Jim Crowley: He should go very close after his Newbury win
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Jockey and Coral ambassador Jim Crowley discusses the chances of his five rides at Haydock on Saturday.
My first ride on a busy day is on Kathab, a horse I’ve always liked, and who deserved to get his head in front last time, albeit in a race he was fully entitled to win. He’s a big, long-striding galloper, so Haydock’s long straight should really suit him, as will this going.
As I say, I’ve always thought plenty of him, and he perhaps didn’t progress early on this season as I would have hoped, but now he’s got his head in front, it could do his confidence the world of good, and if he can improve again, it’s not hard to see him being involved at the business end.
Al Aasy is a horse who’s been called a few names in the past, but I’ve always had a soft spot for him, and at his best he’s run some massive races in top company. We dropped him back in trip to 10 furlongs last time, and that really helped him, he’s not short of pace and he ultimately ended up winning well at Newbury.
That was a Listed race, so he’s stepping up a level to Group 3 here, and as you’d expect it’s a more competitive looking race, but again, the track and ground will suit him, and if he’s in the form he was at Newbury – and there’s no reason why he won’t be – he should go very close.
I rode So Farhh So Good two runs ago, since when she’s come out and run a nice race to finish third at Newbury. She’s a bit quirky, but if she can repeat her effort from last time, she’s slightly better off at the weights with Khinjani than she was that day, and that could be enough to give her a decent chance here.
Mukaddamah ran a massive race to finish second to a nice type at York last time, that was over an extended mile and a quarter and I’m not sure she quite got home, so dropping back to a mile should suit her perfectly. She can be a bit slowly away, so if I can get a good early position, I think she will run a nice race.
My agent looks to have found me a nice spare in this mile handicap. No Barrier has been consistent all season, and while he’s yet to get his head in front, he gets weight from most of these, and he’s versatile in terms of going, so he’d look to have a good each-way chance at the very least.
Jim
