Dont miss 32Red ambassador Jamie Spencer’s latest column as he talks through his Saturday rides
Spencer has a look at the Coral-Eclipse and gives you the lowdown on his rides today.
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ALL the talk ahead of the Coral-Eclipse has been about the three-year-olds Cliffs Of Moher, Barney Roy and Eminent.
But I’ve a gut feeling the older horses might have the upper hand.
If I could have ridden any horse I would’ve picked Ulysses – I think he’s got a great chance.
Jim Crowley - having ridden him to be third in the Prince Of Wales’s behind Highland Reel at Royal Ascot – will know him better and be aware of his great turn of foot.
He won his first start of the season at Sandown when he beat Deauville in the Gordon Richards Stakes so he’s got track form. He’s a typical Sir Michael Stoute improver.
The three-year-olds are getting 11lbs but they need to step up. They were all in a bunch at Epsom and the Irish Derby didn’t give us any more clues.
Eminent ran well in the Derby and I see they’re going to change tactics – let’s see if it works. I didn’t think Jim Crowley did much wrong on him other than he didn’t win the Derby.
Barney Roy is a smart horse but Churchill didn’t perform in the St James’s Palace at Ascot. The fact that Lancaster Bomber was second tells you all you need to know.
It will be interesting to see how the three-year-olds stack up but I’m sticking with the older horses.
I’m heading off to Haydock for four rides.
I start off with Never Surrounder (2.05), who is stepping up to 1m6f. That would be a little bit of a question mark on breeding as his dam was a sprinter and some of his siblings have been running up to a mile.
He made the running at Royal Ascot and was a little bit keen. This is a new trip for him so he needs to settle to get the distance. I wouldn’t think he wants to be making the running but, if it stays dry, he’ll enjoy the ground.
He’s a typical High Chaparral – they improve as time goes on. There’s the doubt about his stamina but we’ll find out today.
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Moonmeister (3.15) has got a nice draw in stall two and he won well at Cork last time.
He was third to Barsanti at York last year - I was second in that race on Shakopee. That was a good race and it was a standout piece of form. This 1m4f is his perfect distance and if they got a little bit of rain it wouldn’t bother him.
Sometimes he can be a little bit slow away. There’s nothing you can do about that really - horses miss the break not jockeys.
I just hope he breaks on terms or at worst a little bit slow. Then you can roust him to hold your position on the rail. It would be worse if he was drawn 18 as you’re stuck on the outside. If you’re slow away then you can’t get into position.
Ideally I’d like to break on terms, get a position no worse than mid-division and the ride my race from there.
Even though Haydock is a galloping track it’s a very hard track to come from behind. It’s a very sharp bend from the end of the back straight until you turn into the straight. The leaders can kick and get away from you.
It’s a flat, rolling track and pace seems to hold up at Haydock. You need a good position.
That’s not the case on the sprint course so it won’t bother Hart Stopper (4.25). He likes to be held up and he’s got a good turn of foot.
I won on him at Windsor two starts back. He’s got track form and I wouldn’t have thought the July Course at Newmarket would have suited him last time as pace tends to hold up there.
He’ll appreciate the bigger field and he goes there with a squeak. Hopefully they’ll go a good gallop and he can creep into it.
I’ll be disappointed if Hugin (5.30) doesn’t take the beating. He’s a horse we’ve always liked and is a half-brother to Barsanti. He’s stepping up from a mile to a mile and a quarter so it shouldn’t be a problem on pedigree.
I won on him at Newcastle in May. I was asking him at the two-furlong pole and the others were matching him – but at the winning post he had three lengths in hand.
He stepped up in the last furlong and Newcastle is an extremely stiff track – people don’t realise how stiff it is.
Across Dubai and Baashiq look to be the biggest dangers but I think my horse has got a good chance.