Group 1 winning jockey Hector Crouch is Newbury and Sandown rides and is back with his kwiff weekend preview in search of more winners.
Hector Crouch Weekend Preview: August 28th 2025
Hector Crouch Weekend Preview: Thursday (Newbury)
There’s some nice juveniles on display at Newbury on Thursday evening, including debutants Because We Can and I’mnotinlove for the yards of Clive Cox and Ollie Cole respectively. Both are nice prospects but are likely to benefit from the experience of a run under their belts. Stuart Kittow’s Sunny Corner (6.25) was a nice winner of a good handicap last time out at Salisbury and could be well-treated from just a 2lb rise at the weights.
Ed Dunlop’s Kokanee (7.30) struggled with a 4lb rise after winning on handicap debut on his seasonal reappearance at Beverley but ran very well over course and distance last time out at Sandown and is worth chanced from a pound lower mark. Ed’s string remains in good nick and he remains relatively unexposed with just six career starts.
Hector Crouch Weekend Preview: Friday (Sandown)
There’s a good book of rides at Sandown with Dark Sovereign (3.15) likely to come on for a promising debut a couple of weeks ago at Doncaster. The well-bred son of Dark Angel will have learnt a lot from his outing on Town Moor and is entitled to improve for trainer Ralph Beckett and owners Valmont Racing.
Stablemate Man of La Mancha (3.50) has been the model of consistency this season, winning at Windsor on handicap debut and improving through the handicap all summer. He has placed here over a mile, and a little bit further, relishing Sandown’s stiff finish, and can hopefully defy the burden of top weight in what looks to be a competitive mile handicap.
Any rain will help the chances of Hughie Morrison’s Azahara Palace (4.58) who I rode to victory last month at Epsom to start a quick-fire treble at the track. She relished the soft ground that day and clearly stays further but should be fine dropping back to a mile and a quarter and will benefit from the track’s trademark stiff finish.
Hector Crouch Weekend Preview: Saturday (Sandown)
I’m back at Sandown for two good rides, starting with Skellet (2.25) in the Gp 3 Atalanta Stakes over a mile. The filly was good to me last season, with us winning a good listed race here at the track last September. She will relish Sandown’s stiff mile and can be excused for finishing down the field on her belated return on Derby Day in June. She can be excused for that Epsom run, when the yard were probably not 100% firing, and I think she can bounce back here.
The 7yo Gaassee (3.00) did well to win an Apprentice Handicap last time out at Haydock, and gets a chance to follow-up stepped up in grade for the Class 2 Handicap. He looks to have improved for the drop back in trip to a mile and a quarter, fifth at Newmarket and then winning last time out, and can hopefully follow-up from a 5lb rise at the weights.
Alan King’s Deedaydiva (4.10) shaped well on debut at Newmarket and can build on that ahead of the 7f Maiden Fillies’ Stakes. The well-bred daughter of Churchill is one of just a couple in the field with the benefit of experience,and can hopefully get the better of the exciting newcomers from the Varian, Gosden and Appleby yards respectively.
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