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Yahoo Sport UK columnist - Jim Cowley: Time for Sleepy
Bet4Causes brand ambassador Jim Crowley reflects on the Royal meeting and in his exclusive Racing Plus and Yahoo Sport UK column, provides insight into on his rides at Ascot on Saturday and over the next few days…
Royal Ascot 2016 provided some great highlights, particularly for Adam Kirby.
He became a father just hours before riding the first of two Group One winners at the meeting and, understandably, he was emotional in the post-race TV interview.
Adam is a better man than he is a jockey – and he’s a brilliant jockey.
So I don’t think there was one person in the weighing room who wasn’t delighted for him when he came home in front on Profitable for Clive Cox in the King’s Stand (below), just hours after his girlfriend Megan gave birth to their son, Charlie.
Adam is a great lad, always helpful to the media and fans of the sport, and would do anything for anyone. He deserves all the success going.
It could not have been a better week for him when he won his second Group One, again for Clive, aboard My Dream Boat in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes on Wednesday.
If you did not know it already, that jockey-trainer combination is a match for anyone.
I was pleased for horse as well. Incidentally, I rode his sire, Lord Shanakill, who won the Prix Jean Prat in 2009 for Karl Burke. He is now at stud in Pennsylvania. The horse, not Karl!
Despite the soft ground – you have to feel so sorry for clerk of the course Chris Stickels, who does a tremendous job – there were some startling performances. Lady Aurelia looked a superstar in romping away with the Queen Mary and Ardad scorched home in the Windsor Castle.
Caravaggio looked very impressive in the Coventry and he wasn’t stopping when he hit the front in the easy ground. There is no doubt, even at this early stage, he might develop into Classic material.
Abe Lincoln (below, right) was the highlight for me. It was a case of so near, but yet so far in the Britannia Handicap as Jeremy Noseda’s colt ran an absolute blinder in ground he did not like, coming alone down the centre of the track. He was in front a stride after the line.
The ground was very much against Manson in the same race. He was 19th of the 28 runners in the end, but he could develop into a smart handicapper. Dominic Ffrench Davis is planning on sending him to the Secretariat Stakes at Arlington in Chicago in August. He will have his day before too long.
I was also delighted with We Are Ninety, who was beaten just over three lengths in the Ribblesdale. There is more to come from Hugo Palmer’s filly, I am sure.
While I haven’t had a winner at the Royal meeting this week, I still have a couple of chances today.
Not So Sleepy (3.05) will have a good chance in the Wolferton Handicap. Last year I won the Dee Stakes on him in very soft ground at Chester for Hughie Morrison (below) and then he ran well at Windsor when finishing in front of Fascinating Rock, who went on to win the Champions Stakes.
He ran a fine race on his return behind Time Test at Sandown and he would be my best chance of a winner.
Seaside Sizzler (5.35) has run well in the Queen Alexandra for William Knight a couple of times and stays well. He won’t mind any cut in the ground and perhaps he’d have an each-way chance if things fall right.
Sunday best
I am up at Pontefract tomorrow, where I partner Pumblechook (2.40) for Lucy Wadham. I’ve been looking forward to riding this full brother to Chinese White, who won the 1m2f Irish Pretty Polly Stakes (Group One) in 2010, since he made his debut when third to Wings Of Desire at Wolverhampton.
It could be a good afternoon, as I also ride Duretto (3.40) for Andrew Balding in a Listed 1m4f handicap. He lost a hind shoe at Epsom and he would have a decent chance of gaining compensation for missing the cut at Ascot this week.
Kindly (5.10) was a winner for Simon Crisford at Chelmsford last time and I hope she can follow up on her handicap debut off a mark of 75. She is a progressive filly and I quite like her.
On Monday I’m at Windsor where I ride Sixties Groove (8.20) for Jeremy Noseda. He won nicely at Kempton when stepped up in trip to 1m3f, but he has gone up 8lb for a length victory which seems a little excessive. He is getting his act together now and hopefully he will go in again, as he doesn’t mind any cut in the ground.
At Leicester on Tuesday I ride Hearty (6.10) for Jeremy Noseda, who won last time out in soft ground at Lingfield. He is quite a lazy horse who will only give you what you ask for, but he could run well.
Rule change may take time to bed in
THERE is a new rule that jockeys feel might take a while to bed in.
With the support of the Jockeys’ Association, Andrea Atzeni and solicitor Rory Mac Neice, on Thursday I went to the BHA to appeal a four-day ban handed down by the Nottingham stewards. They had deemed I had committed an improper riding offence, having angled out to get a run on Aristocles, who won a 1m6f handicap on June 1.
To keep it simple, let’s just say there is a fine line between improper and careless riding. A jockey’s job is to do his best for connections and the betting public.
The BHA found that there was “an important and unfortunate discrepancy between the Rule as drafted, and as set out in the booklet used by officials on the racecourse. Clarification is needed as a matter of urgency so that there is alignment between the Rule Book and the Guide”.
So thanks to Andrea, Rory and the Jockeys’ Association, I am free to ride next week.
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