Our ambassador will be on the scene at Ripon this Saturday, featured live on Sky Sports Racing, and is eager to team up with a highly regarded two‑year‑old for jockey Archie Watson on Sunday. I was thrilled with Romance Spirit's maiden victory over a mile at Southwell earlier this month, so I anticipate she will be difficult to beat in the Napoleons Casino and Restaurant Leeds Restricted Maiden Stakes at 2:15 p.m.
on Saturday at Ripon. Romance Spirit is one of five runners entered by Marco Botti for the Garden Racecourse meeting.
The filly, a daughter of the prolific sire Teofilo, travelled strongly, staying close to the leader for much of the race on the Tapeta surface. However, a touch of greenness saw her lose momentum near the finish.
She hails from a Dubawi mare, which endows her pedigree with ample stamina, and the added two furlongs in this race should suit her perfectly. Our draw is advantageous, giving her a good chance to handle the course's notorious undulations.
Seven Questions has already proven his ability at Ripon, an advantage that should serve him well in the afternoon's headline sprint, the Ripon Silver Sprint Trophy Handicap at 4:10 p.m. The colt, previously trained by George Scott, has been heavily campaigned and recently posted a respectable third place at Pontefract in his first start of the year.
That performance suggests he will be sharper than ever for the handicap. Although a higher draw would have been preferable, I expect a strong run from his current low draw, the best position he has enjoyed since winning a Leicester nursery. Never miss a story with the latest racing news, interviews and features on your phone.
Find out more. I am also looking forward to seeing what Archie Watson can achieve with the filly Blue Nguru this season. She broke her maiden over the minimum distance on the all‑weather track at Lingfield Park in December, and stepping up to six furlongs in the Watch Sky Sports Racing In HD Handicap at 5:20 p.m.
appears to be an ideal progression. Blue Nguru is a daughter of Blue Point and, based on her unchanged rating of 71, I believe she is well‑placed to compete. Our recent trip to North Yorkshire was a success, highlighted by two‑year‑old Niewiadoma's debut win at Thirsk. I hope Blue Nguru can replicate that performance at Ripon.
I will also be riding two horses for trainer Dave Loughnane at Ripon, beginning with Thunda Struck in the British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes at 1:40 p.m. I have limited information on Thunda Struck, but I did secure a win for her owners, the Let's Be Lucky Partnership, at Chester last year. A breakthrough victory at Nottingham has given her stablemate The Sweet Escape a promising target in the Sue's 60th Birthday Occasion Handicap at 4:45 p.m.
The gelding appears to relish dropping back to a mile, and a modest three‑pound weight increase leaves him on a workable rating of 62. Having already claimed three wins with two‑year‑olds in the past week, I am eager to see how Archie Watson's Phalanx Nation performs in the EBF Fillies' Novice Stakes at 2:48 p.m. on Sunday at Nottingham.
Phalanx Nation is a large, scopey filly from the Sioux Nation line who has shown early promise and is keen to prove herself on the track. I have worked with her extensively in training, and she possesses a brilliant mind.
If she can translate her hard work into race‑day performance, I am confident she will impress her owners, Victorious Forever, who have given me many magical moments with the great Bradsell. The traditional Classic trial meetings at Newbury last weekend delivered plenty of intrigue, with the Group Three Greenham Stakes standing out as especially informative.
While Karl Burke's Alparslan dominated his rivals, I was most impressed by Eve Johnson‑Houghton's Zavateri, a genuine eye‑catcher. Eve noted that the colt has grown substantially over the winter and once again displayed a superb attitude, finishing second. I was also pleased to see Tom Marquand's mount Needle Match hold on for fourth place despite long odds.
William Haggas' colt has the potential to improve further over a mile and is definitely one to watch. Touleen fell short of victory in the Fred Darling Fillies' Trial, but she is returning for her first start since September and shows no signs of giving up. I was delighted for Jack Channon, who won the race on Sukanya; she will be a strong contender for the Irish 1000 Guineas. In summary, the weekend promises a blend of seasoned campaigners and promising youngsters across Ripon, Nottingham and Newbury.
With a mix of stamina‑rich pedigrees, favorable draws and proven form, the fields are set to produce compelling narratives and potential upsets. I look forward to delivering insightful commentary and, where possible, adding a few victories to the owners' and trainers' records.
Hollie Doyle was speaking to Sky Sports Racing's Simon Mapletoft.