Promise can quickly turn to disappointment when plans don’t quite work out. Cottam Lane had finished his 2yr old campaign with 3 good runs but started this season below that level of form. Thankfully he bounced back to his best when making all in the 6f Sunpak Potatoes Handicap at Pontefract.

Starting the season with a mark of 82, it felt as though there was plenty of wiggle room as Cottam Lane looked better than that. Initially running over the minimum trip, Cottam Lane ran ok but immediately suggested he needed a shade further. When he stepped up to 6f for the first time at York he ran a great race in a competitive handicap and looked like a winner waiting. Unfortunately that did not pan out and he took a step backwards next time out at Catterick. 

Varying ground and trips hadn’t seemed to unlock the potential so the next run would be a question as to where his career was heading. Dropping down in grade, Cottam Lane had his easiest assignment to date and with Oisin McSweeney taking 7lb off his back, the 3yr old had a perfect opportunity taking on exposed sprinters. 

With a good draw in stall 3 Oisin looked to be aggressive from the start. Cottam Lane jumped well and was straight to the lead showing good speed. There was a short lived fight at the front but Cottam Lane quickly asserted with his rivals unable to match his speed and certainly not trying to go any faster. It was a strong pace through the early stages but Oisin could dictate on the front end. For a few strides Oisin just had to tussle a little bit with his mount, trying to get him on the correct lead with the left handed bend coming up. 

The field were coming under pressure well before the halfway point with Cottam Lane continuing to free wheel along the back straight. He could never quite get right across to the rail and as he entered the bend, his rival General Sago nipped up hi inner to join for the lead. With much of the field weakening out of it, the pair had a break on the rest with just Lezardrieux attempting to join in. Swinging into the straight they slingshot off the bend and Cottam Lane quickened up the better, taking the lead once again. 

Moving into the final 2f the run in was going to sap all the energy reserves they may have had. Cottam Lane had shown blistering speed throughout but now he needed to dig in and see out his race. Just wandering for a few strides, Cottam Lane was joined by Lezardrieux and the pair began to draw away to fight it out. Reaching the final furlong there was only 1/2 length separating the pair but that was as close as he would get. Cottam Lane found again for pressure, chaining his legs and pulling out a bit more. Despite the rising ground, Cottam Lane powered through the final 1/2f and drew away from his closest pursuer, gaining his first win of the year by 1 length. 

Before this race there plenty of questions hanging above his head but Cottam Lane showed a great attitude to win the hard way. He showed blistering speed but then found more under pressure and won nicely in the end. Having a target on his back from the start, he was there to be shot at and despite his rivals getting close, Cottam Lane was brave when he needed to be. Owner Steve Ryan has enjoyed a fruitful season and has some nice prospects going forward, sharing Cottam Lane with The Racing Emporium they have plenty of supporters whenever they have a runner. Hopefully this is just what the doctor ordered and Cottam Lane can build on this win. 

Top sprints litter the honours board at Hambleton Lodge, ranging form the heritage handicaps to the highest Group 1 level. Kevin has long been a dominant force in this division but there was one historic race eluding him. Ripon is just down the road and hosts the Great St Wilfrid handicap, which surprisingly took 22 years before the trophy finally found it’s way to Hambleton Lodge courtesy of Justanotherbottle.

Having moved to Kevin last year, Justanotherbottle had a career which had already seen him compete in the top handicaps, peaking in a rating of 105. Arriving as a 6yr old, it was clear to see that the team were gaining a talented sprinter but there would be a transitional stage for the gelding. Fortunately Justanotherbottle did manage to get his head in front when scoring in the Catterick dash on his final start of 2020. It was a win which boosted the excitement for the following season, with the top sprints in his sights. 

Although the form book read very well there was one factor that stood out. With 7 career wins, 6 of those came at the minimum trip and the other was over 1/2f further. Despite running over 6f he had never managed to get his head in front. Natural speed is a big asset to Justanotherbottle so he would begin this season tackling the minimum 5f. It was an up and down first half fo the season with some good efforts and some below par ones in between. When he didn’t perform in the Stewards Cup at Goodwood, a track where he has good history at, Kevin knew a different angle would need to be looked at. 

Dropping to a mark of 92, his lowest mark in 3 years, Justanotherbottle could still get into the Great St Wilfrid. He did look well handicapped but would need something to spark a return to form. The blinkers were turned to, a first in his 5 year career, as Justanotherbottle lined up in the feature race. Kevin Stott had been the last man to win on the gelding and he was back on board to try and rejuvenate the partnership. 

