Our columnist on why he can't wait to be back on Ten Bob Tony in Wednesday's Qatar Sussex Stakes.
Wednesday
15:00 Queen's Reign
She’s had time off. I rode her in France about three months ago and she was a bit keen and a bit fresh. She stayed in training to try and get some Group-race Black Type and she just needs to find her mojo a little at the moment. She is a winner over course-and-distance so we’re hoping coming back here can reignite something
16:10 Ten Bob Tony
I think the tactical set-up on Wednesday could be quite similar to the one in the Queen Anne which he won albeit the two tracks are completely different. There’s a lot of pace on and I’d imagine we’ll be riding a patient race again. He’s in great order, he’s been flying at home and he’s backed up two great runs at Epsom and Ascot.
Arguably you could say he’d been a little inconsistent before that but he’s right at the top of his game now. I can’t wait to get back on him. Obviously it’s less straightforward to pull off a hold-up ride here than it is on the straight track at Ascot. You need things to go right but I think it’s the only way to ride him over a mile at Goodwood.
He has the speed for seven and a turn of foot and the one thing you have to have in a Sussex Stakes is gears – and he has gears. You wouldn’t want to be riding a mile-and-a-quarter horse in the Sussex Stakes.
17:40 Zarathos
I won on him at Windsor when he was a 16 or 17 race maiden and now he’s climbed almost 20 pounds in the ratings. Its amazing when a horse gets their head in front how they can take off and he’s a case in point. I didn’t ride him at the Curragh last time where Dylan Browne McMonagle felt the ground might have been a little too fast for him.
I won on him on quick ground at Windsor where maybe he got away with it because he had so much in hand and I hope there’s a little wriggle room left in his mark. He’s a very willing horse and we have a good draw in nine.
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