A treble and two seconds at Ayr last Saturday set me up for a busy week, although it only produced one winner, Proud Archie at Beverley on Monday - he’s probably one to watch for the future.

Today is shaping up to be just as busy with six booked rides at Newcastle and then it’s a dash to Doncaster to ride in the last two races at their evening fixture.

It’s John Smith’s Northumberland Plate Day at Newcastle and bound to be competitive, but with some of their most historic races run on the new all-weather track the for the first time it will certainly have a different feel.

I’ve ridden the track this week and it’s well laid out and like all new surfaces I am sure will improve further as it beds in.

The biggest betting race of the day is the John Smith’s Northumberland Plate where I ride Hardstone for Michael Dods. He finished third at Newmarket over a mile and three quarters two starts ago in a competitive handicap. He’s bred in the US and has won on the all-weather in Ireland so we’re hoping he’ll run a big race in this £150,000 contest.

I sit out the opener, and my first ride of the day is on Markaz for Owen Burrows and Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum in the Group 3 Betfred Chipchase Stakes. He’s proven at this level and won the John Sunley Memorial Criterion Stakes at Newmarket this time last year. He’s a full brother to Mecca’s Angel (who since last week’s column we’ve discovered was in season when she ran at Royal Ascot) and is a very talented horse on his day.

Owen Burrows’ horses are running really well at the moment and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t take to the surface so we could get the day off to a very good start.

In the Betfred Northumberland Vase, the consolation race for the Northumberland Plate, I ride Sir Chauvelin a winner of two of his three starts since switching to the Flat and racking up some decent form over hurdles. I won the Route 74 Truckstop Braveheart Handicap on him at Hamilton and then he finished third at Chester which probably wasn’t his track, but a stiff gallop here should suit him much better.

Mythmaker, who I ride in the Betfred TV Handicap for Bryan Smart, ran a good second in a competitive sprint at York last time and he’s won on the all weather so he should be in with a fighting chance.

Mass Rally who I ride for Michael Dods in the Beaver 84 Hire and Sales Handicap would be my best chance of a winner at Doncaster. He’s been running really well and knocking on the door in his last couple of races and this should suit him well

I have to congratulate Dermot Weld on his landmark 4,000th winner on Wednesday night. It is a remarkable achievement and the celebrations could well continue for him at the Curragh this weekend as Harzand looks to have a very strong chance in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby.

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