Crowley calls it: “Sir Dancealot is a super horse trained by an absolute genius”
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Champion jockey profiles his St Leger day rides
He’s been really consistent this season. He was fourth at York last time and second at Goodwood the time before.
I haven’t ridden him before but he must have a good chance given his ultra-consistent form. Five furlongs is his trip, Charlie’s horses are running well, and he should go really well.
He’s drawn 20 of 22 but he’s a forward runner anyway and there’s a bit of pace drawn around him so we should be drawn in a good spot.
I’m really looking forward to riding this fella. He’s a very nice horse and you can make a few excuses for him last time.
He ran in the Steward’s Cup, and started a well-backed favourite, but they all went to the far side and he never got involved at all in the race. Then he ran at Newbury on very testing ground finishing behind Massaat in the Hungerford Stakes.
However, if you look back he was a Listed winner last year. I’ve always thought he was a very good horse.
I rode him as a two-year-old, winning twice, and I rode him in the Racing Post Trophy. He finished sixth that day, and didn’t stay, but he was one of the last off-the-bridle, and the ground would have been too soft for him too. I held him in very high regard back then.
Hopefully we won’t get too much more rain. Seven furlongs looks like his best trip and I’m hopeful of a really good run. He’s a super horse, trained by an absolute genius in David Elsworth.
I’ve been down and ridden work on Crystal Ocean and he’s a really good horse.
I’m really looking forward to riding him. I’m hoping Doncaster can avoid any more rain. He’s a good moving horse, and even though he has handled soft before, he’s moves like a good ground horse.
It’s a very good St Leger. The first five in the betting have all got very good chance. Capri was 5th in the Derby and then won the Irish Derby, so he’s got the best form on offer, but my horse is trained by a genius and I think he’ll go very close.
After he was placed in the Dante everyone was screaming that he should run at Epsom in the Derby but Sir Michael Stoute knows best and wanted to take a bit more time with him. Hopefully that will pay off in the St Leger.
I’m drawn one and even over this kind of trip it does give you something to think about. You can get trapped in a pocket from that stall but he’s a good horse, and travels well in his races, so he should be able to work his way smoothly through the field.
I was second in the race on Talent in 2013 so I feel like I have a bit of unfinished business in the race. It would be amazing to go one better.
I haven’t ridden this horse before. He’s won two out of three. He’s won on good to soft, winning at Chepstow last time. He will have to step up, but he has a chance.
He’s done well since being dropped back in trip. He made the running round Chelmsford last time in a race that I won on Mustashry who went on to win the Strensall Stakes.
Doncaster will suit him as he’s a big, long-striding horse, who likes to go forward.
He’ll have a very good each way chance. He had decent form last year, including a fourth in the Dante, but he seems to be running better now that he’s dropped back to a mile.
Tawdeea is 6lbs lower than when he won at Leicester in October. I always enjoy riding for David O’Meara. He’s a very shrewd trainer and so we should have a good chance.
Prix Du Moulin – Massaat
I was pleased Massaat ran well in the Prix Du Moulin last Sunday but I was also disappointed he didn’t win. I expected him to run a big race, and he did I suppose, but he probably could have done with softer ground just to take the speed off some of the others.
Nonetheless he has very few miles on the clock and there are still some very nice races to be won with him. I think he will probably go to the QEII Stakes on Champions Day.
A stronger pace will suit him, and Ascot will be more to his liking than Chantilly. He’ll have to improve a lot more to go and beat Ribchester, but if it came up very soft it’s not impossible.
Jim