Drawn in stall 19 there was only one thought on Kevin’s mind as the gates burst open. With Justanotherbottle quickly away he immediately headed to the stands side rail as the 20 strong field split into two groups to race on either side. It was a fairly level split and as Justanotherbottle helped force the issue down the stands side, the other group looked to be on terms through the first couple of furlongs. Despite showing good speed, Justanotherbottle was travelling in Kevin’s hands, showing that he was doing just the right amount of work through the early stages. 

By halfway Justanotherbottle had edged to the front on his side and did seem to have the overall lead. Kevin wasn’t worrying about the trip and allowed his mount to stride on. Passing the 3f and already he seemed to have a few at it, trying to remain in contention. It started to seem as though the near side group held an advantage as the challenges began to wind up. Kevin had yet to move and Justanotherbottle continued to pour it on from the front. Sticking as close to the rail as he could, Kevin just began to wind his mount up moving into the final couple of furlongs. 

Justanotherbottle had seen clear daylight throughout and when he was asked to go and finish his race, he did just that. With 1 1/2f to run the chestnut kicked on and opened up a clear 2 length advantage. Suddenly there was a distinct advantage and Kevin now had sights set on the finish line. Underneath him was a very willing partner and all he had to do was see out the final furlong. If there were any doubts about the 6f trip they were quickly dispelled with Justanotherbottle continuing to open up his lead and staying on powerfully. Challenges did come and the biggest dangers were from the near side group but the margin was unassailable. With the leader not for catching the result was done with the final 100 yards to run. Kevin had time to start easing his mount down as Justanotherbottle cruised home to a 1 3/4 length win the Great St Wilfrid Handicap. 

It was a very nice moment for Kevin to secure this race for the first time and Justanotherbottle proved that there is still plenty left in the tank. Although he had never won over the trip he had some top form at it. He looked as enthusiastic as ever, which probably is down to the blinkers just giving a little kick up the backside. From a long way out the race looked to be comfortable and Justanotherbottlewon with a bit in hand. Owners Mr Martin Tedham and Steve Ryan have deserved a big win with this horse and it is fantastic to deliver that for them. 

One of the season’s highlights has been the form of the 2yr olds. With around half of the yard in the juvenile category it was always going to be important that they could tally up the wins. Ballet Steps took the season’s total to 18 individual 2yr old winners, the second highest number in Britain when she made a winning debut at Beverley in the 5f Pure Broadband EBF Restricted Maiden Stakes. 

The daughter of Dabirism is the first progeny of Savannah’s Dream and is a home bred from owner Steve Parkin, Clipper Logistics. She was a little later to arrive at Hambleton Lodge but having been in pre training it was clear that she would ‘t take too long to come to hand. Having shown plenty of speed at home Kevin decided to start the filly off at the minimum trip. 

Declared alongside 10 rivals, Ballet Steps was well supported for her first run and was sent off the 5/4 fav. This was partly due to the strength of form in the race and also the attractive pedigree of Ballet Steps. Danny Tudhope was on board for his retained owner. 

Drawn 3 was a nice pitch to come from but when she was a little slowly away that good position was given away. Danny gave the filly time to find her feet and with a strong gallop set, Ballet Steps found herself at the rear of the field. Strong pace up front saw the field blitz through the first half of the race, swing round the right handed bend and downhill. 

When they straightened up for home, with just over 2f from home, Ballet Steps saw a wall of horses in front of her. Danny is not one to panic and he remained patient at the rear, keeping the filly balanced and travelling nicely. The race heated up passing the 2f marker and as her rivals threw down their challenges, Ballet Steps still had over 5/6 lengths to make up. Danny was angling for a gap but on a couple of attempts he found his route blocked. As the leaders moved clear there was a small break to some weakening rivals which opened a door to Ballet Steps. Switching towards the outer, Danny now gathered his reins and asked the filly to go and pick up. 

Still having ground to make up, Ballet Steps was starting to make her challenge down the middle of the track as the ground raised up for the final furlong. Danny was cajoling his filly and gently getting her to lengthen. Slowly but surely she was picking up but it did seem as though she may not be doing it quite quickly enough. Deep inside the final furlong and with the winning line in view, Ballet Steps was starting to hit top gear but it was baby steps. Now Bollin May had taken control and held the lead, along with the rail to help. Suddenly Ballet Steps found her stride and despite there being just over 75 yards to go she started to fly. Within strides she had overtaken a handful of rivals to grab second and it was in the dying yards of the line that she threw down the final challenge. Momentum had swung in her favour and Ballet Steps flashed past the line alongside Bollin May with the width of the track splitting the pair. At full speed it was a close call but once the replay came up it was a clear neck win for Ballet Steps. 

