Paul Hanagan - Turf Topics: Hoping for winners on my best course

York is celebrating being named Britain's best racecourse and I hope to be partying with them if I can land a few winners by the end of tomorrow.
Jockey Paul HanaganJockey Paul Hanagan
Jockey Paul Hanagan

The Racegoers’ Club award is very well deserved for all the effort that the racecourse team put in, not only for jockeys, owners, trainers, stable staff and the horses but for all the hundreds of thousands of visitors who attend every year. York is definitely my favourite track.

I have rides in 12 of the 14 races so the faint chance of a clean sweep is blocked by the last race today, which is restricted to apprentice jockeys and tomorrow’s 29th running of The Queen Mother’s Cup, the richest contest for lady amateur riders in Britain.

I would highlight two today, on a card worth over £100,000.

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Sosian ran green on her debut at Newcastle when she was second. Now she has more race experience, I am hopeful of a good performance in the Coopers Marquees British EBF Novice Stakes.

The Feathered Nest, who made her racing debut at York last autumn, was unlucky with the draw when she was runner-up at Ripon on her last outing. She should run a decent race in the feature contest, the EBF Breeders Series Fillies’ Handicap, part of a great initiative to reward talented females like her.

On to tomorrow and remember just by coming to see us ride at York, you will be doing your bit for Macmillan and the other good causes. My partner in the JCB Stakes, Gallipoli, is in good form. He won at Leicester in April and almost followed up at Doncaster last month.

Gabrial ran a blinder to be second in the Group Three Diomed Stakes on Derby day; I thought he was going to win. He must have an opportunity in the Listed Best Western Hotels Ganton Stakes which looks a cracking renewal, with Yorkshire-trained horses such as Custom Cut and globe-trotting Mondialiste in the field.

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Private Matter needs to bounce back to form in the feature £100,000 Catherine Kinloch Paver Memorial Macmillan Charity Stakes, run in memory of inspirational shoe retailer Cathy Paver, who died earlier this year.

My final ride tomorrow could be an emotional one, as it is on Kinloch Pride. You will have spotted the connection, as it is owned by the Paver family and trained by Noel Wilson.

After success in four of her five races this season already, one of those storybook triumphs is in her grasp in the Rievaulx Sporting Supporting Macmillan Handicap. The sponsorship in that finale is a timely reminder that it’s the annual Macmillan Charity Raceday which has raised over £7m for good causes over the years.

While I am, of course, not involved, Richard Fahey is also targeting the opener tomorrow – The Queen Mother’s Cup.

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Fionn McSharry and Emma Sayer take the rides on the yard’s Masterpaver and Imshivalla, respectively.

I hope Musley Bank will be toasting in their weight of GH Mumm Champagne, which is the special prize.

I could not end without wishing the very best of luck to the 10 intrepid amateurs who will bring the curtain down in the Best Western Hotels and Macmillan Ride of their Lives. Give them your support in person and on their justgiving pages.

Find out more about racing at York and book tickets at www.yorkracecourse.co.uk.