Jim Crowley Blog | Epsom Oaks Day
05 Jun 2025
Coral Racing Ambassador, Jim Crowley, previews his three rides on the first day of the Derby Meeting at Epsom, including his thoughts on his mount in the Group 1 Oaks, Elwateen.
15:15 Epsom – Mutaawid
As a full brother to the brilliant Mostahdaf, it’s fair to say Mutaawid has been a little bit testing at times, as we know he has the ability, he just wasn’t always showing it. At Newmarket last time we had a change of tactics, put blinkers on him, raced him prominently, and he ran away with the race, scoring by six lengths.
There were only six runners that day, so this will be a harder race to dominate from the front, but talent-wise, I know he’s the best horse in the race, and we are drawn well in stall five. We don’t have to make the running, but we will be prominent.
He has gone up ten pounds for the Newmarket win, which is a real hammering, so off a new mark of 103 he will almost have to be a Group horse to win this, which on breeding we can hope he is, but the rise will not make life easy here. However, I hope we have found the key to him now, and if so, he could well go in again despite the extra weight.
16:00 Epsom – Elwateen
I’ve been looking forward to this ever since the 1000 Guineas, where she ran a cracking race to finish fourth on just her second career start. I came in after that race and the first thing I said to connections was the Oaks would be her race, so I’m delighted she has been added to the field. I hope we can repay that faith.
This filly and the winner [Desert Flower] were the only two fillies who really galloped all the way to the line at Newmarket, it really was a massive run for such an inexperienced filly. I’ve ridden her in work since then, and think she has taken a really big step forward. She should stay a mile and a half, she gives me that feel, and on breeding she should stay a mile and a quarter easily, so I would be very confident she will get the mile and a half at Epsom.
We’re drawn well in five, she’s well-balanced, and has a great mind, plus any further rain will only play to her strengths, so I am really excited about this race. Desert Flower is a worthy favourite, she is unbeaten, but does need to prove she stays, and Aidan O’Brien’s trio have to be respected, but I would not swap my filly for any of them.
17:10 Epsom – Samuel Colt
Samuel Colt is having just his second start for Amanda [Perrett] since switching from Aidan O’Brien and he carries top weight here as a result of his form when trained in Ireland. He finished down the field at Kempton before Christmas, but I’m sure the team have learned plenty about him, and we can expect him to improve for this return to action.
The Epsom Derby Preview
With 19 runners, this is the biggest Derby field for over 20 years, but I’m not sure that means it’s packed full of quality, and the betting shows there are a handful of big priced outsiders, and while one of them could run in the first four or five, I’d be amazed if the winner wasn’t one of the runners towards the head of the betting.
If the Guineas winner [Ruling Court] stays, he has a massive chance from stall seven, while Pride Of Arras won the Dante well, and can’t be discounted despite his high draw. You write off an Aidan O’Brien runner at your peril despite a bad run last time, but even so, it’s hard to see The Lion In Winter improving enough from his Dante run to win this, although I don’t think the widest draw of 19 is as bad as being drawn lowest of all in stall one.
The Lion In Winter has also been overlooked by Ryan Moore, he rides DELACROIX, and I can understand that as he’d be my choice if I had to make it. He’s won his two trials well, he’s gone the route Aidan used back in the day with Galileo and High Chaparral, and of all the leading contenders he looks the one with least question marks against him.
Jim Crowley, Coral Racing Ambassador
15:15 Epsom – Mutaawid
As a full brother to the brilliant Mostahdaf, it’s fair to say Mutaawid has been a little bit testing at times, as we know he has the ability, he just wasn’t always showing it. At Newmarket last time we had a change of tactics, put blinkers on him, raced him prominently, and he ran away with the race, scoring by six lengths.
There were only six runners that day, so this will be a harder race to dominate from the front, but talent-wise, I know he’s the best horse in the race, and we are drawn well in stall five. We don’t have to make the running, but we will be prominent.
He has gone up ten pounds for the Newmarket win, which is a real hammering, so off a new mark of 103 he will almost have to be a Group horse to win this, which on breeding we can hope he is, but the rise will not make life easy here. However, I hope we have found the key to him now, and if so, he could well go in again despite the extra weight.
16:00 Epsom – Elwateen
I’ve been looking forward to this ever since the 1000 Guineas, where she ran a cracking race to finish fourth on just her second career start. I came in after that race and the first thing I said to connections was the Oaks would be her race, so I’m delighted she has been added to the field. I hope we can repay that faith.
This filly and the winner [Desert Flower] were the only two fillies who really galloped all the way to the line at Newmarket, it really was a massive run for such an inexperienced filly. I’ve ridden her in work since then, and think she has taken a really big step forward. She should stay a mile and a half, she gives me that feel, and on breeding she should stay a mile and a quarter easily, so I would be very confident she will get the mile and a half at Epsom.
We’re drawn well in five, she’s well-balanced, and has a great mind, plus any further rain will only play to her strengths, so I am really excited about this race. Desert Flower is a worthy favourite, she is unbeaten, but does need to prove she stays, and Aidan O’Brien’s trio have to be respected, but I would not swap my filly for any of them.
17:10 Epsom – Samuel Colt
Samuel Colt is having just his second start for Amanda [Perrett] since switching from Aidan O’Brien and he carries top weight here as a result of his form when trained in Ireland. He finished down the field at Kempton before Christmas, but I’m sure the team have learned plenty about him, and we can expect him to improve for this return to action.
The Epsom Derby Preview
With 19 runners, this is the biggest Derby field for over 20 years, but I’m not sure that means it’s packed full of quality, and the betting shows there are a handful of big priced outsiders, and while one of them could run in the first four or five, I’d be amazed if the winner wasn’t one of the runners towards the head of the betting.
If the Guineas winner [Ruling Court] stays, he has a massive chance from stall seven, while Pride Of Arras won the Dante well, and can’t be discounted despite his high draw. You write off an Aidan O’Brien runner at your peril despite a bad run last time, but even so, it’s hard to see The Lion In Winter improving enough from his Dante run to win this, although I don’t think the widest draw of 19 is as bad as being drawn lowest of all in stall one.
The Lion In Winter has also been overlooked by Ryan Moore, he rides DELACROIX, and I can understand that as he’d be my choice if I had to make it. He’s won his two trials well, he’s gone the route Aidan used back in the day with Galileo and High Chaparral, and of all the leading contenders he looks the one with least question marks against him.
Jim Crowley, Coral Racing Ambassador
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