, the best of her form, like her win last time, has been on the all-weather and you can’t be sure she’ll do the same on the turf. If she can translate the form she’d be another that could be thereabouts at the finish.

6.50 Lingfield – One Too Many
This horse is trained by David Brown who tends to generally have his horses ready to go first time. She’s got a nice draw near the rail in stall nine which should help a horse having it’s first start. If there is some confidence behind her in the betting then she might be in the mix.

7.50 Lingfield – California Lad
He’s been placed on his last three starts this horse and I think he’s just been unlucky to bump into one each time. The horse who beat him at Kempton last time looks useful and that’s been this horse’s luck recently. I think he should go on the ground and I hope that this will be his day. He certainly has the talent to win this race and I think he’ll go close.

8.20 Lingfield – Kenstone
I’ve not ridden her before but she looks to have been running too free in her races and failing to get home. I wouldn’t be surprised if connections wanted me to make more use of her and try to settle her in front before kicking on. She would need to show more before you could have any confidence in her chances though.

8.50 Lingfield – Daring Day
I had a sit on him on Monday and he worked really well. The only real question mark is the ground but I think he should be fine on it. He ran great at Chelmsford on his last start when he would’ve needed the run and I’m sure he’ll have improved since. If he enjoys the ground then he’ll have a big chance of winning.

All the best,
Luke