Jim Crowley calls it: “Here Comes When can outrun his odds.”
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Champion jockey discusses his day one rides at Goodwood
I’m really looking forward to Glorious Goodwood. I have some really nice rides across the week.
I always like riding at Goodwood, in fact this is probably my favourite meeting of the year. Every year the quality of the racing seems to get better, and the big injection of prize money a few years ago really helped in that regard.
It’s as good as Royal Ascot really. It’s also on my doorstep, which makes it so handy, and a lot of local people that I know attend the meeting which is fun. I love riding there.
It looks like the weather is going to be really settled this year in stark contrast to last year on the Wednesday when it was as bad as I’ve ever seen it at Goodwood.
I had never been so happy to see such dreadful weather as I was last year, as it suited my horse Here Comes When perfectly and we won the Sussex Stakes that day.
We’ve had a lot of rain over the last couple of days but hopefully, that’s the end of it and we can race on some decent ground.
I was on my travels last week and had a bit of a disappointing couple of days. I went up to York and ride Elarqam who was beaten in the Skybet Stakes.
I was disappointed with him as I thought he’d win but he didn’t quite get the mile and a quarter. We’ll go back to the drawing board with him.
It was nice to see him finish his race after the Irish 2000 Guineas run. We’ll probably come back to a mile with him.
TUESDAY
I had the pick between Afaak and Alfarris and it was a very tough decision. Afaak has done nothing wrong in his last two starts.
He’s been second in a Hunt Cup and has been crying out for this trip all season. Stepping up to this 1m2f will really suit him.
However, Alfarris is getting 9lbs from Afaak and his form is working out really well. He beat Rainbow Rebel at Chelmsford and that horse has come out and won three times since then.
That horse re-opposes my horse and we are 10lbs better off with him.
Alfarris is in great order. He bumped in to a good horse of Sir Michael Stoute’s last time in what was a very messy race.
He’s been working exceptionally well and William Haggas’s horses are in fine form.
It was such a difficult decision I would have let the draw decide, and pick the horse that was drawn better, but they’ve both been drawn well and right next to each other. I think I’m on the right one but we’ll wait and see.
Mordred is an outsider, but he’s a nice horse by Camelot and one that I think will be a very good horse next year given that breeding.
He’ll definitely appreciate further in time but you can never discount one of Richard Hannon’s, as we saw in the 1000 Guineas, and he doesn’t run them in this type of race unless they’ve got a chance.
That said he’s going to have to step up on what he’s done to date.
I’m riding Here Comes When in the Lennox Stakes. He won the Group 1 Sussex Stakes in extreme conditions last year but is not a horse that’s much better on soft ground, he just handles it well when most others don’t.
He has an each way chance here. He’s in good order and won’t have a problem dropping back to seven furlongs as he has bags of pace.
He’s well drawn and I think he’ll outrun his odds. I don’t think the three-year-olds are a strong bunch this year.
I think Stradivarius will win the Goodwood Cup. He’s a smashing horse. He won it last year, and I think 4/7 is very short but he’s that price for a reason.
Torcedor is a good horse and Idaho will also try and make a race of it but I can’t see the favourite getting beaten if I’m honest.
I ride Rhydwyn for Charlie. I’ve ridden this horse in work and he’s been away and had a gallop away from home too, so he’s ready for this.
He goes nicely but obviously, it’s still a big ask going to Goodwood on debut and taking on horses with experience.
I would imagine my horse will need the run first time even having had the gallop. Whatever happens, he’s a nice horse to keep an eye on for the future.
Jim
