James Stevens looks ahead to York and some winners in the region this week…
It is the Ebor meeting at York this week and Wales will have a few chances of success at one of the highlight Flat festivals.
Perhaps the best of them is David Evans’ runner Blue Prince in the 1m handicap at York on Friday, with William Buick already booked for the ride.
The three-year-old was a winner at Glorious Goodwood last time in an all-Welsh affair with David Probert aboard. The improving runner is up 3lb for that success but would have a bold chance of following up.
Evans also has a big chance in Thursday’s Weatherbys Scientific £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes with Go Steelers Go.
The juvenile is a new recruit to the yard and has shown some promise in three starts, including when third at Chepstow, but will need major improvement to win.
Wales on the mark as jumps returns
The jumps returned on Saturday and Wales were quick off the mark, with its top trainer Evan Williams winning the first at Market Rasen with a smart prospect.
Boyles Hill benefitted from a step up in trip to win by half-a-length and there was a theme of Welsh winners throughout the day as Hardy Boy scored for the super talented jockey Ben Jones.
The rider appears to be getting plenty of big rides for top Cheltenham trainer Ben Pauling which bodes well for the core season.
The day was completed by Pembrokeshire-born James Bowen winning the 2m2½f handicap hurdle aboard Callin Baton Rouge.
Change for the Faulkners
Monmouthshire trainer Deborah Faulkner has retired and handed her licence to son Thomas in an exciting new era for the stable.
The trainer departs having had runners going back to 2016 but son Thomas has always been an integral part of the business but had to delay plans due to heath issues and a lengthy process to get the licence.
The yard could be set to get bigger too as there is a hope of getting a licence for another stable, to increase the number of horses in training.
Faulkner’s best horse Golden Rules remains in training. He was well known after the horse’s owner Gareth Cheshire said “get on him” in a television interview ahead of the Northumberland Plate. He was a close second that day but remains a smart talent.
