Kieran O’Neill blog: ‘This is his trip and we’re drawn well’

Kieran O’Neill has previewed his rides on Saturday at Lingfield with Coral.

‘This is his trip and we’re drawn well’.

Lingfield 1.25 – Zooks

2024 has started well, with seven winners on the board already, and while this is not one of my busier Saturdays, this meeting will now be the main attraction during the afternoon, with all the jump racing off.

The first of my three rides is Zooks, for Ian Williams.  I actually rode the winner of the race that this horse finished fourth in at Chelmsford last weekend, and the fifth horse that day – also trained by Ian – came out and won here a couple of days later, so the form of that race is already working out.

I think Lingfield will suit this horse better than Chelmsford, at Chelmsford you’re galloping the whole way, whereas with the slight downhill at Lingfield you can get a breather into them, and then kick on.  He gets weight from most of the field here, so while that reflects his rating, a similar run to last week could give him a little each-way chance here.

Lingfield 2.00 – Woodstock City

Woodstock City is another trained by Ian Williams.  I rode him at the start of the month at Newcastle, the long, galloping straight didn’t suit him that day, and I’d say he’s much better judged on his previous run, when he finished third at Wolverhampton, on his first run for Ian since moving from France.