Urbina set for Song ride

Oscar Urbina is set to be reunited with Soviet Song for the first time in three years at Newmarket on Saturday.

The Spaniard’s chance comes as Jamie Spencer, who has ridden the mare in four of her five starts this season, will be aboard Red Evie in the Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes over the Rowley Mile.

Spencer, Urbina and Johnny Murtagh are the only jockeys to have partnered the six-year-old, owned and bred by the Elite Racing Club and trained by James Fanshawe, in a career total of 23 starts.

Urbina began as Soviet Song’s first jockey, partnering her in her first six races. They shared a 100% record from three outings as a juvenile and he also rode her in her first three starts as a three-year-old before he was replaced by Jamie Spencer.

Now, Urbina, who has enjoyed a fine season winning Goodwood’s Prestige Stakes on Sesmen, looks like getting the call as Soviet Song goes for her sixth Group One win.

“The plan is for Oscar Urbina to ride her,” said Elite’s racing manager Matthew Budden.

“He’s riding well and he knows her from her early days.

“He’s followed her career closely and he knows her as well as anyone.

“He doesn’t get that many chances and we are happy to give him the chance.

“She’s working well enough to run and see how we get on.

“We’ll take it a race at a time. If she ran a big race there’s a chance she’d run again. If she didn’t run well I suppose we’d have to think about retiring her. It looks a good race.”

Soviet Song has yet to win at the top level this year with her sole success coming in the Group Two Windsor Forest Stakes at Royal Ascot.

She was, however, runner-up to Court Masterpiece in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood before finishing fifth behind Caradak in the totesport Celebration Mile back at the Sussex track on her latest start.