Crowley calls it: “I’ll be very disappointed if he doesn’t win… he’s potentially Group class”

Jim Crowley talks his Saturday Newmarket rides

My first ride of the day on Saturday is Island Vision in the Nursery at 2.20. She ran really well in a competitive nursery last time up at Doncaster over six and a half furlongs. This is another half furlong and it’s a competitive nursery but she has got good form, and David Simcock’s horses are in good order, so hopefully she’ll run alright.

I’m riding Thunder Snow in the Dewhurst Stakes at 3.30 which is a really nice ride to pick up. I was beaten a short head in the Dewhurst a few years ago by Intense Focus when I rode Lord Shanakill and it would be nice to go one better. It’s obviously a good race and my horse’s form is solid and consistent. He looks a fairly uncomplicated ride and we just need the rub of the green really. It looks like we are going to get lively ground and I don’t think that will be a problem for him. Hopefully he’ll run his race. Newmarket is all about being in the right place at the right time, and the Dewhurst is one of those races where there is no such thing as a certainty. I’ve seen some very good horses get beat in there, so I’m certainly going into the race with a positive attitude.

In the Betfred Cesarewitch I ride the top weight, Fun Mac. He’s a good horse, but it may be tough for him. He’s carrying a pound more than when Aaim To Prosper won. That horse carried 9-10 and we’ve got 9-11 which is plenty of weight. All he does is stay, he’d stay two and a half miles, so the trip is no concern, and he won’t mind the livelier ground either. He ran a good race last time but whether he’s handicapped to win this is another question. He’ll run his race and he’ll be bang there. I’m drawn in 33 out wide which is a bit of a negative. It may not be too bad for him because he’s pretty much a front runner so I should be able to get out over this trip and get a position. You’d always prefer to be drawn a bit lower though. He’ll run his race.

In the 4.45 I ride Star Archer for Hugo. This is a really nice horse. He’s got great form. He was second in his Windsor maiden to Salouen, and I probably didn’t give him a great ride, but Salouen broke the track record that day and ran second in the Group One at Chantilly last Sunday. Star Archer then won his maiden up at Haydock, and he absolutely hacked up. He’s working very well at home and this step up to 1m 2f should suit him and I’ll be very disappointed if he doesn’t win or at least go very close. He’s such a nice horse. I’ve ridden him on all his starts and all he’s done is improve and improve. He’s going to be a very nice middle distance horse next year and he’s potentially Group class.

In the last race at 5.20 I ride Carry On Deryck for Godolphin, the horse they bought off David Evans last year. He ran really well to be second last time in the Cambridgeshire behind Spark Plug. He’s up against that horse again. He likes Newmarket and he has a good solid chance again. Hopefully he’ll run a big race.

There’s a horse of David Elsworth’s called Sir Dancealot that I’ve ridden on all his starts that runs up at York in the coral.co.uk Rockingham Stakes at 3.10. He’s a very nice horse so you should keep an eye out for him. He’s going to be very smart. I’m absolutely gutted I’m not riding him. He’s one to keep on the right side of. I ride quite regularly for David and was lucky enough to ride his Frankel two year old, Swiss Storm. He’s a brilliant trainer, whether over the jumps in years gone by, or on the Flat, he’s achieved great things with the likes of Desert Orchid going way back, Persian Punch and more recently Arabian Queen last year winning the Juddmonte. I think Swiss Storm is going to be a very special horse too.

Jim

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