Jim Crowley blog: 'He looks the one to beat'

Jim Crowley is back with another exclusive Coral blog, with the leading jockey previewing his ride on Saturday at York and also gives his thoughts on the big race at Ascot.

Alflaila has a record of two wins and a dead heat for second in three runs at York, including a win in this race twelve months ago, so we know he goes well at the track, and that’s a real positive at a track that some horses just do not seem to take to. His last two runs have been at Group One level, and he finished fifth in the Irish Champion, and fourth in the Prince Of Wales’s at Royal Ascot, so both of those runs look strong.

Ideally we’d have got a run into him before Ascot, but we just ran out of time with him, so to finish just over three lengths behind Auguste Rodin that day was a really good effort, particularly as the race didn’t go all that smoothly for us.  

Passenger looks our big rival here, he won well at Chester, and Israr gave that win a form boost when he won for me at the Royal meeting, but my fellow is rated a pound higher, and that feels right to me, as I do think he’s the one to beat. I certainly hope he is anyway!

I mentioned how Alflaila finished behind Auguste Rodin at the Royal meeting, and that one is favourite for Ascot’s big race. That’s fair enough as he is a superstar at his best, but equally he is capable of throwing in a stinker, as he did in the King George last year.

Bluestocking is second favourite, and fillies and mares have a decent recent record in this, with Taghrooda and Enable winning it, while the form of her trainer, Ralph Beckett, is another big positive, while the favourite’s stablemate Luxembourg can’t be dismissed after his Coronation Cup win.

However the one I’d choose to ride is Rebel’s Romance. He’s a big strong gelding who gets the trip well and goes on all ground. Because he has done all of his big race winning overseas I think he's been a little bit overlooked here, but I think there will be plenty of pace in the race, which William Buick can follow, and I can see his mount finishing the race very strongly.

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