Everything that could have gone wrong for Ballet Steps did from the off and she did very well to overcome the adversity. She showed plenty of greeness early on but Danny gave her a fantastic ride, educating Ballet Steps all the while. It did take a bit of time to fins her feet but once the penny dropped, Ballet Steps quickened up smartly and finished powerfully. The manner in which she finished her race off signals talent but it looks as though she would get further in time and could be as effective over 6f. Ballet Steps will have learnt a lot from the experience and will come on for it so wherever she goes next she is an exciting filly for the future. 

It has been an upturn in the number of winners recently and there were no signs of slowing up with an across the card double at Ayr and Ripon. With the Ebor meeting just around the corner it is nice to see the horses in good form as Merlin’s Lady and Digital got off the mark, both in impressive fashion. 

Merlin’s Lady is a filly who was always going to receive attention when she made her debut. Purchased at Tattersalls Book 1, the daughter of Camelot has a couple of Group 2 winning siblings in the shape of Hunting Horn and David Livingston. With a pedigree like that she was always going to attract interest through the ring and it took a bid of £320,000 to secure her. 

Attractive and athletic, Merlin’s Lady was never going to be one hitting the track early on but she had shown all the right signs at home throughout her preparation. Having slowly come to hand, Kevin decided it was time to get some experience into the filly and planned a trip to Ayr for the 7f QTS British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies Novice Stakes. 

It was a trip that was sure to be the very minimum for the filly but she was ready to go and so she headed to Scotland to take on 8 rivals. Kevin Stott was booked to ride and settled the filly into stride form the off, as Merlin’s Lady was nicely away on her debut. Not forced early on she sat just behind the leaders, bang in the middle of the pack. With a very steady early pace set, Merlin’s Lady just tried to go on a stride quicker than Kevin wanted to. There was no big struggle and she quickly listened to her jockey to get into a nice rhythm. 

Thought the first half of the race it was a little messy with the gallop being a bit “stop/start”. This saw Merlin’s Lady edge closer rounding the bend and Kevin nudged her in between horses as they turned for home, straightening up for the run in. With the race set to warm up it was going to turn into a couple of furlongs sprint and this was not ideal for Kevin. Sensing his filly would finish the race well he began to work away, asking Merlin’s Lady to lengthen, keeping tabs on those in front. 

Entering the final 2f and the long time leader had the rest on the stretch, including Merlin’s Lady. Inexperience was certainly against the filly and it was up to Stott to help her along, educating the juvenile all the time. For half a furlong she saw her rivals just begin to inch away form her but the penny was slowly beginning to drop. Kevin changed his hands, cajoled and nursed the filly along and as the final furlong loomed he just asked a little bit more. Balanced and into stride he gave Merlin’s Lady a couple of flicks to get her moving forward and the filly responded. 

Every yard they covered the more Merlin’s Lady began to find. It was slowly but surely at first but she had the perfect teacher on board. As the pair latched on to the leader’s tails she was given a little test with 2 of her rivals coming close together. Kevin continued to get her moving forward and Merlin’s Lady decided that the gap was of no issue to her. Although there was enough space it can be a daunting prospect for debutantes but Merlin’s Lady popped her head through to challenge. Deep inside the final furlong and Kevin had got the filly almost into top gear. Drawing alongside the leader, Merlin’s Lady had around 100 yards to run but now she was in full flow. In a matter of strides she pulled clear and put the race to bed. Momentum had taken her to a length advantage and Stott was quick to ease the filly down, securing a winning debut by 3/4 length. 

There was nothing but positives to take from this performance and Merlin’s Lady certainly showed she was full of potential. She travelled nicely enough which was tough with the muddling pace that was in the race. There were signs of inexperience but once the penny began to drop, Merlin’s Lady lengthened nicely and hit the line well. It was always thought that she would want further and the way in which she finished the race would back that up. Kevin Stott gave the filly a fantastic ride, educating her and being very kind whilst ensuring she worked hard enough. Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum has been a key supporter in recent years and it looks like he has a nice prospect to look forward to. Merlin’s Lady will improve for the experience and should get better the further she goes. 

Although not a career first it was a first win of the season for Digital but certainly was not winning out of turn. The 3yr old had been steadily improving this season and arguably had the perfect opportunity in the 5f Titanium Racing Club Handicap at Ripon. 

Last year had seen Digital start his career in quite unfortunate circumstances. Three solid runs resulted in runner up finishes but they were to Group winners and performers. Off the mark on his fourth outing (beating another smart horse), Digital was then tasked with the sales races. Doncaster stretched him over the 6 1/2f trip before terrible ground at Redcar saw him round off his season with a below par effort. 

Starting this year with a mark of 81, it did seem as though he could be quite well handicapped if improving from last season. Digital started the year at Ayr, claiming another runner up spot on unfavourable quick ground. The next run at Haydock was a write off with sticky conditions proving against him when trying 6f once again. With something to prove the gelding headed to Glorious Goodwood with trip and conditions set to suit. Bouncing back to form he finished third in a very competitive 3yr old handicap. 

