Hollie Doyle blog: Cemhaan no forlorn hope in lucrative Ebor handicap at York!
Hollie Doyle has enjoyed an excellent week so far, landing a treble at Chepstow on Thursday and a fantastic second on Nashwa in the Juddmonte International; Doyle will ride Cemhaan in the Sky Bet Ebor at York on Saturday
Thursday 24 August 2023 17:07, UK
It's been a big week for Hollie Doyle already and she looks to have a decent chance of bagging a major prize in the Sky Bet Ebor on Saturday at York.
CEMHAAN A LIVE OUTSIDER IN EBOR
We might be among the outsiders for Saturday's Sky Bet Ebor Handicap (3.35) at York, but I'm expecting Cemhaan to run a memorable race. I know George Baker's six-year-old well after winning on him at Newmarket last year and he comes into the £500,000 showpiece in good form.
He bolted up in a 1m4f handicap on the All-Weather at Kempton Park in May before running another sound race over Saturday's longer trip in the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot.
Statistics show that high draws have dominated the Ebor in recent years so I'm happy enough to be starting in the middle in stall 10 on a horse who can be held up. This 1m6f will suit him well and he's also proven on fast ground.
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OUT TO MAKE PRESCOTT DEBUT A WINNING ONE
I'm honoured to be riding for Sir Mark Prescott for the first time in the Sky Bet Melrose Handicap (2.25). This 1m6f contest looks the perfect race for TRUE LEGEND who has improve more than a stone and a half this year and gets into this off a light weight.
This three-year-old son of Camelot has never run on fast ground but won twice on good going at Salisbury and heads to York on the back of a career best in a Class 3 handicap at the Qatar Goodwood Festival. He proved that day that he stays well and I'm comfortable with my draw in stall 12.
TALENTED ALBASHEER TAKES ON SPRINT HEAVYWEIGHTS
The 6f Constantine Handicap (4.10) is headed by Stewards' Cup winner Aberama Gold and last weekend's Great St Wilfrid runner-up Summerghand, so it's a red hot contest. I take them on with Archie Watson's ALBASHEER, who has fallen to a career low mark of 95 but remains capable of making his presence felt in a race of this quality.
He wasn't beaten far by stable companion Saint Lawrence in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot and has run respectably in Ireland and in the Stewards' Cup since. He's talented but, like a lot of sprinters, needs the cards to fall in his favour.
HUGO COULD HOLD KEY TO YORK FINALE
Hugo Palmer could hold the key to the closing race of this year's Ebor Festival, the Sky Bet Finale Handicap (5.20). BOX TO BOX doesn't know how to run a bad race, showing his liking for this extended 10f when finishing second in a similar race last month.
That was in good to soft ground but he's equally at home in quicker conditions and races off an unchanged mark. He's nicely drawn in stall eight, too.
