Jockey Hector Crouch is Hamburg bound looking for further Group 1 honours this weekend as Derby 4th Bay of Brilliance heads to Baden Baden for the German Derby. Read his exclusive preview of this weekend’s racing from Sandown, Newmarket and Sunday’s trip to Deutschland.
Hector Crouch Weekend Preview: Germany Derby Glory
There was another couple of doubles in the last week, with a nice double at Newmarket last Friday, followed by one at Salisbury midweek. Gone By won nicely on handicap debut from 90, and will hopefully get some black type by the end of the season. I picked up a nice spare on Irish raider Alaskan Bear winning the 6f Novice in good style. He had previously races in group company over at The Curragh, and was entitled to win dropping down in class, and did it nicely.
Hector Crouch Weekend Preview: Friday at Sandown
Sandown is always a nice place to start a juvenile and I’m looking forward to seeing The Balearic Sun (3.00) making his debut this afternoon. He’s a well-related sort, being a Lope de Vega half-brother to Andrew Balding’s useful stayer Berkshire Rocco. This lad has plenty of speed about him however, so I don’t seem him running over further just yet. We like him.
Charlie Johnston’s Lazy Griff is likely to take all the beating in the Listed Coral Marathon, and shaped as a potentially smart stayer. He is the class horse in the race after placing in both Epsom and Irish Derbies last season and looks a nice animal for connections.
I ride Lady Vivian (4.10) who can hopefully pick up some valuable black type, and seems the type to hopefully improve for the step up in trip. She wasn’t beaten far when fourth in listed company last time out over in Germany, and will like both the track and the ground here at Sandown.
Ed Walker’s Thursday Girl (5.15) is very interesting on her handicap debut, stepping up in trip to a mile for the first time. She gets 9lb from her elders, and should go well based on her pair of runner-up efforts since returning from a break. She’s got a very good chance.
Hector Crouch Weekend Preview: Saturday at Newmarket
A good book of rides at Newmarket starts with Wedontelllies (1.30) in the opening 5f Handicap. He’s been progressive since switched handicapping, and deserved to get his head in front when scoring over this trip a few starts back at Goodwood. He hasn’t been beaten far in subsequent handicaps at Epsom and Goodwood, and should be able to bounce back now back on a sounder surface.
I seem to have a good record when riding for trainer David Menusier and hope to continue that when take the mount on Lopeo (2.05). He had some good form last season as a 2yo and has improved since returning from a break, and has improved for consecutive races upped in trip. He has improved for running on better ground and should keep on galloping Saturday on The July Course.
The Ribblesdale Stakes was a bit of an anticlimax for Lady Roisia (2.40) who unseated me leaving the stalls at Royal Ascot, and bids to bounce back in the Gp 2 Lancashire Oaks rerouted from Haydock. Her mother was certainly a horse that improved for the step up in trip, and she continues to progress nicely with her races. Sir Mark Prescott’s Tiffany is a deserved favourite and is the best horse in the race, but I’d just worry about her running on ground as fast as this.
Klassleader could be absolutely chucked-in for the Old Newton Cup, now 8lb higher for winning at York’s Dante Meeting. He seems skinny enough at the prices, and I’m quite sweet on my ride Elsass (3.15) creeping in at the foot of the weights. He’s looked good in back-to-back wins at Southwell and Hamilton, staying on strongly to win well last time out. A 12lb rise in the weights seems fine and I think he’s the type to really take to Newmarket’s July Course.
Golden Long (3.50) has done well for trainer Lemos Souza since joining from a stint in Hong Kong, winning a nice handicap at Windsor on his penultimate start. The ground will have been too slow for him last time out at Newbury, and he should bounce back on Newmarket’s likely good-to-firm ground.
The market will likely make I’ll Be Back a warm favourite for the finale, but I’d worry about him on ground as quick as this at Newmarket, and think he might be vulnerable on his first start in handicap company. He impressed in both novice successes on slow ground, but this will be a different kettle of fish and I think my lad Winding Stream (5.00) will go under the radar.
He was thrown in at the deep end when a big price for the Classic Trial here, when looking not to stay and bettered that when 9th dropping back in trip for The Britannia at Royal Ascot. The drop back to 7f should suit and he should go well for a yard that have won 2 of the last 3 runnings here.
Hector Crouch Weekend Preview: Germany Derby
Bay of Brilliance opted to miss The Curragh in favour for Sunday’s trip to Germany, and given how last weekend’s race panned out I’m hoping we made the right decision. He was narrowly beaten in The Lingfield Derby Trial, and then bettered that when fourth at Epsom on ground that was probably softer than ideal.
He had a very hard race at Epsom but looks a classy sort and should go well. Gostam is the likely favourite, who needs to bounce back from a disappointing effort in the French Derby but Bay of Brilliance is in good form, has a nice draw in stall 6 (of 20) and I wouldn’t swap him for anything else.
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