Ryan Moore: My Saturday rides at Ascot's Betfair Weekend

Ryan Moore
21 July 2012

Ryan's ready for King George day

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It's King George Day at Ascot and Ryan Moore can't wait to get going as he aims for some Betfair Weekend winners...

Ryan's Rides

14:10 - Verdane

14:45 - Chil The Kite

15:20 - Carlton House

15:55 - Bonnie Brae

17:10 - Gospel Choir

14:10 - Verdane

A few people may remember his winning debut as he hurdled the winning line at Salisbury. That victory may have come at 50-1 but there didn't look to be any fluke about it when I watched the race, and he actually looked to have a fair bit in hand there. The runner-up Echion didn't do a great deal for the form at Newmarket last week but, on the plus side, the third easily won a Chester nursery off 74 last week. The bare form is probably inferior to that of Arthurs Secret's wide-margin Beverley win and Gimcrack entry Toronado's Newbury victory, but after one run you never know how horses will progress. But I must admit Toronado potentially looked a Group horse at Newbury and is clearly the one to beat here.

14:45 - Chil The Kite

Is another Notnowcato to have won recently - that sire, on whom I won the 2007 Eclipse, is having a fairly good season with the likes of Fast Or Free and Last Shadow and his progeny like soft ground - and I quite like the chances of Chil The Kite here. He may be up 6lb for his Doncaster win last time, but the form is working out ok and I liked the manner in which he quickened up for me at Doncaster. I would hope there is more to come and a straight mile here will be right up his street. Has winning form with cut in the ground, too.

15:20 - Carlton House

This is the first time he has raced over 1m since winning at Newbury as a two-year-old, but he certainly doesn't lack pace. In fact, I have suspected for a while that this trip could be his optimum. I'll be honest and say that I will be very disappointed if he is beaten here. In fact, I would have swapped all my winning rides and the jockeys title at Royal Ascot for a win on him in the Prince of Wales's. But he got outstayed by So You Think after quickening up really well to challenge at the furlong pole. That form makes him the one to beat and I don't see any reason why he won't run to that level over a mile. If he does, then he will prove very hard to beat because this doesn't look the strongest of Group 2s. Tullius is improving and Questioning had some good form earlier in the season, but they shouldn't be good enough if I run my race.

15:55 - Bonnie Brae

Had her optimum conditions in the Bunbury Cup last week, and she will probably get similar conditions here. And with only a 3lb penalty for that convincing two length win at Newmarket, she is handicapped to go very close again. But, with 28 rivals, this will take more winning and you always have to be worried about a horse's ability to reproduce their form just over a week after a hard-fought win on bad ground. But if she is in the same mood, then she clearly has each way claims.

16:35 -Sea Moon - see main story

17:10 - Gospel Choir

I haven't ridden him in his two starts but he shaped well on his debut at Newmarket last season and got up close home to win a Salisbury maiden over 1m2f this month. The latter run suggests that this trip should suit him, and he is bred to be decent, being by Galileo out of a Pretty Polly winner. My main concern - apart from the opposition, some of whom are equally unexposed like Sun Central, who impressed me at Chester - is an opening mark of 84, as the handicapper doesn't look to have taken too many chances there, does he? And I just wonder whether he is mature enough to handle 1m4f around Ascot on his third start. But he is lightly-raced, is going forward and promises to improve for the step up in distance, so let's see.