David Probert will ride out carrying Welsh hopes on the first major weekend in Flat racing when the jockey takes charge of five runners at Goodwood on Friday.
Probert – the Bargoed Bullet – will fire his own starting pistol on Call Glory in the Juddmonte EBF Restricted Novice Stakes at 1.30pm, a horse trained by Jack Channon.
Last year’s all-weather champion jockey then has his best chance of the day on Time Lock in the British Daisy Warwick Fillies’ Stakes at 2.05pm.
Time Lock was a maiden winner at Newmarket last May before finishing second behind Mimikyu and second again to Haskoy in the Galtres Stakes at York.
Probert had a winner on Wednesday at Kempton on board Dourado, his 42nd winner of the season.
Most eyes will be fixed on the Newmarket festival this weekend, however, and the first Classic of the Flat season, the Qipco 2,000 Guineas on Saturday.
Many great horses have been compared to the legendary Nijinsky over the years, but many judges believe Auguste Rodin could actually emulate Nijinsky by winning the English Triple Crown – the 2,000 Guineas, the Derby and the St Leger.
The first leg is on Saturday when the three-year-old favourite will head a field of 14 in his first start since October when he won the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster.
Trained by Aiden O’Brien – a 10-time winner of the race – Auguste Rodin can set up a chance of that triple, which has not been achieved since 1970.
The last horse to attempt the Triple Crown was Camelot in 2012, also trained by O’Brien, who won at Newmarket and Epsom before finishing second at Doncaster in the St. Leger.
Auguste Rodin will be ridden by Ryan Moore and is 11/8 favourite with most bookmakers, whilst O’Brien’s other contender, Little Big Bear is second favourite at 9-2.
O’Brien says of Auguste Rodin, “If we had a horse that could go for the Triple Crown this year, he was going to be it and we didn’t want to take away the chance from him if he was going to try it.
“The Guineas is a great race and there is only one Guineas. We are going to learn a lot about him but if it goes well the plan has always been to go to The Derby next and if that goes well – let’s see what the lads want to do.
“It’s a very hard thing to do and some time it would be great to do it – if you don’t try, it won’t happen.”
