In this column last week I picked out Dragon King as my ride of the weekend and thankfully I got it right as this progressive sprinter won fairly easily at Newmarket. He is clearly getting the hang of the sprinting game and now justifying our pretty high regard of him.

Get on at Thirsk

Fingers crossed I get it right this weekend as I’m similarly optimistic about Get Knotted, who is the pick of my eight mounts at Thirsk today.

We think he’s a pretty decent three-year-old and ran well to come third of 19 in a good handicap at the Ebor Festival at York just over a fortnight ago.

He should have a far easier task here and I think he’s got a massive chance in the one-mile handicap.

I haven’t sat on Bathos before but looking at his form the penny has certainly dropped as he comes to Thirsk on a hat-trick. His trainer Mark Johnston has had 14 winners in as many days and Bathos looks to have a favourite’s chance in the nursery.

I was on Be Lucky when she won her maiden two years ago and it’s nice to be back on her, especially given she comes here off a win at Pontefract. It’s always a pleasure to ride for Mick Easterby and again she has an obvious claim in the six-furlong handicap.

I won on Straighttothepoint at Hamilton this time last year and he’s a consistent sort who never runs a bad race. My worry though is that the handicapper may have a grip on him in the five-furlong dash.

The big race of the day is at Haydock, the Group One Betfred Sprint Cup. The admirably consistent Watchable looks a big price at 20-1. He wasn’t beaten far in the Prix Maurice de Gheest last time and I reckon appreciates a little ease in the ground which he should get.

I have some good rides at York on Sunday. The feature race is the Listed Betfred Garrowby Stakes, in which I am on Moonraker. He is only 3lb off the top-rated Lucky Kristale and looks open to improvement given his lightly-raced profile so should not be out of his depth in this higher company.

Corona Borealis was second to One More Go last month at Carlisle and the winner has since gone on to strike again, so he should run well in the two-mile handicap.

Fendale is a horse we have always liked. He was quite highly-tried last year but that’s because we thought he was capable of mixing it in Pattern company. He showed he was in good nick at Thirsk last time and could hit the places in the six-furlong handicap.

I'll miss Hayley and Clive

We’ve had two retirements of note this week. I did my apprentice course with Hayley Turner and even back then I could tell she was made of the right stuff. Forget the stuff about her gender, she is a very good jockey in her own right. There is always be a temptation to carry on for too long, but she obviously knew the time is right and bows out on top.

Clive Brittain is one of the real old guard but is probably one of the most approachable trainers out there. He was never afraid to dip his toe in the water and was a real pioneer for international racing. I hope he can enjoy the odd lie-in now in his retirement, instead of his 4am visits to the gallops!

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