Dream chance: Gordon grabs ride on Godolphin fancy Castle

Josephine Gordon warmed up for what could be a hugely significant week in her burgeoning career by giving Arabian Hope a peach of a ride to win the Listed race at York on Saturday, just a few hours after she was revealed as the rider of Jersey Stakes favourite Dream Castle.

It could be a dream Royal Ascot for last year's champion apprentice, who had already been booked for Sandringham Handicap favourite Gymnaste and went to York with the confidence boost of having also been entrusted with the ride on Dream Castle at a meeting where only one female jockey has ever ridden a winner.

Arabian Hope, like Dream Castle, is owned by Godolphin and trained by Saeed Bin Suroor, whose judgement in using Gordon never looked better placed than at York, where the rider was coolness personified on Arabian Hope, cajoling the most inexperienced horse in the line-up to a head victory over Golden Stunner.

Gordon said: “Royal Ascot is a big week, it’s going to be an important week for me, and I’m looking forward to it.

"Saeed is supporting me, along with John Gosden and Hugo Palmer, and they’re big trainers.

“It’s a good opportunity. Any ride at Royal Ascot is a good ride, but especially so if they are horses with a chance. I’m delighted to have picked up some really good rides and it will be exciting.”

Dream Castle is general 3-1 favourite for the Jersey on Wednesday, while Gymnaste is 7-1 market leader for the Sandringham later that afternoon.

Gay Kelleway is the only female rider to have been successful at the royal meeting, with her triumph on Sprowston Boy in the Queen Alexandra Stakes 30 years ago.

In other jockey booking news on Saturday, Frankie Dettori has strengthened his book by getting the mount on Ulysses, who is disputing market leadership for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

Dettori was aboard the Sir Michael Stoute-trained colt in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita last November, when the pair ran fourth to Highland Reel, who along with Jack Hobbs is vying with Ulysses for favouritism at around 3-1.

The Niarchos family’s racing manager Alan Cooper said: "Ulysses runs in the Prince of Wales’s and Frankie Dettori takes the ride."

Cooper gave a positive update on Alpha Centauri, due to put her unbeaten record on the line in Friday’s opener, the Albany Stakes.

She is a best-priced 9-4 favourite off the back of two wide-margin successes at Naas, the most recent of which came at Listed level.

"Jessie [Harrington] is very happy with her and we’re looking forward to seeing how she goes in what should be one of the most exciting two-year-old races of the week," said Cooper.

Alpha Centauri: second at Royal Ascot but should come into her own when stepped up in tripCredit: Caroline Norris

Alpha Centauri would not be a certain starter on really quick ground but Cooper underlined the intention is to run.

"There could be a concern if the ground was firm but I think Ascot rarely have it like that," he said. "It's usually a good surface and I'd be surprised if it was like a road."

Elsewhere on Friday's card, French 1,000 Guineas heroine Precieuse has, as expected, been supplemented at a cost of £35,000 for the Group 1 Coronation Stakes, while Qatar Racing have paid £12,750 to add Fierce Impact to the Queen’s Vase.

The Japanese-bred colt was last seen chasing home Khalidi in the Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood.

One other notable aspect of Friday's card is that the Kevin Ryan-trained Syphax remains in the reckoning for the King Edward VII Stakes. Ryan has not been allowed to have any runners since last month due to a virus at his yard.

The ground at Ascot on Saturday remained good to firm, good in places, with watering having taken place.

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