Jim Crowley Saturday rides blog: 'It could be a blessing in disguise'

Jim Crowley has five rides at Haydock on Saturday (May 31, 2025), previewing them in his latest exclusive blog with Coral.

I’ve not ridden this fellow before, but he’s a very experienced handicapper who was a good winner at Pontefract last month. They keep him busy as he’s run three times since then, finishing down the field at York on his most recent one, albeit it was a decent enough run in a good race. If he can properly see out this trip, he certainly won’t lack for fitness and could have an each-way chance.

Jasour is a talented horse who has run well in Group One company, with a third in the Commonwealth Cup and sixth in the July Cup his best efforts at that level, but he’s always been a headstrong horse, so he’s dropping back to listed class here as we look to get him back to winning ways.

He’s had wind surgery over the winter, I’ve ridden him in work this spring, and he feels great, but he does need to settle much better, at Newmarket in the July Cup he pulled my arms out and still finished sixth, so the talent is there. He was due to run at Salisbury last weekend over six furlongs, but had the slightest hiccup and had to wait for this instead, but I think that could be a blessing, as a quick five furlongs could really suit him. He’s an exciting horse and I’m looking forward to this.

This filly has done most of her racing on ground with some ease in it, but she’s got enough form in the book on good ground to think this will be fine for her. She’s had a race this season to blow away the cobwebs, and while she is an outsider here and needs to take a big step forward, she’s not without some ability.

Alyanaabi was a high-class 2-y-o, finishing second to City Of Troy in the Dewhurst, and then he ran fifth in the following season’s 2,000 Guineas, so he has plenty of ability. He was stepped up in trip on his last two runs last year, which he didn’t really take to, and having been gelded over the winter, I was pushing for him to drop back in trip this year, so I was delighted when he won well here over seven furlongs earlier this month.

We’re up against proper Group One horses in Audience and Kinross, we’re rated nine pounds lower than Audience but run off level weights, so he faces a tough task, but I’m sure my fellow has plenty more to come, he’s a younger horse than his two big rivals so I hope there is improvement in him and we can run a big race.

I won on this horse twice last year, at Chester and Goodwood, and he was a tough and progressive horse all year. He’s stepping up a furlong here but a year older, he should get the mile no problem. He’s versatile ground-wise, and while he’s sure to come on for this first run of the season, Ed’s horses are going well and so can this fellow. 

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