Jockey Hector Crouch is excited at the ever closer start of the British turf season that starts next weekend at Doncaster however before then is in action on the all-weather with rides at Wolverhampton and Southwell. Read his exclusive thoughts in his latest diary with kwiff.
Hector Crouch: Huge AW Preview, March 20th 2026
It’s very much a case of business as usual at present, and head down and keep doing the hard work whilst the new turf season is upon us once more. I’ve been working hard over the winter, riding plenty of winners on the all-weather and riding out at the likes of Ralph Beckett and Michael Bell twice a week.
Hector Crouch: Spring in the Air
Both trainers have been very good to me, and I expect both will have very successful seasons – touchwood that is. I rode a nice winner for Michael in the week, and have a good ride for him on Saturday at Southwell.
This season should hopefully prove a bit more successful than the last – we had plenty of winners and the volume was there, just not perhaps the level of Group winners and indeed Group 1 winners that I had perhaps hoped for at the start of the year. We’ve got some nice 3yos coming back at Ralph’s and I’d like to think we can better last year’s tally still and having a few more very good winners. We’ll definitely be trying!
Hector Crouch: Friday at Wolverhampton
There’s two rides for me at Wolverhampton on Friday starting with the well-backed Latin (5.30) in the mile and a half handicap for the yard of James Owen. He has run fantastically well over the winter, winning four times since joining new connections and looked to stay when upped in trip last time out to a mile and a quarter. He’s now just 2lb above his last winning mark, and is sure to be there or thereabouts if he stays when stepped up in trip.
My other ride is Dragon King (8.00) who has been well-supposed in the 7f Handicap for trainer Clive Cox and Middleham Park Racing. He ran well to score on his penultimate start and was probably the most ‘unlucky loser’ on the card when second last time out at Newcastle in a fierce tailwind. It was impossible for anything to come from off the pace that day, but he went close when losing by just a head that day. From an unrevised mark I think he has very strong claims.
Hector Crouch: Saturday at Southwell
I’ve just the one ride at Southwell on Saturday with Timber Twelve (2.53) bidding to defy a penalty in the Novice Stakes over a mile. He won going away on debut at Kempton, which I think was a bit of a pleasant surprise to connections towards the end of last season. He looks a potentially very nice horse and I expect him to follow-up despite the less-than-ideal draw of stall 9 of 9.
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