Jim Crowley Royal Ascot Day Four blog: 'Cox knows a top class sprinter when he's got one'

Jim Crowley is back with another exclusive Coral blog, with the world class jockey previewing his rides on Day Four of Royal Ascot 2024.

This is a ride I have been looking forward to for a while, and he’s a horse I’ve liked since I rode him to win the July Stakes at Newmarket last summer. He didn’t add to that victory as a 2-y-o, but failed to settle in two subsequent races – both Group Ones - so it was very pleasing to be back on him at Ascot last month, where we won the Commonwealth Cup Trial over the big race course and distance.

He seems to be a more mature horse now, and settled much better last time, and he’s won on good to firm so the ground is no concern. There should be plenty of pace early on, and that should give us a target to aim at from a good draw in stall five. Clive Cox is a top class trainer who knows a good sprinter when he’s got one, and he’s very happy with him, so I think we go here with a major chance.

I’ve ridden War Rooms on three of his four starts, and he’s a horse I think plenty of, even if he hasn’t shown quite as much as we’d hoped so far this season. 

That said, he did move forward from his Sandown reappearance to finish third in the Dante, and I think a step up in trip to a mile and a half here could really suit him.

At one stage we thought he could be a Derby horse, and we’ve got faith in him still, and although this looks a decent race, if he takes to the trip as we hope, he could have an each-way chance at decent odds.

Another ride this week I’ve been looking forward to, although he’s done all his racing over six furlongs so far, I’m sure five furlongs will suit, and possibly be even more up his street. He won well for me at Doncaster last time, that was on good to firm so the quick going here will be no problem.  

It’s a stiff five furlongs here, by which I mean the uphill finish really tests these sprinters, so the fact my fellow gets six is only a positive, and in a typically big field I think we can be right in the mix, and with a bit of luck, go very close.

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