Plenty of the jockeys have got York on their minds ahead of next week's Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival and I am no different, but there's a big prize on offer at another of my local courses today when Ripon stages the William Hill Great St Wilfrid Handicap.

This is always a cracking little contest and although the effect of the draw is never easy to weigh up, I hope I have got the best of it in stall 19 against the stands' side rail.

Dakota Gold runs for Michael Dods and Connor Beasley, who rode him to win a nice race at York, is understandably on board again.

But he likes to go quick in front and it might just be that from stall 15, he gives me a nice tow into the race - certainly, looking at the overall make-up of the field, most of the pace appears to be drawn high.

I'm aboard Lahore for Philip Makin and I was at the yard on Thursday morning.

I didn't get to have a sit on him, but the groom who looks after him and rides him every day, Kelsi Langley, knows him better than anyone and she thinks he is in great form, so that was good enough for me.

Phil has already done really well with this horse as he had a few issues when he first arrived at the yard but those have gradually been ironed out and his most recent victory at the same track showed that he is firing again now.

He's only 3lb higher in the weights here, and any rain that arrives isn't going to trouble him - in fact, I think it will improve his prospects. I think he's got a massive chance and I wouldn't put anyone off him.

Hopefully, some of you were on Wahoo when he scored at 11-1 after I flagged him up last Saturday. The sudden change in the weather means you really want to be looking for anything that handles soft conditions, like he did.

Royal Prospect, who I ride for Mr Dods in the consolation race for horses who didn't quite make the field for the big one, the William Hill Silver Trophy, is another one who appreciates a bit of juice in the ground.

I know it says good to firm in the formbook against his latest Redcar victory, but it didn't ride like that on the day and getting a bit of ease really seems to help him.

Clearly, he has again gone up in the handicap for that success, but I've got a good record riding for Geoff and Sandra Turnbull and this horse is a lot less exposed than some of his rivals in this line-up, having had only nine starts and won four of them. It's asking a lot to win one, let alone two ultra-competitive sprint handicaps but I like both of their chances.

Roger Fell has got his team in great form at the moment and I'm pleased to be on board Rousayan in the Visit At The Races Handicap. You'd have to think that seven furlongs was too sharp for him last time and I'm sure he'll be happier back at this mile trip.

It's wide open but he knows how to win races and he's not out of things, despite having top-weight to carry.

Paul is sponsored by Racing TV, the home of British and Irish racing. To watch exclusive live coverage of every single race at next week's York Ebor Festival, visit www.racingtv.com/join