Amy Ryan - A Jockey’s Diary: Bremner scores once again at Ayr to get our family up and running

Traditionally dubbed the Western Meeting, it is a major occasion at which Dad always tries to have as many runners as possible.

Our two-year-old colt Bremner gave us a flying start. He had already looked good on his debut at York when he was placed in the Batleys Cash And Carry Median Auction Maiden Stakes in July.

He followed that up impressively when winning his maiden race at Ayr last month.

Back we came for the opening race yesterday and he’s gone and won again. What a star – and he holds an entry in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster at the end of next month. Once the declarations were sorted out for tomorrow’s Ayr Gold and Silver Cups, then the field for the Bronze race this afternoon was settled.

We run just one in it, but we have six going tomorrow for the two major pots.

Five-year-old gelding Nasharra has been having a good season and rattled up a three-timer at Hamilton Park and Haydock Park between May and July. I was in the saddle at the Scottish track for the first of those three victories.

He loves a little bit of soft ground, although he has won in all kinds of underfoot conditions.

If the Bronze Cup at 4pm today is competitive, then the Silver and Gold Cups are even more so. Both races will take place tomorrow afternoon.

Trail Blaze and Chooseday are our two representatives in the former race. Both have been running consistently this season and, like Nasharra, each would welcome some cut in the ground.

Trail Blaze has winning form at Ayr from a year ago. His best run to date this year was when he was a narrow runner-up in the Betfair International at Ascot in July.

Chooseday’s best effort in 2013 was when he finished third in the Stewards’ Sprint Stakes at Glorious Goodwood two runs ago. I was riding him earlier in the season and he put in a decent display when we finished second in a handicap at Chester.

Hopefully one of the duo will come good and win the Silver Cup tomorrow.

And so on to the big one, the Ayr Gold Cup – and we are sending out the reigning champion in Captain Ramius.

He’s another of our horses which likes soft ground.

Those were certainly the conditions 12 months ago when he was victorious on a heavy surface.

He has yet to win this season, the closest being at Doncaster at the end of March when he finished second.

Like last year, he took in the Great St Wilfrid Stakes at Ripon in preparation for Ayr.

Touch wood, he can win again.

Hamza is our second representative in the race. After two runner-up spots at The Curragh, he was far from disgraced in Group 1 company when finishing mid-division in the Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock Park earlier this month.

Bogart, another yard favourite, has had a superb season and we’d expect him to run another very nice race.

His Symphony Group Stakes at York’s Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival was a little bit special.

He wasn’t able to follow up in the Portland Handicap at the 
St Leger meeting last weekend, but hopefully he will return to his Knavesmire form tomorrow.

Finally, we have Lightning Cloud, our Royal Ascot winner. His last run was at York in the Listed Betfred Garrowby Stakes. He was closer than his fourth placing suggests, as he was just one and a quarter lengths behind the winner. Let’s see what colour of ‘medals’ we can bring back to Yorkshire by the end of tomorrow.

The final fixtures of the year at York Racecourse are Countryside Day on Friday, October 11 and Saturday, October 12 when musicians from the Coldstream Guards will bring down the curtain. The feature races include the Coral Sprint Trophy and Listed Coral Rockingham Stakes. Early bird prices for the Friday are £12 and £22 in the Grandstand & Paddock and County Stand respectively. 
 On Saturday, the discounted prices for advanced booking are £17 and £27. Tickets can be purchased at www.yorkracecourse.co.uk.