Group 1 winning jockey Hector Crouch is back with kwiff, looking at his weekend rides at Goodwood, Newmarket and Pontefract. Read his exclusive thoughts below.
Hector Crouch: Big Weekend Rides, June 20th 2025
Hector Crouch: Royal Ascot 2025
Royal Ascot was slightly disappointing, with everything seemingly going wrong during my short stay at the royal meeting. Society Kiss was my best chance of a winner there, but lost all chance when badly sideswiped leaving the stalls. She’s still a nice filly, beaten just seven lengths, but that race can be seen as something of a write off.
Another I wouldn’t completely give up on was Feigning Madness who had absolutely zero luck in the Stayers’ Handicap on the Tuesday. They went steady early on, which turned the race into something of a farce. We had to go wide to try and make up ground, and it just never happened. That was his first run in a handicap however, and there’s a lot to like still. I could see him going for the 2m 5f race at Glorious Goodwood at the end of next month.
Hector Crouch: Weekend Rides (Friday)
Goodwood is tonight’s port of call, with a good book of rides starting with Proof (5.20) for trainer Charlie Hills in the opening 5f Maiden. The form of Blue Orbit’s second last time out at Chepstow has been franked with the winner and the third winning on their next starts, but there was a lot to like about Proof’s second on debut at Salisbury and he should be suited by the return to the minimum trip.
My best chance for a winner looks to be New York Minute (5.52) stepping up in trip for his handicap debut. The well-bred sort has been a bit unlucky in a trio of maidens and is bred to be a lot better than a 71-rated handicapper. I rode his nearest market rival Babylon when he was third at Salisbury two weeks and I was a bit disappointed in him. Fingers crossed New York MInute can make a winning handicap debut on his first start over a mile and a half.
Just An Hour (6.30) showed a very likeable attitude to score last time out at Leicester and looks to have a very good chance in his bid to follow-up from a 2lb rise at the weights. I’ll probably bustle him out early and try and be prominent on him – he likes to be ridden aggressively so I’ll look to make plenty use of him.
It’s a bit of a fact-finding mission with Majestic Leo (7.03) bidding to shed the maiden tag at the fourth time of asking. He has first-time cheek-piece to hopefully get him to concentrate better, but Andrew Balding’s 84-rated Way of Stars will be very tough to beat if he runs to the form he has shown in his three starts so far this term.
Sea to Sky (7.38) shouldn’t be as big as 14/1 after a couple of admittedly disappointing runs so far this season. She won her maiden well over a mile, and did well to get some black type when third in a listed race on ground probably softer than ideal at Newbury at the end of the season. A mile on good ground should be right up her street and she is worth chancing again back in calmer waters.
Hector Crouch: Weekend Rides (Saturday)
Saturday means a short trip to Newmarket for four rides, two of which for trainer Marco Botti, including Sunset On Leros (2.38) in the 7f Novice Stakes. He has it all to do against a couple of nice last time out winners, but he’s for a lovely bunch of owners and boasts a nice pedigree.
Stablemate Scattering Light (5.05) should take all the beating in the 6f Handicap if able to replicate her recent runner-up effort at Windsor. The well-bred filly should appreciate the forecast quick ground and should go well from just a pound higher mark.
Another with good form around Windsor is Buccabay (3.45) who won around there two starts ago, before disappointing last time out Doncaster. A replication of that prior effort should see him remain competitive. Merrijig (4.25) looked in need of the run on his seasonal reappearance at Chelmsford, and needs to step up markedly on his best for to be competitive in the 1m 6f Handicap.
Hector Crouch: Weekend Rides (Sunday)
Ponte Carlo is my destination on Sunday for the Listed Castle Fillies’ Stakes where Allonsy (3.40) can hopefully get her season back on track after running in much stronger company at Goodwood and York respectively. Back in calmer waters, this ultra-consistent filly looks well-placed to get her head back in front at the West Yorkshire track.
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