Six names to note with the Flat season just around the corner

The British Flat season kicks off on Saturday. Here we pick out six jockeys, trainers and horses who could make a big impact in 2019

East

Trainer Kevin Ryan has several live Classic contenders this season and East, runner-up at the Breeders' Cup last season, could take high rank among them. The daughter of Frankel, who cost €315,000 from the Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sales last May, caught the eye on debut when running out an easy winner at Hamilton. She then followed up with success in a French Group 3 before taking a big step up at Churchill Downs. Given a tricky draw, the filly did well to finish second behind the brilliant Newspaperofrecord and the French or English Guineas has been her target ever since.

Owen Burrows

The Lambourn-based trainer did not have an easy time of it last season but still managed to land Pattern races with two potentially high-class horses in Wadilsafa and Laraaib. Burrows still operated at a respectable 21 per cent for the season with 38 winners from 182 runners and there is every chance he can build on that with several exciting prospects to look forward to.

Set Piece

Khalid Abdullah's Dansili colt has done nothing wrong in two races on the all-weather and could attempt to give trainer Hugo Palmer a second success in the Qipco 2,000 Guineas following Galileo Gold in 2016. The three-year-old, a general 50-1 chance for the Newmarket Classic, improved readily on his debut to run out a three-length winner at Newcastle in January and is also entered for the French 2,000 Guineas and Derby. He could be seen in the Feilden or Craven Stakes before that.

Set Piece: an interesting prospect for Juddmonte and Hugo PalmerCredit: Grossick Racing

Jason Watson

After beginning 2018 as a 7lb claimer, Watson took the Flat scene by storm, finishing with astounding 111 winners, including a first Group 1 success on God Given in the Premio Lydia Tesio. Those performances led to his appointment as first jockey to Roger Charlton, a position that will doubtless see him afforded more opportunities to prove himself at the top level. This year started on a sour note after the 18-year-old jockey sustained two hairline neck fractures after a fall at Kempton in January. However, his return to action last week dovetails perfectly with Flat racing's opening and Ladbrokes price him at 12-1 to be champion jockey.

Dancing Vega

You have to go back to Simple Verse's 2015 St Leger victory for Ralph Beckett's last Classic winner but that could be about to change thanks to this exciting three-year-old filly. After gliding home with plenty in hand on her only start as a two-year-old at Doncaster, the daughter of Lope De Vega has seen sustained support in the 1,000 Guineas market and shapes, for the moment at least, as Britain's leading hope in the race.

John Oxx

Oxx has been in the wilderness since Sea The Stars completed one of the finest Flat seasons of all-time in 2009, but the tide could be about to turn. Patrick Predergast's decision to join forces with Oxx in 2019 has led to an influx of 30 horses to the trainer's yard, headlined by Molyglare Stud Stakes winner and 1,000 Guineas hope Skitter Scatter. A return to the heady days of a decade ago appears unlikely, but Oxx enters this season with his biggest and most talented stable of horses for some time.

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