Hector Crouch sits down with kwiff for the latest entry in our ‘The Life of a Jockey’ series, sitting out the next 8 days through suspension, and raring for a return ahead of next week’s St Leger meeting at Doncaster. Read on for his expert thoughts on last weekend’s placed horses from Sandown and Longchamp, as well as a look at this weekend’s Gp 1 card at Haydock.
The Life of a Jockey: Frustrating Weekend
They always joke on TV saying ‘he’ll be getting a holiday’ when a jockey looks like they might be getting a ban by the Stewards, and despite currently serving my eight days, my passport is firmly tucked away at home unfortunately. I’m still riding out at the yard of Ralph Beckett and Michael Bell’s twice a week, and timings just didn’t fall right for me to get away.
It will be interesting to watch the weekend’ action and, after August being the most prolific month of my career, I’m itching to get back in the saddle. I should be back riding on Friday, with a view to getting up to Donny for Day 2 of the St Leger meeting. Fingers crossed I can pick up a few more rides and stay up there for the last couple of days of the meeting over the weekend.
The Life of a Jockey: On a ‘Holiday’
It was a bittersweet weekend, with black type gained for two nice fillies in Doha and Stop the Cavalry both placed at Sandown and Longchamp respectively. The former ran a blinder when bidding to concede 6lb to the classy Tamfana – who was entitled to win given her rating of 112. The filly was narrowly beaten in both the English Guineas and French Oaks and deserved to get her head in front, but Doha likewise ran well – if anything just short of a bit of toe dropping back to a mile.
There was a lot to like about the run of Matauri Bay when second in the Gp 3 Atalanta Stakes, chasing home Field of Gold on just his second career start. I had planned of following Oisin aboard Royal Playwright, but that plan was thrown in the air early with the colt jinking left at the start, and giving our lad a bump in the process. We had to sit and suffer, on something of a learning curve for Matauri Bay.
It was his first time around a bend, and I was trying to get him to learn on the job in the process. We had to wait, before challenging late and staying on strongly to run the favourite close up the straight. It was a bit unfortunate the way the start of the race worked out and who knows, in different conditions it may have worked out differently. He’s a smashing horse, and I think connections are likely to be eyeing up Gp 1 entries towards the end of the season. He’s entitled to take his chance.
The Life of a Jockey: Weekend Racing
There’s good racing at Haydock this weekend, which I am naturally disappointed to be missing out on. I would have been likely to have been there riding the Valmont gelding Hutchence in the 1m 6f Handicap, chasing the hat-trick after victories at Salisbury and Newbury. He wore first-time blinkers when scoring at the former, and stayed on well to follow-up from a 8lb higher mark last time out. We still think he can improve further and the first-time visor should help him concentrate more. He has a great chance to make it three on the bounce.
The feature Gp 1 Sprint Cup looks a competitive renewal, but Sheikh Mohammed Obaid looks to have a strong hand with Insherin and Elite Status trained by Kevin Ryan and Karl Burke respectively at the head of the market. I was very taken with the latter in both Newbury victories earlier in the season and, on his preferred type of ground, I think he’s got a terrific chance of claiming Group 1 honours under Clifford Lee.
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