Telescope in the 2.00 at Newmarket

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Captain's Blog - Thursday 27th September

Richard Kingscote has come of age as a jockey this season and he has done so under the radar of most. I used to think he was just a moderate operator, but I was wrong. He is actually one of the best flat jockeys riding in this country right now. Indeed his statistics this year back up the visual impression that he has created.

This season his stats read as follows:-
76 winners from 406 rides giving him a strike rate of 19%.
There are only two jockeys riding this season, who can boast better strike rates. They are Ryan Moore at 19% and Richard Hughes at 21% and these particular figures do not lie.

If Richard Kingscote had secured as many rides this season as Richard Hughes he may have been challenging for the title. I think his exceptional strike rate is born out of his ability to judge pace better than most, this is the key component. He also comes across as someone who thinks about what he is doing and applies a sharp mind to the art of race riding. He does not possess the touch of genius that Hughes seems to have, nor is he as strong as Ryan Moore, but he makes very few mistakes and if trainers begin to recognize this rider's skill he will become one of the leading flat jockeys in the country.

I just wanted to share these thoughts as I think this fellow has slid under the radar all season and deserves some recognition for having had a tremendous year. I have put him in my riders to follow file along with Danny Cook over jumps.

My selection today comes at Newmarket (2.00) in the form of Telescope. This colt is reportedly well-regarded and made a promising debut when narrowly beaten at Ascot on his debut. Given that his trainer, Sir Michael Stoute, takes his time with his 2 year olds, and they often need their first run, this son of Galileo can be expected to improve a good deal from that first outing. There are some well-bred newcomers in the race, but they will have to be very smart to beat this fellow.

I am back in the studio this evening and will be joined by Niall Hannity for the action from Newmarket, Pontefract and Perth. It will be a busy afternoon on and I would urge you to join us for some really good action.

One final thought we are getting to that time of year when the far rail on the Rowley Mile course is absolutely golden.