Hector Crouch becomes racecourse ambassador

Born and raised in Chichester, Crouch started out on the pony-racing circuit at the age of 14 years old, and subsequently followed the highly successful pathway in British racing pursuing amateur race riding on the point-to-point circuit before taking out his apprentice license in 2016.

Learning to ride ponies before he could ride a bike, he has enjoyed a rapid ascent through the race riding ranks which was evident with last year’s race riding campaign - the most fruitful yet amassing 64 winners and over half a million pounds in prizemoney.

Closely associated with leading trainers in the South East, Gary Moore and Ralph Beckett, the now Pulborough based jockey was successful at Goodwood Racecourse in last season’s listed Foundation Stakes aboard Victory Chimes, having earlier in the season enjoyed his first success at Royal Ascot aboard Surefire in the King George V Stakes.

Patience is a virtue and something that separates the 25-year-old from his weighing room colleagues. Over the winter he focused his attentions overseas riding for the powerful Saeed Bin Suroor team with Desert Fire providing him with a first Group 2 at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. In the process he got the better of globetrotting star and former winner of the Qatar Sussex Stakes, Lord Glitters – this was undoubtedly Crouch’s highest profile success of a fledgling career. 

Hector Crouch commented; “As one of my local tracks, it is a real honour to be an ambassador for the 2022 season.”

“The Qatar Goodwood Festival in particular, is one of my favourite racing festivals during the British Flat season, I grew up racing there it’s unique and there’s nowhere quite like it in the world.

“I have always taken inspiration from Ryan Moore; he is a jockey I very much admire and he’s always wonderful at offering advice.

“I’m really looking forward to a couple of nice young horses this season both at Clive Cox’s and Ralph Beckett’s, it’s hard to pick a standout but I would love to see Bullace bounce back after a promising start to his campaign last season. He has been gelded over the winter and hopefully will be back to his best.”

The role as Goodwood Racecourse Ambassador will see Crouch involved in promoting all Goodwood Racecourse fixtures, alongside joining the panel for the Members’ Preview Night. Tickets and hospitality are on sale across all 19 fixtures that make up the 2022 flat race season at Goodwood Racecourse.