Jim Crowley
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Crowley calls it: “Mokaatil can bounce back at Sandown”

| 15.06.2018
SPORTSBOOK ODDS

Racing legend also gives us some quick thoughts on Royal Ascot…

Coral racing ambassador and champion jockey Jim Crowley talks to us about his weekend rides at Sandown and Salisbury.

Saturday

2.05 Sandown – Mokaatil

He was very disappointing first time up at York. Whatever the reason, he’s showing up much better at home since then. He has Koditime to beat but if he can bounce back to some of the form he had last season then he should go close. He was third in a Group Three at Newmarket in the Cornwallis. He’s got a nice draw in stall one and I’m hopeful we can get him back to his best.

2.35 Sandown – Shamshon

Shamshon’s is trained by a very shrewd trainer in Stuart Williams. I’ve won on this horse, and it was the last time he won, when he won at Newmarket last year. He won off a mark of 87 and he’s down to 77 now. He’s on a very workable mark and hopefully will go alright. He’s drawn in five which is a good draw an I think he’ll run very well.

3.15 Sandown – Almoreb

I didn’t ride Almoreb last time when he was beaten up at Doncaster. I was disappointed as I thought he’d run a lot better than he did. I was second on him time time before and he was unlucky that day. Hopefully he can bounce back to his best form. He’s a nice little horse, a tough sort, and he’ll have a chance.

3.50 Sandown – Mutakatif

If you go back through this horse’s form he was second to Expert Eye at Newbury. The third horse of Brian Meehan’s went on to win the Richmond Stakes. My horse won a nice race at Chester last year. He is a talented horse, it’s his first run of the season and I thinkhe’ll run very well. I could have ridden Tadbir, who didn’t handle the soft ground at Epsom last year. He will prefer a return to better ground.

4.25 Sandown – Ibraz

Ibraz is a really nice horse. He won at Nottingham last time out and won well. He’ll have a good chance in this race. It’s a competitive race. I could have ridden Deyaarna as he’s one of the boss’s horses as well and Mahaarat, but decided to pick Ibraz.

5.00 Sandown – Mutanaqel

He’s having his first run of the year. He’s a good horse by Havana Gold. He ran okay at Chelmsford on his last start. He’s been gelded since and has been working nicely at home. We are hoping for a good run.

5.35 Sandown – Precision

I don’t know too much about him. He has a nice pedigree but was beaten at Chester last time. We’ll see how we go.

SUNDAY

3.25 Salisbury – Wohileh

She’s a nice bay filly by Cape Cross. She’s been working nicely. It’s always hard to know exactly what to expect but she’s ready to go. Hopefully she’ll run well.

3.55 Salisbury – Khafooq

I haven’t ridden this colt by Kodiac. I was at Sir Michael’s last week riding a few but didn’t sit on Khafooq. Sir Michael always leaves something to work with so we will see how he goes.

4.25 Salisbury – Shabaaby

I thought he ran very well last time. He was third in a decent listed race. I didn’t ride him that day. He’s been working well and I think he’s got a really good chance. He’s rated 106 and is the top rated horse in the race. I could have ridden Mokarris. He’s been off the track a long time but is a good horse.

5.25 Salisbury – Open Wide

He has top weight and the thing about this horse is that he’s so consistent he doesn’t get much respite from the handicapper. He won there last year. I have only ridden him once before. He’s been second twice at Windsor this year and deserves to win as he’s been banging on the door.

ROYAL ASCOT

I am really looking forward to next week at Royal Ascot. I ride Battaash in the King’s Stand which I’m really excited about.

There’s Afaak in the Royal Hunt Cup, Emiraaty in the Jersey Stakes. Gabr in the St James Palace’s Stakes is another I ride which is under the radar a bit.

I can’t wait.

Jim

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Author

Jim Crowley

Jim Crowley began his flat racing career as an amateur before switching to National Hunt racing, where he landed approximately 300 winners. He then returned to the flat to ride for sister-in-law Amanda Perrett. After years of hard work, Jim was finally rewarded when we won the 2016 Stobart Flat Jockey Championship with an incredible 148 winners. That was followed by a lucrative retained partnership with leading owner Sheikh Hamdan al-Maktoum, for whom he is the no.1 jockey.