Amy Ryan - A Jockey’s Diary: You can be sure Glory Awaits will be giving of his best at Newmarket

We’re hoping that he can put that right on the Rowley Mile this afternoon when he goes for the latest race in the QIPCO British Champions Series – which has visited York five times this season.

Indeed, the Group 2 Najef Joel Stakes is the final race in the series before British Champions Day at Ascot next month.

Glory Awaits made his seasonal debut at Newmarket in April before running an absolutely storming race when second to Dawn Approach in the first Classic of the season.

He has since run at Royal Ascot and ‘Glorious’ Goodwood, so he has been mixing it with the best.

Fingers crossed he can get into the winner’s enclosure for the first time this year in the 2.40pm race at Newmarket today. He is taking on six opponents and, while he is likely to be an outsider, we know he’ll give of his best.

With Middleham trainer David O’Meara also saddling Penitent in the one-mile race, hopefully one of the two Yorkshire yards will bring home the prize from the South.

Glory Awaits is also entered in the Dubai Challenge Stakes on Future Champions Day at Newmarket next month. We hope to do well there and we have a trio in the Group 1 Vision.ae Middle Park Stakes, namely Astaire – the winner of the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Gimcrack Stakes at the Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival – two times York winner Hot Streak and Sleeper King.

That is a race which will be able to be seen on the giant screen at York during its final meeting of the year.

Across the Pennines today, we have Ardmay running in the 4.10pm handicap at Haydock Park. He is a horse I know really well and have partnered him to three victories.

Today’s race is over a mile but he has winning form at the Merseyside track over seven furlongs from last summer – when I was on board. He has won once this term, at Ripon, once again when I was in the saddle.

His chances would certainly be boosted were there to be a drop of rain. Manchester is famous for its rain – and that’s not too far from Haydock Park – so here’s hoping.

It will not be the busiest weekend for our yard.

When there’s racing at York – or the likes of the Western Meeting at Ayr a week ago – we have lots of runners, but it’s quieter for us tomorrow.

I’ll run through our runners at Chester and Ripon.

Pea Shooter is first out of the starting stalls in the 2.30pm at The Roodee. He has a couple of wins to his name, including his maiden at York in 2011. He has run at Haydock Park quite a few times, but this is his first go at the unique track that is Chester.

He certainly has ability – and I’ve ridden him quite a few times – but he doesn’t always show it.

If it is a going day for him and things fall right he is capable of a big run.

Over at Ripon, Chooseday is our representative in the handicap at 3.45pm. He has a couple of runner-up spots at the ‘Garden’ racecourse. Like Ardmay, he could do with the ground being a little softer under his hooves.

Back at The Roodee, Zacynthus runs for us in the handicap at 4.50pm.

He is still a relatively new horse for our yard. In his first race for us, he didn’t handle the ground at Ripon and then was never in a position to challenge at Chester when he raced there at the end of last month.

That is a track where you cannot give away a lot of ground.

With that experience under his belt, hopefully he can go on to better things.

He has lots of ability and he is one to look forward to.

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.