Looking forward to partnering So Beloved down at '˜headquarters'

The principal reason for riding at Newmarket is So Beloved’s participation in the Group 3 Criterion Stakes.

Having shown his winning credentials at York last season, his good form continued at Haydock in a Listed contest and he has won this quality of race before, so I am looking forward to tomorrow at 3.55pm.

Another recent Goodwood winner is my mount half an hour later. That’s trainer Paul Cole’s horse, Tioga Pass, where back-to-back success is possible.

At 2.45pm, I partner John Reel, a winner at Newmarket earlier this season albeit on the Rowley Mile rather than Saturday’s July Course. After failing to fire at Royal Ascot, hopefully, he’ll come back to his best form.

I had a difficult choice to make between three times York winner Chancery and Awake My Soul in my final race at 5pm.

I plumped for the latter because he prefers a bit of cut in the ground and plenty of rain has fallen over East Anglia in recent days. York spectators will be familiar with my horse as he was fourth in a competitive handicap, the 888sport Stakes, at the Dante Festival.

Still, having seen Ryan Moore pick the wrong one from his stable a couple of times at the Royal Meeting, I’m a little nervous about Chancery beating me.

Awake My Soul is also one of David O’Meara’s entries in the 57th running of the richest John Smith’s Cup, the £200,000 highlight of York’s meeting on Friday and Saturday July 8-9. The bookmakers make him a 20-1 chance for the race that is the longest running sponsorship in Flat racing anywhere in the world.

That’s the early July showpiece at York with the popular concerts from Kaiser Chiefs and The Corrs adding to Knavesmire fun later in the month. These four exciting racedays set the scene for the world-famous Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival in August.

This week, the entries were made for the three richest races, the Group One contests that are the highlights of the weekdays.

The race that is the focus of David’s yard is the fastest of the year at York, the Coolmore Nunthorpe for which two are engaged.

They are Move In Time and Out Do, two of 10 entries from Yorkshire yards for the £340,000 contest. The latter has winning form at York from last summer and, while the ground will dictate my final choice of mount, he would be my principal hope in the five-furlong spectacular.

That takes nothing away from Move In Time, who was mid-division in the race 10 months ago and gave me my memorable triumph in the Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp.

Earlier in that week, I’ll share the excitement of the crowds as Knavesmire welcomes the best middle-distance horses in the world for the Juddmonte International, already ranked as the best race in Britain.

A final and more immediate tip after I pull off the A1 to take four rides at Doncaster tomorrow evening. The pick is probably Dandyleekie in the finale at 8.55pm; a consistent sort, having joined us from an Irish yard this Spring, he should be there or thereabouts.

The next racing at York is the John Smith’s Meeting on Friday and Saturday July 8-9. Find out more and book tickets at www.yorkracecourse.co.uk.