Digital has really been a model of consistency when things are in his favour. The only time he has ever finished outside the placings were over 6f and this was mixed with tough underfoot going. The declared for Ripon it did feel like he would be heading there with a favourites chance, especially as it is similar in nature to Goodwood. Only 6 were due to line up but with underfoot conditions being on the easy side, that number would diminish to 4. 

Tom Eaves is the only jockey Digital has had on board and the partnership remained intact. With even less runners lining up, the poor draw of 1 didn’t really make any difference now and it certainly didn’t as Digital flew from the stalls. Straight over to the stands rail, Digital showed blistering speed to lead the quartet. Although going great guns in front he got into a nice rhythm and was racing in Tom’s hands. He was never left alone on the front end and was kept honest from the very off as the field stormed through the first half of the race. 

In times past Digital may have tried to win the race before halfway, going a few strides too quick when sensing a rival. This was a far more mature performance and he utilised his natural speed whilst keeping more in reserve. All four were in contention passing the 2f marker and in a few strides they were lining up to challenge. Tom was waiting to really ask for everything from Digital but when Kraken Power loomed up on the outside, looking full of running, it was time to try and keep he advantage. 

Neck and neck entering the final furlong Digital did look like he may be a sitting duck but what he and Tom knew was there was plenty left in reserve. As they settled into a ding dong battle the advantage that had diminished to about a nose began to creep wider once more. As Digital eyeballed his rival he did shift over a little bit, getting a closer look, but he was starting to find more for pressure. Suddenly the race changed in completion once more and Digital started to power on, forcing his will on his rival and pulling out plenty more. The final 100 yards was all about Digital and he strode out to win by a comfortable 1 1/4 length margin, pulling away at the line. 

Despite the small field it was competitive and Digital was impressive. He showed blistering speed but was always doing just enough. This allowed him to test his rivals but when the challenges came he had more to give and he won with a bit in hand. The maturity he is now showing is important and that is really important to him reaching his full potential. Digital is very fast and seems to be getting quicker so the 5f is ideal and as long as the ground isn’t too quick he can be seen to full affect. Highclere Thoroughbred Racing have a lot to look forward to for the rest of the season and Digital will now be looking at a mark close to the 90’s. The Ebor meeting could be the next stop if not coming too soon. 

It can be quite daunting for juveniles when they begin their careers and it can take even the best a run or two to figure out what is required. Kentucky Rose fit this bill as she went from being very slowly away on debut to running a little too enthusiastic on her second outing. This experience did her good when she made her third start and won the 6f QTS Group EBF Restricted Maiden Stakes at Ayr. 

With only four declared for the novice contest, Kentucky Rose headed into the race to tackle a pair of newcomers and one rival who didn’t have the same level of form. It was quite hard to weigh up the chances of the quartet but with experience, Kentucky Rose had a big chance to get off the mark. Tom Eaves travelled to take the ride and kept everything very simple.

Bounced out from the stalls, the filly quickly took the lead and set about putting her experience to good use. There was no hanging about with the quartet in close quarters and Kentucky Rose led them on a decent early gallop. Despite having the best form, she wasn’t sent off favourite, that was newcomer Bitcoin Ranger who need bustling along to keep up with Kentucky Rose. 

Tom allowed his filly to stride on through the first half of the race and already the four had split into two pairs as the pace began to show. Kentucky Rose was never left alone in front but quickly bared down on the 2f marker where Tom continued with his positive ride. For a few strides the lead changed hand  but once Tom shook the reins, Kentucky Rose changed her lead and started to lengthen. It took a little time for the filly to really find her stride but it was her rival who came under stronger pressure first. 

Entering the final furlong Kentucky Rose had taken the lead back once more and was now hitting top gear. Her inexperienced pursuer just couldn’t match her and the lead stretched to a length and was only going to get bigger. Tom wanted to keep his filly up to her work, again giving some education and it was needed. Kentucky Rose petered out for a few strides but once her jockey changed his hands she went once more. The 1 1/2 lengths quickly grew again and doubled in size. Striding out Kentucky Rose kicked clear to give Tom enough time to have a look at the big screen and ease down towards the finish. 

There wasn’t too much to beat in the race but Kentucky Rose could only do what she did and in the end it was an impressive first win. She travelled well and did quicken up when asked. There were certainly still signs of greeness, late on where she could possibly have done with some help. She is taking the right steps with each run and should continue on an upward curve. Plans will now come down to what the handicapper has to say as Kentucky Rose is eligible for a handicap mark.