Jim Crowley: He’s unexposed and a very exciting colt
Jockey and Coral ambassador Jim Crowley discusses the chances of his three rides at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.
This is the biggest, most important week of the year for all of us involved in Flat racing, and as with the jumps world at Cheltenham, one winner here this week can make all the difference.
I’ve got some exciting rides to look forward to later in the week, with Al Asifah, added to the Ribblesdale field after her impressive Goodwood win, and Hukum just two that you’ll hopefully be reading about here in the next few days.
The meeting begins with the Group One Queen Anne, and I think I have a decent each-way chance on Mutasaabeq.
He ended last season and began this with Group Two wins, but things just didn’t pan out for him in the Lockinge, albeit he still ran a solid race to finish fifth. His defeat of Native Trail at Newmarket before that is decent form, and we’re a much bigger price than that one here, so I hope we can outrun those odds.
He’ll have the blinkers on again and being drawn in 10 gives me options as to which side we might aim for. As you’d expect, there are plenty of classy rivals, with Modern Games and Inspiral worthy favourites, but if my fellow runs how he did at Newmarket, I think he could have place chances at least.
The second Group One over a mile today is the St James’s Palace Stakes, and with two Guineas winners lining up, it promises to be a proper test.
I was on the ‘wrong one’ at York last time, when Kathab finished third behind Mostabshir, but the latter did it nicely that day and earned his chance at the top level, when he could have had other options here this week.
MOSTABSHIR 🤩
Just like his siblings Nazeef and Mostahdaf, the John and Thady Gosden trainee looks remarkably talented as he wins under a penalty in the Darley Novice Stakes at York! 🙌🔵⚪️
— Shadwell Stud (@ShadwellStud) May 19, 2023
He progressed really well from his run in the Craven and if he could take another step forward here, I can see him bustling up the market leaders.
Good, quick ground will suit him, and with only three runs to his name, he’s still very unexposed. Similar comments apply to Cicero’s Gift, while my old friend Royal Scotsman will need to bounce back from a disappointing run last time.
Chaldean and Paddington clearly deserve plenty of respect, having both won Classics, but the three-year-old mile division is still wide open. This is where we find out how good Mostabshir could be, but I’m excited to be on him.
Zinc White was a surprise winner for me at Chester last month, but I’m delighted he’s got into this race at the bottom of the handicap.
That was his first run for Ian Williams, who tends to do well in these staying races, so hopefully there’s more to come. However, the going will be much quicker here, which leaves a question mark, and he’s gone up eight pounds.
If he does act on the ground though, we know he stays, and he’s still relatively lightly raced, so he could well play a part.
Jim
