William Buick has taken an early lead over Hollie Doyle in the 2022 Flat Jockeys’ Championship. He takes six rides at Nottingham on Tuesday, and Racing Tips have analysed them below.
Courageous Knight (1.10 Nottingham)
It is early days, but with two winners from their first eight juveniles so far, Godolphin’s success promises to be continued by the forward types among the next generation.
Buick will be hoping that COURAGEOUS KNIGHT can prove up to scratch in Nottingham’s opener. He is the first foal out of French mare Spring Mist, a winner over 1m1f in her home country when racing. Little can be known about what her progeny will be like, but she is from a good family.
Moreover, he is by Dubawi, as so many of Godolphin’s recent heroes have been, including 2000 Guineas winner Coroebus. Starting out over 6f as opposed to 5f may therefore look a smart move, as he is likely to get further in time.
Horses owned by the Queen, Qatar Racing, Sheikh Mohamed Obaid and Amo Racing all line up in opposition, so a number of powerful operations are in attendance. However, Appleby, Buick and Godolphin remain the ones to be reckoned with.
Judy’s Park (1.40 Nottingham)
In the absence of his traditional connections, Buick has a couple of rides for 1000 Guineas winning trainer George Boughey on Tuesday. The first comes courtesy of JUDY’S PARK in this three-year-old fillies’ handicap.
Unraced until the end of October, she has been kept very busy ever since. Boughey has raced her 12 times, with the filly getting off the mark at the tenth attempt at Newcastle in March. That was also her penultimate effort on the all-weather, on which she raced on the first 11 occasions she met a racecourse.
That means she only recently made her debut on turf, and it was one filled with promise. Having travelled smoothly into the race under Callum Shepherd, she only faded late on over Doncaster’s 6f to finish fourth.
She has been eased 1lb in the handicap for that run and this will be the first time Buick has ridden her. It is an aggressive jockey booking and she could easily progress in his hands.
Dora Penny (2.10 Nottingham)
For his third different trainer on the day, Buick takes the ride on DORA PENNY for David Evans in this contest.
Once again, it will be his first time aboard this horse, who made a terrific start to her racing career last season. As a two-year-old, she won three of her first five starts, earning an official rating of 82 after the second of her victories in a fillies’ handicap at Newmarket.
However, things have proved significantly tougher in seven subsequent starts, as she has failed to even place in any of those. In particular, she has struggled since turning three, as she has finished in the bottom half of the field in all three of her races since the turn of the year.
All of those came on the all-weather though, and her last turf start, in which she finished fourth at Doncaster over this trip, gives her hope of going close again. She is now 6lb lower than that day and the addition of Buick can only be seen as a positive.
Oi The Clubb Oi’s (2.40 Nottingham)
Despite being a half-brother to a 5f winner, OI THE CLUBB OI’S is all about stamina, having been third in a Grade 2 juvenile hurdle in 2018.
However, any career in National Hunt racing failed to materialise, and trainer Ian Williams, another different handler combining with Buick on Tuesday, has mostly campaigned him on the flat since. His last win was a handicap at this course in June 2019 over 1m6f, but has been seen on a racecourse only six times in the three years since.
The most recent of those was his comeback at Kempton last month. That was his first run in 482 days and he duly felt the pinch, finishing a tailed off last of seven. However, he is now down to a mark of just 64, his lowest since winning on his first effort at this track off a rating of 60 in July 2018.
He therefore comes here with a 100% record at Nottingham with a potentially lenient weight. Buick will be the 12th jockey he has had in his career when taking the mount, but if his fitness has been regained, he is a danger in this race.
Phantasy Mac (3.10 Nottingham)
The previous pair of Buick’s Tuesday rides have been somewhat struggling for form. That is far from the case with PHANTASY MAC, who is pursuing a four-timer.
Another mount for George Boughey, this filly has clearly come on leaps and bounds over the winter. She was beaten at least 5½ lengths on all three of her two-year-old starts, earning a lowly mark of just 59 for her handicap debut at Newcastle in March.
However, she was beaten just a short head into second that day. Since then, connections have not looked back, as Phantasy Mac has won at Wolverhampton, Kempton, and recently at Nottingham itself when upped in trip to 1m2f. The increase in distance, coupled with it being her first run on turf, resulted in her widest winning margin yet, despite having risen 8lb in the handicap since the start of 2022.
She is up another 5lb for that win, but just 11 days on she is likely to be fighting fit once again. With this trip and surface appearing to have improved her once again, this race could easily see her continue this fantastic run.
Letter Of The Law (4.45 Nottingham)
Buick will then be watching on until the final race on the Nottingham card. His mount will be a third for Boughey on LETTER OF THE LAW.
Despite a relatively slow start to his career, the signs of improvement have been there to see with this horse in recent times. He could not cut it in maiden and novice company, but his first two runs in handicaps saw him finish closer than ever before, most notably at Bath last month.
The son of Lawman was second under Buick’s current closest pursuer in Hollie Doyle that day, but though he was disappointing at Ripon next time out, he is clearly capable on his day.
The extra 100 yards are likely to be to his benefit in this race and his racing experience compared to a number of his rivals could stand him in good stead too.