Hector Crouch has a busy weekend, spending Saturday at Chester before hotfooting it across The Pennines for the fourth and final day of Doncaster’s St Leger Meeting. Read his exclusive preview as he looks at all this weekend’s rides.
Hector Crouch: September 11th 2026 Preview
Last weekend was a touch disappointing with Coppull never really handling the ground in The Haydock Sprint Cup. He was drawn on the ‘wrong’ side of the track, and never really was able to get into something of a rhythm. I think he’ll be put away now and brought back next season when he gets his ground.
Hector Crouch: Saturday at Chester
The first of 7 rides on Saturday starts with Master Vintner (1.30), who should like the ground in the Listed Stand Cup Stakes. He should appreciate conditions but the William Haggas trained Dubai Honour should win bar an accident.
The Brian Ellison trained Tashkhan (2.05) has lost his way a little this season, and was winning around here from a 10lb higher mark a few years ago. He’s another to love the likely testing conditions and with court form to his name should be a threat if rediscovering the best of his old form.
Hiram Bingham (2.40) should improve for a bit more juice in the ground, but has shown little on his first two starts to suggest he can trouble the 82-rated Night Star or the Newmarket trained pair of Regency Royal and National Pride.
Jennie Candish’s Towelontheterrace (3.20) is the only course winner in the 5f Nursery and is well drawn in stall 4 to follow-up and claim a second Chester success. He was better than the bare result when beaten just six lengths in a warm York nursery at last month’s Ebor Festival. His form prior to that was rock solid and he seems to have a good chance from a mark of 81.
Alan King’s Wisper (3.50) was a good winner on her seasonal debut at Windsor, and has run well subsequently in warm handicaps at Windsor and Goodwood. A mile and a quarter on good-to-soft ground is probably her optimum conditions and she will have a great chance providing she gets a strong gallop to aim at.
I don’t think Vidmiyr (4.30) liked the fast ground encountered last time out at Doncaster, with his best form arguably when third here on soft ground at the track back in June. The winner and the runner-up have both won since and he should go close stepping up in trip from just a pound higher mark.
My third Candish runner of the afternoon comes with the 4yo Midnight Strike (5.10) in the second division of the mile handicap. He likes to be ridden handy, so fingers crossed we get across from stall eight and make plenty of use of him.
Hector Crouch: Sunday at Doncaster
I’m at Doncaster for the fourth and final day of Doncaster’s St Leger Meeting on Sunday, with touchwood a very good book of rides. George Boughey’s Asuka (1.55) should have a very good chance based on his third last time out Chester when a beaten favourite with me on the winner that day in Whip Cracker.
Chester can be tricky if the breaks don’t come and he could probably be classed as an unlucky loser on the day. With a good draw, and conditions to suit, he looks to have a great chance.
If you ignore the run of Langstsone (2.30) in The Britannia, he’s a very progressive 3yo who remains open to much further improvement with just 5 career starts to his name. His second to subsequent 100+ rated Blue Courvoisier reads very well and he’s sure to relish the likely soft ground on Town Moore. There’s hopefully more to come from a revised mark of 92.
Providing the ground has soft in the title I am hopeful that Forty Years On (3.05) will be very hard to beat in the feature Group 3 Sceptre Stakes. She was brilliant when getting her ground a couple of weeks ago at Goodwood, when dotting up from a mark of 96. Her revised mark of 105 means that she’s well up to this sort of level and as long as the ground doesn’t dry out too much I think she’s got a fantastic chance of completing the hat-trick.
Ruth Carr’s Kinetic Force (4.15) looks to be a 5f specialist, and is worth chancing again after a disappointing run last time out at Thirsk. He was beaten less than four lengths in a bid to follow-up a recent course success there but given a break and freshened up may now have more to offer.
Please note that the information provided in this Hector Crouch: Glorious Goodwood 2026 article is for entertainment purposes only. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided. Any action you take upon the information on this article is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any losses and damages in connection with the use of our article. We do not encourage gambling and remind you to gamble responsibly.
18+ | BeGambleAware.org
