Paul Mulrennan – A Jockey’s Diary: Grievous Angel looking ready to step through the door for Duffield

My best chances north of the border probably come early this afternoon when I’m at Musselburgh.

While she’s still a maiden after five races, Constable Burton trainer Ann Duffield’s Grievous Angel has been knocking on the door.

She’s been runner-up twice in the last month, most recently this week at Newcastle when she was just a quarter of a length behind the winner.

Ann’s horses are showing some decent form and I think this two-year-old filly could go close in the 2pm race today.

Half-an-hour later and I team up with Luctor Emergo in a one-and-a-half-mile handicap race.

The three-year-old gelding has hit some scintillating form of late at Ayr, with three wins in a row in the space of 21 days at the west of Scotland track.

He’s stabled with Keigh Dalgleish, another trainer whose horses are in good form, and must have a chance in the 2.30pm race.

At 3pm, I’m on another horse that is coming off a win. Findog, a gelded two-year-old, is now trained by Linda Perratt after winning a claimer impressively for me at Beverley last month when he was in the care of North Yorkshire trainer Ollie Pears.

He is being upped in class immediately in this afternoon’s conditions contest. It is a small field of runners – just five. We will find out more about him today in what is only his third race.

Jeannie Galloway is an experienced mare and the handicap at 4pm is her 26th appearance. She is capable but hasn’t won for 11 months.

This afternoon she is fitted with a visor for the first time and, after running mid-division in her six races to date during 2012, it will be interesting to see if the headgear will see her return to some of her old and better form.

Tomorrow sees me spending the evening at Ayr where I take a series of rides for Keith Dalgleish.

The one with the best chance of winning in my view is the five-year-old King Of Windsor. I mentioned his credentials in last week’s column as he was due to race at Hamilton Park last weekend.

The heavy rain that poured down up there last weekend led to that fixture being cancelled after a few races, so King Of Windsor didn’t get his chance.

He’s been re-routed to the 7.35pm handicap tomorrow when I think he will have a decent chance.

Although it’s just one win from 19 starts for him, I thought he was unlucky when I rode him into a runner-up spot at the same racecourse just under a fortnight ago. His only win came at Ayr and, as I indicated last week, I feel he can maybe get his head in front again. Hopefully, tomorrow evening.

The excitement continues to build ahead of the Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival.

My running places are not concrete by any means but it doesn’t stop me looking forward ever so much to one of my favourite times of the Flat racing season.

It will be stunning when the unbeaten superstar Frankel steps up to 10 furlongs for the first time in the Juddmonte International on the opening day on Wednesday, August 22. It will be his 13th race. Unlucky for some, but remember that Frankel won on his debut – on Friday the 13th!

The Ebor Festival is not just about Frankel, though.

All the features look like cracking races and I will be particularly interested in how North Yorkshire trainer Mick Easterby’s Hoof It gets on in the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes on the Friday.

The next racing at York is the Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival between Wednesday and Saturday, August 22-25.

The feature races are the Juddmonte International (Wednesday), the Darley Yorkshire Oaks on Ladies’ Day (Thursday), the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes (Friday) and the Betfred Ebor (Saturday).

On-the-day admission in the Grandstand & Paddock and County Enclosures is £28 and £53, respectively, with early bird discounts available for advance booking until August 15.

Three-day admission ranges from £17 to £137, while four-day admission is £22 to £175. As always, accompanied Under-16s are admitted free of charge to all areas. More information online at www.yorkracecourse.co.uk or by calling the racecourse on 01904 620911.