GROUP One winning jockey Rossa Ryan is an interesting visitor for Redcar’s final meeting of 2025 on Tuesday
Ryan, winner of the 2024 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Bluestocking and third in this year’s jockeys’ championship, heads north for three rides, starting with expensive debutante Saber Strike in the opening Racing TV Free Trial Now EBF Novice Stakes.
The Night of Thunder colt cost 230,000 guineas as a yearling, and represents the powerful William Haggas yard, which has a 24 per cent Redcar strike rate over the past five seasons.
The market will be the best guide to stable confidence in a competitive race, headed by Cape Ashizuri, trained at Malton by John and Sean Quinn. After winning at Ayr, he was deemed good enough to run in the group two Champagne Stakes at Doncaster last month, albeit he was well beaten behind Aidan O’Brien’s Puerto Rico.
Ryan teams up with Ed Dunlop on Tactical Plan in the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme Saves Lives Handicap. The gelding was a decent fourth of 15 on heavy going at Doncaster last time and is below his last winning mark.
The Wiltshire stable of Alan King provides Ryan’s third ride. A winner at Epsom last time, following a promising second at Salisbury, he runs in the racingtv.com/freetrial Handicap in the colours of Highclere Thoroughbreds and has solid claims.
Clara Tuke had her first career win at the last Redcar meeting when steering Giselles Izzy to victory with a late surge made trickier by a loose horse (see picture below).
The mare, trained in the Scottish borders by Iain Jardine, was 22-1 that day but will be much shorter for her bid to follow-up in the Carol Simpson Legacy Handicap (Division 2).
Oilisa, trained in North Yorkshire by Mark Walford, is on a hat-trick in the Thanks and See You Next Season Handicap after wins at Ayr and Nottingham last month. The filly is going up the weights but will have plenty of assistance from the talented Rhys Elliott.
Crocodile Power, trained at Malton by Seb Spencer, has done his most recent winning at Catterick, including last week, but he seeks to defy topweight and a four pounds penalty under Dale Swift in the Carol Simpson Legacy Handicap (Division 1).
The Wear Your Poppy With Pride Nursery is a tricky affair but Kiss For An Angel, trained by Richard Fahey and ridden by rising star Warren Fentiman, claiming a very useful five pounds, may be the answer. The Dark Angel colt has shown enough promise in his three runs so far to put up a bold show.
As already noted, William Haggas has a strong strike rate at Redcar, and it’s quite possible that Mission Impossible could win the Constant Security Handicap after two seconds on the all-weather at Southwell and Wolverhampton. Jason Hart rides.
- Main picture: Rossa Ryan on a previous visit to Redcar