Luke Morris: “I’d like to think Land Of Oz still has more to give off a mark of 87”

Newmarket

2.45pm

Greek Kodiac

He clearly hasn’t been running too well, including in a first-time visor over 6f at Yarmouth last time. But he has tumbled down the weights as a result and the step back up to 7f should help, and that gives him half a chance, as does the fact that the race has cut up to just seven runners from a big field at the five-day stage.

 

3.55pm

Land Of Oz

I was worried about the fast ground for him in the Melrose but he handled it okay there, and he did it a bit easier than it looked back up to 2m at Kempton last time. I don't think he will have any trouble with the extra two furlongs here – his Ayr win on soft pretty much told you that – and I’d like to think he still has more to give off a mark of 87, even though that is some 29lb higher than when winning at Yarmouth in July. I would like some cut ideally, but he meets more exposed rivals here, gets plenty of weight, and is a big horse who will like this big galloping track, so I am pretty hopeful.

 

Wolverhampton

7.20pm

Redemptive

She ran much better last time when fourth in soft ground at Lingfield and has been dropped another 2lb for it. She hasn’t raced here before but she has fair all-weather form off higher marks than this at Kempton, so I think she has a fair chance.

 

7.50pm

Lismore

There is a fair bit of stamina in her pedigree, so it is no surprise to see her starting off over this trip. She goes nicely enough at home – and she is our selected from five in here at the five-day stage –  but we don’t rush our juveniles and there are a couple in here with decent form, and we won;t see the best of her until next year.

 

8.20pm

Yasir

He is a bit of a standing dish around here at the age of 11yo but he is in good heart and comes here after a second over 1m6f here last time. He is fully effective over this shorter trip, and he should run his race and be on the premises.

 

SUNDAY

There is a valuable meeting in Bro Park in Sweden on Sunday, and I ride three on the card.

I am on two for Archie [Watson], with Mitty’s Smile first up in the 7f juvenile race, and Corinthia Knight should give a good account of himself in the 6f sprint after a narrow second at Leicester recently.

The main race on the card is the Group 3 1m4f Stockholm Cup, and hopefully Marco Botti’s Crowned Eagle, second in a Group 2 in Italy in June before a fair run at Windsor last time, can get in the money for me. It's hard to get a firm handle on the form, to be honest.