Paul Mulrennan - A Jockey’s Diary: Outsider Bogart capable of springing sprint surprise on Knavesmire

It was a privilege to be on Knavesmire to witness the best racehorse of my lifetime and those of many other people’s as well I’m sure.

Frankel is such an incredible superstar. No-one who was at the first day of the Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival and saw his win in the Juddmonte International Stakes will ever forget it. Definitely an occasion to say: “I was there!”

I almost got the Festival off to the perfect start for myself in the opening Symphony Group Stakes. I finished fast on trainer Michael Dods’s Mass Rally but couldn’t quite get his head in front for the first time.

We lost to trainer Dandy Nicholls’s Tax free by just a neck – so frustrating.

In the final race of the afternoon, I also went close to victory when Kalk Bay ran really well in the Talk To Victor Stakes. He travelled ever so smoothly during the race and we were narrowly beaten by the fast finishing Danadana under Kieren Fallon, who is in a rich vein of form in the saddle at the moment.

I didn’t have any rides at York yesterday, but I’m back on the track today with a chance in the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes.

My mount is Bogart in the Group 1 race over five furlongs at 3.40pm which forms part of the QIPCO British Champions Series.

Trainer Kevin Ryan’s three-year-old may be one of the outsiders among the field of 20 runners, but he could spring a surprise.

He likes York where he won the DBS Premier Yearling Stakes at the corresponding Ebor Festival 12 months ago.

Bogart also ran a decent race in the Group 2 Duke of York totepool Stakes at May’s Dante Festival.

He has a very nice draw in stall two today too.

I was in the saddle when he won on his debut at Ayr back in May last year. He hasn’t won this term, but we’ll be giving it a right go this afternoon.

There are many talented horses in one of the great sprint races in the world racing calendar, not least Bated Breath and Ortensia, but I expect it to be a very keenly-contested event.

That will be me done personally for the Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival for 2012, although there’s plenty more exciting action for the thousands who will on Knavesmire today and tomorrow.

After the Coolmore Nunthorpe, I’ll be jumping in the car and heading north to Newcastle for some evening racing. And it’s at Gosforth Park where I think I have my ‘banker’ of the day.

If punters are still keen for some betting action after all the fun at York in the afternoon, they might like to have a look at the winning potential in Sovereign Street who goes for a three-timer in the 7.30pm fillies’ handicap.

Yorkshire trainer Ann Duffield’s four-year-old won last month at both Hamilton Park and Ayr. Hopefully the filly will transfer her winning form just across the border and make it three in a row.

Just over an hour earlier at Newcastle, in the 6.25pm handicap race, I have been booked to ride Samarkand by renowned Newmarket trainer Sir Mark Prescott.

I have a good strike rate for Sir Mark and I enjoy riding horses for him. Samarkand’s sole victory came on the all-weather surface at Kempton Park, so I’ll be aiming to help him break his duck on turf.

I’ll be seeking winners at Redcar on Saturday evening, but the eyes of the racing world will be on the final day of the Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival at York.

The Betfred Ebor is the feature race of the day and there’ll be an enormous crowd to witness proceedings. And it will come as no surprise if that man Sir Mark Prescott has a big say in how the big race pans out. For he will the saddling the well-merited favourite Motivado. Luke Morris is the four-year-old’s jockey.

It’s not just the racing that makes the Festival so special, there’s Fashion On The Field, the wonderful locally-produced food and the RAF parachute display team tomorrow.

The final two days of the Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival are today and tomorrow. The feature races are 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. As always, accompanied under 16s are admitted free of charge to all areas.

More information and advance bookings at www.yorkracecourse.co.uk or by calling the racecourse on 01904 620911.