Jim Crowley: “Haqeeqy looks progressive and I’m hopeful of a big run”

Coral ambassadors previews his Saturday rides at Newmarket

Newmarket 13.15 – Al Mutathar

The rain came at just the wrong time on Thursday, and really went against Qaader and Enbihaar in particular, but there’ll be other days for both of those for sure, and my winner, Al Aasy, did it really nicely, and we’ll now go for the Voltigeur at York, and then all being well for the St Leger.

We always thought he was a nice horse, in another year he may have been a Derby horse, he just disappointed us first time out this year, but he proved next time and again this week just how promising he is.

Al Mutathar has won his only start, over on the Rowley Mile course, and the form is already working out, I won on the third home that day, Montather, at Thirsk, but I’m not sure about the soft ground for him, it’s an unknown. He also has to carry a penalty here, and there are plenty of unraced ones against him who we just don’t know how good they are, but he’s a nice sort and hopefully sets a decent standard here.

Newmarket 13.50 – Haqeeqy 

I’ve not ridden Haqeeqy before, he’s won his last two starts, and being by Lope De Vega, who usually doesn’t mind a bit of juice in the ground, he shouldn’t be inconvenienced by the rain we’ve had this week, although he hasn’t yet raced on anything worse than good ground. He looks a progressive type and I’d be hopeful of a big run here.

Newmarket 14.25 – Fantail

This filly has had just the two starts, she pulled very hard last time, over a mile at Chelmsford, so this drop back to seven furlongs should suit her. Her two starts have been on the all-weather but she shouldn’t mind any ease in the ground, and she should run well.

Newmarket 15.35 – Khaadem

We just did not want to see the rain for this fellow, he has got form on good to soft, but as we saw last year, his best run was at Goodwood on quick going, and at Haydock and Ascot on much softer ground, he didn’t show his best form.

He ran a nice race in the Diamond Jubilee, he was just a bit fresh early on, and as a result got tired in the last furlong, but still finished fourth. Hopefully we don’t get any more rain now, as the better the ground the better he is. He is a high-class horse, as he showed at Goodwood, but he has got to take that step up to Group 1 class.

I think the betting has it right in making the three-year-old Golden Horde favourite. He’s a smart horse getting weight, and I can also see Sceptical reversing Ascot placings with Hello Youmzain, but beyond the first four in the market, I can’t see there being an upset. Stall 1 is not ideal for my fellow either, there doesn’t seem to be much pace around us, but a dry 24 hours will help us.

Newmarket 16.10 – Motakhayyel

Motakhayyel is a smashing horse, winning the Buckingham Palace at the Royal meeting, but he’s another who would prefer it to dry out – although it was good to soft to Ascot, this is tackier ground at Newmarket.

Sheikh Hamdan’s other runner, Mutamaasik, was third at Ascot, and being by Dubawi he probably won’t mind this ground, so I could be on the wrong one, but he’s won over a mile on this course and it wouldn’t have been easy to get off him.

Jim