Your Site Racing ambassador Hollie Doyle is in action at Newmarket's Craven meeting this week, including an exciting ride on Derby hopeful Wareeth in the Listed Feilden Stakes.
We'll find out if we have a potential Derby horse on Wednesday when my boss Archie Watson's exciting colt WAREETH - my stand-out ride at this week's Craven Meeting at Newmarket - takes his chance in the Listed Feilden Stakes (2.25).
The extra furlong will be ideal for the son of Sea The Stars, who takes a big step up in class after winning his novice over 1m at Newcastle last month by a commanding 14 lengths.
Though he doesn't hold a Derby entry, we've been delighted with Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's colt since that racecourse debut. He felt good when I sat on him last week, but we'll know a lot more after this second start.
Aidan O'Brien's Isaac Newton certainly has an edge of experience having won his maiden at Goodwood before finishing a promising fourth in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud in the autumn. He does hold a Derby entry and sets the standard with an official rating of 106.
Like Wareeth, Godolphin's colt Poseidon's Warrior makes the leap from novice company after winning over this distance at Goodwood and is also in the Classic. Unsurprisingly, all three colts are entered in the traditional Derby trial, the Group 2 Dante at York next month.
Heather Main's sprinter ZOULU CHIEF ran a lovely race for me at Newmarket back in the autumn so I'm expecting another big run from him in the Weatherbys With Venatour Racing Handicap (1.50) on Wednesday.
He's been busy on the All-Weather over the winter, winning around Wolverhampton before giving subsequent Listed dead-heater Completely Random a good battle at Lingfield Park.
Approaching his prime as a five-year-old, he's a few pounds higher than his best winning performance at York in 2023 but looks every bit a 90 horse.
I've ridden work on Jane Chapple-Hyam's outsider HARLEQUIN BREEZE and can tell you she is certainly worth her place in the Group 3 Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes (3.35) on Wednesday.
Despite her likely odds, this tough daughter of New Bay brings some potentially smart form into this Betfred 1000 Guineas trial after getting within a neck of William Haggas's well-regarded Zooming, who is set to re-appear in the Fred Darling at Newbury on Saturday.
Harlequin Breeze is still a maiden after three starts but has improved with every run and impressed me with her determination over course and distance back in November.
IMPOSSIBLE MISSION needs to prove he's at least as good on turf as he is on the All-Weather when he receives weight from all his rivals in the National Stud Handicap (5.17) on Wednesday.
John Butler's three-year-old made a winning handicap debut under Neil Callan at Wolverhampton in November and should have come on for his reappearance there last month when he was just too keen.
Meanwhile, it will be all about experience for Des Donovan's LADY FIZZ in the Molson Coors British EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes (4.45). This debutant takes on fillies from some powerful yards over 1m which may be a minimum trip for her in due course, being out of a 10f winning daughter of Golden Horn.
I'm looking forward to being back at Newmarket on Thursday to ride Marco Botti's Shergar Cup winner PRINCE OF INDIA in the Zyn Abernant Stakes (3.00).
It'll be the first time I've ridden him on the track but I liked him when I sat on him on the gallops last year. He's a powerfully built colt who could prove a force in stakes sprints this summer.
It looks like being a wide-open race but this son of Wootton Bassett should be spot on after a creditable comeback in the Listed Lady Wulfruna Stakes at Wolverhampton last month.
I'm expecting big things from Hawk Mountain this year, so I'll be disappointed if he doesn't make a winning return in the Group 3 Betway Craven Stakes (3.35) at Newmarket on Thursday.
Aidan O'Brien's son of Wootton Bassett is already a Group 1 winner after taking the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster last October and can strengthen his own Derby claims at Headquarter.
Another favourite of mine is Karl Burke's Boiling Point who returns to turf in the Group 3 Betway Earl Of Sefton Stakes (3.00) on Wednesday. The Cambridgeshire winner probably needed the outing in a steadily run Winter Derby but with that run under his girth can establish himself as a genuine Pattern performer this season.
Hollie Doyle was speaking to Your Site Racing's Simon Mapletoft.
