Khaloosy keeps up remarkable run for Crowley

Graham Clark
June 18, 2020 7:01 pm

Varian also in unstoppable form with Britannia winner.

Khaloosy ran out an emphatic winner of the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot to give the meeting’s leading jockey Jim Crowley his sixth winner of the week.

It was a fourth for trainer Roger Varian and a sixth winner for owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum.

Overwrite took the 22 runners along until Andrea Atzeni brought the strongly-fancied Finest Sound to lead – but he was immediately challenged by Khaloosy (9-2).

The 11-4 favourite was quickly brushed aside as Khaloosy swept clear to score by four and a half lengths. Cherokee Trail was another four lengths back in third, with Enemy a head away in fourth.

Varian said: “I think I’m going to pinch myself in a minute and I’ll wake up.

“We’ve always liked him, but he’s not flashy at home. I have to credit John Lowe (ex-jockey) who rides him every morning. He’s been happy with his work. He had a little setback a month ago which prevented a prep race, but it was maybe a blessing in disguise.

“He came here in good form, we were a little worried about the ground but he’s won well.

“If you saw his win at Wolverhampton he won that in good style and went into the winter as one we were looking forward to, but it’s been such a funny start to the season we haven’t been able to judge any of them easily.

“He won in the style of a horse with a big future. He’s got a great pedigree that goes back to Nathaniel and Great Heavens so he’s got the blood to be a good horse.

“I think that will be it for handicaps.”

He added: “This is right up there (as one of the best days) as this is the hardest place to get winners so to get three in a day and four in a week is great.

“We’ve still got some nice horses to run, but we might have used up all our luck. At least we know they are healthy and in good form.”

Crowley said: “He won really well. It was a good training performance to win first time up.

“He loved the ground, I got a great tow into the race and he took me there easy. He put it to bed quickly, I was concerned he might get tired but he kept going well.

“I knew I had a good book of rides, but this is such a hard place to ride winners you have to make the most of it.”