Crowley Calls it: “Tasleet has an outstanding chance”
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Champion Jockey previews his Haydock and weekend schedules
She’s a course and distance winner but she’s going to have to step up again on what she’s done. It’s soft ground up there and you can get some funny results, so we’ll give it a go.
He ran very well last time at Newbury. and he is stepping up to a mile which should suit. It’s a competitive little race but he should have a very good chance.
Tasleet has a great chance. It’s a case of the softer the better for him so I hope the rain comes early.
They say Brando likes a bit of cut in the ground but I know that my horse is a better horse on soft ground.
I think horses like Harry Angel, The Tin Man and Magical Memory all want better ground, so I think Tasleet has an outstanding chance.
I have been impressed with Brando particularly in the July Cup where he finished extremely fast in the last furlong.
But if it’s very soft I think it will play in to our hands. It was very soft at York when he won the Duke of York Stakes, so I have no worries about the ground even if it gets really testing.
Haydock is a fair track to ride and the straight course is straightforward. When the ground is fast it can suit front runners as they can get away from you but on the soft ground there you can really ride a race and make an impact. So yeah, I like Haydock.
I won on Aleef at Newmarket at the end of last year, and he was then beaten on his comeback just five days ago.
He’s coming back out quickly so hopefully he can run a decent race. David O’Meara is a great trainer and has done exceptionally well.
I used to ride for David over jumps and he’s a smart guy and always has his head screwed on.
I was disappointed with him last time out. I rode him instead of Talaayeb last time at York because I couldn’t do the weight on her.
He won at Newbury the previous start when he toughed it out on soft ground, and you can never rule him out this horse.
He can have a winning day and then he can have an off day, but he can certainly outrun his double figure odds.
I won on him at Newmarket in the middle of the season in a competitive race but I haven’t ridden him since.
He acts on soft, and he stays really well, so he has a chance.
This is a good ride to pick up and complete my day’s racing.
Joshua Reynolds is a big, lazy horse, and he wears blinkers, but I think there’s always a little bit left in the tank with my fella.
He is a horse who stays well and likes soft ground so he should go well.
John Gosden runs another horse, Great Sound, in this race as well.
Chantilly
On Sunday I’m heading to Chantilly where I ride Massaat for the boss in the Prix du Moulin against Ribchester – and I think he’s got a very good chance.
To come back and win the Hungerford the way he did after such a long layoff was really impressive.
Any ease in the ground will really suit him. It’s a good race but he has beaten Ribchester before.
Of course you have to respect the other runners in the race but my horse deserves to be running in this company.
I haven’t ridden him since he won at Newbury but I believe that he’s come on nicely since then, and if that’s true then he’s going to be bang in there.
My agent rang me a few days ago to let me know that I’d been asked to ride The Black Princess in the Prix Vermeille which is another good ride to pick up. She won well last time.
Yes it’s a Group 1, and it’s a tough race, but you can’t win those races stuck in your stable, so it’s well worth having a go.
It’s been brilliant this season riding as retained jockey for Sheikh Hamdan. And I’ve been lucky to pick up many outside rides on high class horses for the leading yards, like I have again with The Black Princess and Crystal Ocean.
I’m very lucky to be in this position, and I just want to carry on riding well, and hopefully it will just keep snowballing. I just want to be the best I can be, and keep improving.
St Leger
I got a call from Sir Michael Stoute last week offering me the ride on Crystal Ocean in next Saturday’s St Leger which was just fantastic.
I rode him a couple of days ago and he went really well. I think he’s got a great chance.
It’s a great ride to pick up in a Group One race, and I’m really looking forward to riding him.
Jim
