Jim Crowley Saturday rides blog: 'I'm happy to ignore his last run on that ground'

A full book of rides at my local track, so hopefully I can add to the century of course winners I reached during Glorious Goodwood. 

Swift Winds stepped up from five furlongs on debut to win over seven furlongs at Brighton on her second start, she was a surprise winner that day but seemed to relish the extra distance, so although this won’t be easy carrying a penalty, hopefully she will enjoy going up again in trip to a mile here, and as she acted well around Brighton, she should handle Goodwood no problem.

Mudbir was my 100th winner at the track, we had to survive a stewards’ enquiry that day as he does tend to lose concentration a little bit and he just ran around with me. He’s a talented horse, and going the right way, and he’ll have sheepskin nosebands on here, which should definitely help him concentrate.

We were drawn in stall one last time, which is a big advantage over seven furlongs here, this time we’re in 12, so I’ll have to take my time on him, it’s not a good draw but we’ll have to make the best of it, and he’s a ride I’m very much looking forward to.

Crystal Flyer was a winner at this meeting last year, so we know she enjoys the track and gets the trip well. She has had a couple of goes in listed and group company, as connections look to earn her some black type, but hopefully she will find life easier back in handicap company, and she is only two pounds higher than her last winning mark, so not without a chance in a small field, although Prince Of The Seas won’t be easy to beat.

This is a beautifully bred filly the team purchased at the sales a couple of years ago. She’s had a couple of runs and has improved for them, although she is still learning her trade. We had to make the running at Nottingham last time, which probably wasn’t ideal, but she would have learned plenty from it. She should take another step forward here, and that could put her in the mix.

Wicked won well on his handicap debut at Sandown in May, and was then not unfancied for a handicap during Glorious Goodwood. Unfortunately that was the day the heavens opened, and he just got stuck in the very rain-softened conditions, so I’m happy to ignore that run. Back on a sounder surface he could go well as I’m sure there’s more to come from him for powerful connections.

Like Crystal Flyer this one is trained by Tom Ward, and like that one he is also a course and distance winner. He’s run well enough since then without winning, and is just a pound higher than that winning mark, so although this is a trappy looking race, I hope he can run somewhere near the level he did in May on ground he will like.

Desert Cop ran really well for connections during the winter in Bahrain, although he’s been out of his depth in races like the Wokingham and Stewards’ Cup since then. He’s back to five furlongs here, and he should appreciate the drop in grade, so can’t be discounted for a trainer [George Baker] who loves this track almost as much as I do!

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