Hector Crouch hopes his work behind the scenes aboard last year’s Derby runner-up Ambiente Friendly can pay dividends when he rides him in public for the first time at Newmarket today.
The 28-year-old will become the fifth rider to partner the son of Gleneagles, who will make his stable debut for trainer James Owen in the bet365 Earl Of Sefton Stakes.
After filling the runner-up spot in the mile-and-a-half Classic at Epsom Downs in June The Gredley Family-owned colt, who at the time was trained by James Fanshawe, then finished third in the Irish Derby at the Curragh later in the month.
However, he failed to fire when dropped back to a mile-and-a-quarter in the Juddmonte International, before trailing home last off five on his final start of the campaign, upped back to a mile and a half, in the Prix Niel at Longchamp.
Although Ambiente Friendly has something to prove returned to nine furlongs Crouch believes his fire still burns brightly.
Crouch said: “He is a lovely spare ride to pick up.
Obviously we are on the comeback trail as we are trying to rebuild him a little bit from the back end in France last year.
I’ve been doing a lot of his work this spring, but we only started up a little while ago, and although nothing was officially said, it has worked out nicely that I’ve secured the ride.
“He has had a switch of yards over the winter, but he seems in good order and hopefully he can put up a good performance dropping back down in trip, and class, and show his true colours once again.”
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