Everyone deserves a second chance: Hills right behind Shoemark after drugs ban

Kieran Shoemark's response to being banned for six months for taking cocaine has been praised by new boss Charlie Hills, who hopes he can reward the jockey with a breakthrough winner at Glorious Goodwood next week.

Shoemark, a rising star of the weighing room who duelled with David Egan for the champion apprentice crown in 2017, linked up with the Lambourn-based Hills in February when he was still serving part of a suspension for testing positive for cocaine.

That followed a serious injury suffered at Lingfield in June last year, but the young jockey has rebuilt his career in positive fashion, riding 15 winners.

Seven of those have come for Hills, who wasted little time offering the talented youngster a full-time role.

"Everyone deserves a second chance and it's nice to help someone out," Hills said. "The owners were all supportive and he's a talented rider. He's got good hands, is race savvy, people like him and his weight's good.

"It means a lot to help him. Jockeys and trainers are like a marriage. You've got a relationship and I don't like giving him instructions. We pay him to do a job and his feedback is good, while he knows all the horses inside out, which can only be a plus."

The pair combined to score with Always A Drama at Windsor on Monday and Shoemark is in line to partner the yard's Vanbrugh in the Unibet Stewards' Cup at Goodwood next week, when Bartholomeu Dias, inked in for a 1m6f handicap, will also be among the jockey's rides.

Well-regarded juveniles Royal Commando and Fleeting Prince are other possible mounts.

Charlie Hills: runs a strong team at Glorious Goodwood next weekCredit: Edward Whitaker

Hills added: "Kieran rode a nice winner for us at Windsor and he's great. He's worked really hard.

"He started in February and hasn't missed a morning, riding four lots out every day. He's really put his head down and got stuck in, while he gets on so well with the rest of the team."

Shoemark enjoyed a winner on his comeback ride aboard the trainer's Heroic at Lingfield in June.

The 23-year-old bagged his first Group 3 victory on Projection at Ascot last October and also steered Atty Persse to victory in the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2017.

"I think Kieran's going to get better and more confident, but we just need to give him a big winner now," said Hills.

Kieran Shoemark talks through three of his best rides at Glorious Goodwood next week

Royal Commando
Qatar Richmond Stakes (Thursday)
He's a lovely horse, very straightforward and professional. He's by No Nay Never, who is proving to be an outstanding sire, and he ran well first time out at Newmarket. He was probably unlucky not to win as he got stopped and switched, but he went to Doncaster and won well – as we expected. We didn't go quick and everything was hitting the line hard so it was nice to win by three and a quarter lengths. I'm sure he'll come on again and we've liked him for a while. He's a promising prospect.

Bartholomeu Dias
Qatar Summer Handicap (Saturday)
He's improving with every run and looks a million dollars at home. I rode him in the Northumberland Plate and we were just ever so slightly over-travelling the whole way. I hit the front and he struggled the last furlong. He has a nice turn of foot for a horse over those distances and I think he'll be very effective over a mile and six furlongs. He's a lovely moving horse and the turf isn't a worry for me, I just think the two miles was a disadvantage last time.

Vanbrugh
Unibet Stewards' Cup (Saturday)
He has plenty of speed and actually ran well in the Wokingham when he was drawn on the wrong side. I rode him at Chester after that and he lost a shoe, while the track possibly didn't suit either. He had his excuses there and I've galloped him in the morning and he's got plenty of ability. I don't think he's shown his full potential yet and I'm sure he's a Group horse. He'll have a lot of weight but I don't think we've seen the best of him.

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