Ben Curtis on the road for weekend winners with big-race hopes raised

It could be quite a weekend for Ben Curtis as he searches high and low for winners in a bid to reach a century for the second year running.

Curtis begins his quest at Hamilton on Friday evening followed by three rides at Beverley, including favourite Tis Marvellous for the William Hill-sponsored Bullet.

He then rounds off a hectic 48 hours with an evening in Essex for one ride, albeit in the £100,000 Betfred Chelmsford City Cup for his main supporter Roger Fell.

With roughly 1,000 miles to be covered, Curtis was on the road by 5am on Friday for the 40-minute drive to the Middleham moors to ride out two lots for Karl Burke, who gave him one of his biggest winners this year on Kelly's Dino in the Old newton Cup.

Then it was back home for a quick change before the three-hour journey to Hamilton Park for six rides, with the return journey likely to make it nearly midnight before he is back home.

Ben Curtis and Guardia Svizzera, bidding to repeat last year's race win at HamiltonCredit: John Grossick

"It's been a very stop-start year with a few more flat spots but I've still got a chance to get 100 winners and I will be keeping my foot on the pedal," said Curtis, whose 71 winners in 2019 puts him comfortably in the top 20 of the jockeys' standings.

While it may be his driver with his foot on the accelerator pedal over the weekend as Curtis catches up with his sleep, the former Irish champion apprentice, who shared his title with Joseph O'Brien and Gary Carroll, has always had the work ethic to rival anyone.

Earlier this summer he thought nothing of flying to Belmont for one ride in between meetings at Haydock one weekend.

Saturday already has a good feel to it after his big-race mounts at Beverley and nearly 200 miles down the road at Chelmsford Admirality came out on the right side of the draw.

Curtis is breaking new ground at Beverley, with agent Simon Dods securing him first rides for Clive Cox and Andrew Balding, whose names are added to fellow southern-based trainers like William Haggas and Hugo Palmer, for whom he rides at Hamilton.

Curtis, who turned 30 this month, said: "I couldn't be happier riding Tis Marvellous as he looks a great ride and has got lucky with his draw in two.

"He couldn't have been more impressive at Ascot last time and I'm very much looking forward to the ride."

Wokingham runner-up Tis Marvellous, winning Ascot's 5f heritage handicap under Hollie Doyle last monthCredit: Getty Images

"Andrew Balding's Good Birthday has decent form [third to Headman in the London Gold Cup at Newbury] and looks to have a nice chance in the Silver Cup."

Curtis is looking forward to getting back on Admirality at Chelmsford, feeling soft ground counted against him in his last two races after a promising start to the season.

He added: "He was a shrewd buy by Roger and is a lovely big type who won a really competitive race at Thirsk first time when not fully wound up and I thought he would be a proper horse.

"He's another well drawn, in three, and he is such a strong-travelling horse he travelled too well at York and a sharp seven will suit him – he's won on the all-weather at Dundalk so the surface won't be a problem."

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