Amy Ryan - A Jockey’s Diary: Hoping for rain as we seek quickfire double success on Town Moor

We might not target it in such big numbers as we do at Knavesmire, but there are some valuable prizes to be won on Town Moor.

We have just the one runner at Doncaster this afternoon. That’s our two-year-old colt Sleeper King in the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes.

He ran really well when finishing fourth in the big DBS Premier Yearling Stakes at York last month.

He was just two and a half lengths behind the winner that day.

He is a very consistent sort of horse and he certainly doesn’t lack for experience.

He made his debut at the Dante Festival, has run at Royal Ascot and contested Group 3 company in the Molecomb Stakes at ‘Glorious’ Goodwood.

Sleeper King’s chances in the 1.40pm race will certainly be enhanced if there has been a drop of rain overnight.

On to tomorrow and, although we do not have a representative in the Ladbrokes St Leger, the final Classic race of the year in Britain, we are aiming for double success in the space of just 70 minutes.

We run in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at 2.05pm, the Ladbrokes Portland Handicap at 2.40pm, and the Group 2 OLBG Park Stakes at 3.15pm.

The Grey Gatsby goes for the first of those races over seven furlongs.

He faces six rivals and comes into the race off the back of two superb performances in his first two career engagements at York over the summer.

He won his maiden at the first time of asking during the John Smith’s Cup meeting in July.

Last time, he was ever so unlucky when just touched off in the Group 3 Pinsent Masons LLP Acomb Stakes at the Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival.

He is one of my favourite horses in my father’s training yard.

Like Sleeper King, this two-year-old colt would certainly not be inconvenienced by a little bit of rain on Town Moor and I would be very hopeful of a big run from him tomorrow.

Talking of my favourite horses, Bogart runs in the Ladbrokes Portland Handicap at 2.40pm.

He triumphed in the Symphony Group Stakes at the Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival last time out.

That was a great day for us and obviously made for a splendid start to the whole meeting.

Bogart has come out of that 
race well, he is in great form at home and we’re looking 
forward to seeing him run at Doncaster.

Pintura goes for the second Group 2 tomorrow afternoon which is at 3.15pm. He faces 10 opponents.

The ground turned out to be just a little bit quick for him at York last month, but he has already shown this season that he has the quality to win on Knavesmire. That was back in May.

Tomorrow will be the 50th big racecourse experience race for this six-year-old horse.

He has run at Longchamps in Paris, Newmarket, Goodwood and Epsom.

Like a number of our other runners at Doncaster, some give in the ground would do no harm at all.

One thing is certain, he’ll give of his best as he always does.

Touch wood, tomorrow will be his second victory of the season.

The final fixtures of the year at York are Countryside Day on Friday, October 11and 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.