Jim Crowley Champions Day thoughts: 'He could be in a different class here'

Coral ambassador Jim Crowley gives his thoughts ahead of the much-anticipated Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday, with the jockey still out of action as he recovers from a fall at York last month.

• Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup - 12.55 race odds

• Qipco British Champions Day Two-Year-Old Conditions Stakes - 1.30 race odds

• Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes - 2.05 race odds

• Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes - 2.45 race odds

• Queen Elizabeth II Stakes - 3.25 race odds

• Qipco Champion Stakes - 4.05 race odds

• Balmoral Handicap - 4.40 race odds

This promises to be a brilliant day, with the ground better than it often is at this time of year, and that means we have some big fields to get stuck into, although this opener is the one race that hasn’t attracted many runners, and as a result I do think Trawlerman will just win.

He’s an Ascot Gold Cup winner, so we know how classy he is, and unless this became really tactical and he got boxed in for example, and that’s unlikely with a small field, I can’t see him getting beaten. Sweet William chased him home at York, and has won at Doncaster since, and he can complete the forecast here.

A new race, and an ideal looking one for Words Of Truth, who as a gelding is limited as to the races he can run in so this big prize has come along at just the right time for him, and he can give Godolphin a quick double. He’s three from three since being gelded, and he looked good winning the Mill Reef Stakes last time. 

Division makes a quick reappearance having won at York last weekend, but he’s still rated nine pounds lower than the favourite, and I don’t see him making that sort of improvement. William Buick’s mount deserves to be odds-on, and he’d be the one I’d want to ride.

This is wide open, and sums up the sprinting scene this season, when no horse has won more than one of the Group Ones over five or six furlongs. Lazzat looked good when winning here at the Royal meeting, but he’s lost both starts since, although on that summer course form has a major chance here. Big Mojo beat him at Haydock last time, but I think he enjoyed track position and the run of the race that day, and he’s not certain to beat him again.

The two I like are Montassib and No Half Measures. The former has had only one run since this race last year, but he ran well over an inadequate five furlongs at Newbury and that should tee him up for this. And No Half Measures was a worthy winner of the July Cup, and had no luck in the Haydock Sprint Cup, so I can ignore that run.

The favourite, Kalpana, ran in the Arc, so this is a big ask to come out again so soon, whereas Estrange missed Longchamp and will be fresh for this. The latter was beaten by Minnie Hauk at York, but she got closer to her than Kalpana did in the Arc, and I’d want to be on the fresher filly. Waardah is a lovely filly I’ve ridden before, but she just may need a little bit softer surface than she’ll get here to be at her best.

I want to take on the favourite, Field Of Gold, here. He’s undoubtedly brilliant at his best, but after that Sussex Stakes setback and fairly long absence, that leaves enough of a question mark that I can look elsewhere.

Rosallion has had little luck this year, he perhaps got too far behind at Goodwood [behind Qirat in the Sussex Stakes], was then drawn out wide over an inadequate seven furlongs at York, and then beaten on the nod in the Prix du Moulin. He can make amends here.

Never So Brave is an each-way alternative. He won the race at York I mentioned, and Maranoa Charlie has franked that form since when winning a Group 1 on Arc day. He’s also got decent Ascot form.

A fascinating tactical race in prospect, with Godolphin and Ballydoyle running pacemakers for Ombudsman and Delacroix. The score is one all between these two so far this season, although Ombudsman was a much more clear cut winner at York than Delacroix had been at Sandown, although Delacroix didn't have a lot of luck in running in the Coral-Eclipse and still won.

I know plenty of people thought the race at York was messy, with the pacemaker going off a long way in front, but ultimately Ombudsman was good enough to pick him up and go on and win convincingly, so I do think he's the best horse in this race over this trip.

I say over this trip, because I think Calandagan is the better horse over a mile and a half. I beat him in this race last year on Anmaat, so he has got the speed to be competitive over ten furlongs, but in this company it might just be on the short side for him. I'd be surprised if anything other than these three was good enough to be involved in the finish, but as I say it's going to be fascinating from a tactical perspective, and I can't wait to watch how it unfolds.

I think Crown Of Oaks could be in a different class here. I rode in the race he won at Ascot two starts ago, he pulled far too hard but still won as he liked. He was third in Ireland after that, but that was over ten furlongs which I’m not sure suited, so back to a mile here I think he’ll take a world of beating. He’s off a mark of 99 here, and he could be ten pounds better than that at least in time.  

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