Crowley Calls It: “Muntazah is a decent horse. It’s a good little race”

Epsom Icon is carrying top weight here. She hasn’t won since winning the Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom last year. She’s come down in the handicap since. She went to Dubai and it didn’t really happen for her over there. It might be hard to give a lot of weight away to this field. There are a couple of progressive horses down the bottom of the weights. I like Aristocratic, Sir Michael Stoute’s  filly. Our horse has 9 stone 10 pounds and she’s running against another four year old, Aristocratic, with 8 stone 9 pounds, and she looks like she’s on the way up so it’s going to be a tough assignment. Hopefully she’ll run well anyway.

4.00 Ascot – Hors De Combat

This is a good solid horse. He’s another who went out to Dubai and he ran really well out there being placed a few times. Races like the Victoria Cup are not easy races to win but he’s a good solid horse and I’m sure he’ll run his race.

When it comes to these big field races at Ascot it all depends on where you are drawn. We are drawn 22 tomorrow which is over on the stands side. It then depends where the pace in the race is. You can be riding the favourite in a race like this and be drawn on the wrong side and you can’t win. It’s not easy.

5.10 Ascot – Storm Melody

I rode this horse on his first ever start for Jonjo. I haven’t ridden him since. He won three starts ago. It’s a competitive race and we’re drawn in 2. It’s nice to be back riding for Jonjo. I used to ride a few jumpers for him now and again. He’s a great man to ride for. He never ties you down to instructions and is one of the nicest people you could wish to ride for.

I’m on my travels next week. At the moment it looks as if I’ll be off to Wetherby on Monday, then to Beverley on Tuesday, and then three days at York. It’s a proper Yorkshire tour. I’ll probably come back with a flat cap and a whippet. I will stay up most of the time but I might be doing Newmarket on Thursday night but will know more when the entries are out and we see what’s what.  Then at the weekend there is loads of racing everywhere. The main meeting is the Lockinge and I have options in that but we will have to see later in the week.

Jim