Fran Berry column ahead of three good rides for Ed Dunlop at Newmarket
Get the latest from Fran Berry on his three good rides for Ed Dunlop at Newmarket on Friday, along Chester Cup reflections and what the future holds for Magic Circle.
You're always looking to get good winners and particularly so early in the season so to ride a winner like Magic Circle in the Chester Cup was a big boost and it can put you in the forefront of people's minds if there are any spare rides around.
On a personal level, it was a big thrill and I've had a bit of luck in the big staying races in Britain. This is one for one reason or another I'd actually only ridden in once before, due to weight or horses being balloted out, so to win it on the horse that finished fifth last year was brilliant.
It's a great race to have on your CV.
There are plenty of options for him going forward and I think the Melbourne Cup could be very much on Marwan's (Koukash) mind as I spoke to him after the weekend when he said the horse had come out of the race very well.
He's got to qualify for that and one of the main qualification criteria is to be Group-placed over a trip beyond a mile and a half so that's one factor that has to be taken into account.
There are plenty of 'Cup' races along the way and if he doesn't run in the Sky Bet Ebor then something like the Yorkshire Cup could suit, or the Doncaster Cup, then there's options in France and Ireland too so there's a lot to weight up.
Equally, off a mark of 109 he'll still get into the top handicaps so that's a good option to have.
It was good to keep the ball rolling with three winners since Magic Circle, including a Bath double on Wednesday night.
Desert Cross is a little star at his own level and it was the third time he's won around Bath.
My Boy Sepoy is owned by a lovely family and they got a big thrill out of him winning, while Harry Beau won at Chepstow in midweek for David Evans and owner Wayne Clifford, which was a nice winner at a local track.
So hopefully we can maintain the run of form at Newmarket on Friday.
I rode Global Spirit first time out on the July Course last year. He's been off since November but ran well at Wolverhampton on his penultimate start, he was only just beaten.
He was a touch disappointing afterwards at Lingfield but maybe that came too soon and after a break a mark of 68 doesn't look too unkind in division two of the rewards4racing.com Handicap.
It's his first run back but looks a fair each-way chance as he's an Invincible Spirit and should handle the quick ground well.
The Edmondson Hall Solicitors & Sports Lawyers Handicap is a valuable heat and I ride Amazing Red which look another good ride for the Ed Dunlop team.
I get down to my minimum weight to ride him so hopefully it's all worthwhile. It won't mean a massive change to my diet or regime over the next 24 hours but it could mean an extra couple of minutes on the treadmill in the morning with all the gear on!
I was taken with his win at Kempton the last day. It was a very slowly-run race and he was in a midfield position which maybe wasn't ideal so he did extremely well to close them down and win going away at the line.
Dropping back slightly in trip from the extended two miles there to a mile and six on the Rowley Mile should suit him well. He's up 4lb but he's run well at this track before and has run well at Doncaster before too so clearly isn't just a Polytrack-type horse.
Off this weight in a small-ish field, he should hold every chance of being competitive.
I'm delighted to get back on Global Giant for Dunlop too in the Pegasus Profiles Flying Horse Novice Stakes.
He's not run since last summer just with the way the schedule fell and the how the weather's been in the spring but I rode him in both starts as a juvenile and it's good to keep the ride.
He confirmed his debut promise when winning at the July Festival in what looked a strong maiden on the day and the first two were clear of the third.
He has a layoff to overcome but he's a horse with real size and scope and time won't have done him any harm physically. He's a particularly nice individual and stepping up to a mile won't be a problem.
He's just one of those horses at this time of the year that could step up markedly on the form he's displayed and basically looks a nice prospect going forward.
One or two potential rides for Saturday just haven't materialised and I'm taking a suspension on Sunday so it's a weekend off in the sunshine with the family but I'll have a very close eye on matters at Newbury and the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes.
It's an extremely large field this year which is quite unusual in itself and it's a bit of a clash between generations and different horses with very different profiles.
Rhododendron of Aidan O'Brien's is really fascinating over a mile and she could be the one to beat given she was knocking heads with Enable last season.
Adeyybb won well in the Lincoln and stepped up in grade at Sandown but you just wonder if he can transfer his improvement to a much faster surface. The ground, rather than ability, might just be the issue with him.
You've some very solid campaigners who aren't totally exposed yet, like Beat The Bank. Deauville is back on fast ground and Librisa Breeze has a similar profile in a way to Limato, in that if things go there way then there's every chance either of them could win a really big one over a mile.
It's obviously been mentioned by Henry Candy during the week that I've been riding Limato quite a bit at home and if you get on him in the morning and didn't know what he was then you'd definitely say he was more of a miler than a sprinter.
He's very relaxed and has been going very well, he looks magnificent so I'd be looking forward to him running.
He'll have to be at his best given the opposition and it could be a strong gallop so in what looks a very competitive race I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Deauville run a big race if the ground remains fast.
I'd also probably not take Rhododendron's first run of the year at face value given the problems they've been having in France. With a big field and a really strong gallop I expect the race might be run to suit her.
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