Classic winning jockey Hector Crouch is aboard November Handicap favourite Valvano on Saturday. Read his exclusive thoughts for kwiff ahead of Saturday’s flat finale.
Hector Crouch: Saturday at Doncaster
It was great to ride a treble last Saturday at Newmarket, my first at HQ, including a nice winner with Smoken in the feature Fillies’ Listed Stakes over a mile. It’s one thing to have rides in good races, but it’s another to have good chances of winning nice pots. Fortunately, this year in particular has seen the quality of horse I ride increase accordingly, and I’m very grateful to the owners and trainers for riding such good horses.
Hector Crouch: Newmarket Treble
Another to score last weekend was Bright Times Ahead, making a winning debut in the silks of Mrs Doreen Tabor. She hails from a good family and was entitled to make a successful start, but the manner of her performance was very impressive. She will hopefully be capable of grabbing some black type next season.
Stablemate Smoken got the mile well again and will hopefully winter well en route to potentially reappearing in a classic trial you would think. She looks to have plenty of class and plenty of stamina. The last leg of the treble was Pressure’s On, who I made all on – at the guidance of trainer Ed Dunlop. Ed has been very good to me this season and it’s great to ride winners for.
Hector Crouch: November Handicap
Saturday’s feature – on the flat at least – is The November Handicap and I’m fortunate to ride Valvano for Ralph and Valmont, stepping up to a mile and a half for the first time. He looks a nice horse earlier in the season when running the 2000 Guineas winner to a few lengths at Kempton, before suffering something of a setback.
I was very disappointed with his return at Salisbury after a break, where he probably wasn’t quite as fit as we’d liked, and bumped into a very good horse on the day. Military Academy got a good ride by Tom Marquand on the day, and franked the form further with success in The Listed Floodlit Stakes at Kempton midweek.
Valvano ran really well when third at York’s Ebor Meeting, when feeling the pinch early and off the bridle before staying on under pressure. That for me showed he would be happy stepping up in trip and I’m very much looking forward to seeing him take his chance from a mark of 97. Fingers crossed we avoid any hard luck stories in-running because with 23 runners these races can often prove rather messy!
Hector Crouch: Vicario
My other ride on the card is Vicario in The Wentworth Stakes and despite being as big as 66/1, I don’t think she’s that much of an outsider. She has plenty of stamina so a testing six furlongs on soft ground could see her catch a couple of these out. It would be great to get some black type for connections.
Hector Crouch: Season 2024
We’re onto 74 winners for the year, compared to 82 for 2023, so we’ve got 9 winners to better last year’s tally. That’s the aim with 7 weeks to go, so hopefully we can kick on and reach the big 8-3. A winner at Donny on Saturday would help with that!
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