The Doncaster day one runner whose rating has risen 35lb in four months - and might not be done improving yet

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During a week when the news agenda has understandably been dominated by off-track matters, it is now time for racing to put its front foot forward on the track as the four-day St Leger meeting kicks off. When perusing the Doncaster card, one horse in particular jumped out at me. 

After being beaten off a mark of 46 at Southwell in April, it would have been quite difficult to foresee what would happen next with Crowd Quake.

Despite some regal breeding at the hands of Godolphin – he is by Night Of Thunder out of a Group 3-winning dam, who is a half-sister to a Group 1 winner – Crowd Quake was sold for just 11,000gns as an unraced three-year-old last July to Stuart Williams, who undertook a project which is now reaping great reward.

One down-the-field run in a bumper for Julia Feilden followed before being permanently transferred to Williams' Diomed Stables, where his education continued with three forgettable efforts over five furlongs. 

Dropped another pound for that Southwell loss, Ray Dawson got him up to win at Windsor a week later – and seven wins and two seconds from his next nine starts through a prolific summer has seen his mark rise a whopping 36lb to the 81 which he races off in the last at Doncaster today (5.15).

“When we bought him, we thought there might be a horse in there somewhere," Williams said. "But we knew we needed to put about six months’ work into him to get him ready to go to the track."

Stuart Williams: 'We thought there might be a horse in there somewhere'Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

With no owners stepping forward to go on that journey with Williams, he took full ownership of Crowd Quake himself, a decision which looks better by the day, particularly after he picked up over £50,000 in prize-money for victories in two recent Racing League handicaps.

"He’d been turned out for the previous three months, so it took us a long time to be able to get him ready to run. And when he did get there, he was very green in his first few races. It was only really his fifth race when the penny started to drop and he’s progressed from there."

The impression is the handicapper may still not be near catching up to him either. His victory at Southwell two weeks ago earned him a Racing Post Rating of 87.

“He’s a nice-looking horse with a nice pedigree and he probably should have been operating then at the level he is now, but it’s just taken him a while to get there.

“He’s not an exuberant work horse at home and he must only be doing what he needs to on the track, otherwise he’d have won by a lot further on some of his runs earlier in the summer and shot really high up the handicap. In line with his pedigree, I hope he can still take us a bit further."

What about his chances today?

“There are plenty of runners and some lightly raced three-year-olds from bigger stables that will obviously test him," Williams said, "but he’s in great form and I’m happy to go there. The ground and track should suit and he gets on well with Marco [Ghiani], so we go with a lot of hope.”

Such winning streaks are not one-offs at the Williams yard. Two years ago, Quinault similarly bulldozed his way through the handicap scene, shooting from an initial rating of 59 to the 111 by his name now.

Quinault (far): runs at Doncaster on SaturdayCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

He struck at Group 3 level for the first time in June and, although he came up short when tried at the highest level for the first time in the City of York Stakes three weeks ago, Williams is hopeful of a return to form for the Park Stakes on the St Leger’s undercard on Saturday.

“They just went a little too fast last time in the City of York and some of them were probably just a little too good for him. Back down into a Group 2, I hope he can be competitive," the trainer mused.

While yesterday morning had been business as usual for Williams when The Front Runner caught up with him, he was just about to set off for Westminster with a cohort of Newmarket colleagues to protest against the government’s proposed tax measures which severely threaten the future of the sport.

“I think it’s so important for us to stand up for racing,” he said. “If they harmonise the tax rules with casinos, I just don’t see how racing carries on at the level it is at the moment.

“It’s the second biggest spectator sport in the country and they want to align us with casinos, some of whom are run by American-based firms with no interest in this country at all other than making money out of punters. I think it would be a very short-sighted move.”

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Three things to look out for on Monday . . .

1. Doncaster’s St Leger meeting kicks off with a pair of Group 2s, but by far the most valuable contest on the card is the £300,000 Weatherbys sales race (1.50). After enduring a difficult afternoon when filling in for Ryan Moore on Ballydoyle’s big guns at Longchamp on Sunday, Christophe Soumillon will be even more eager to impress when he rocks up to Town Moor to ride the favourite Brussels, one of his two mounts on the day. The Wootton Bassett colt renews rivalry with Jel Pepper after the pair finished fourth and third in the July Stakes behind Zavateri, who could have a handy form boost before his potential run in Sunday’s National Stakes at the Curragh.

Brussels13:50 Doncaster

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Jky: Christophe Soumillon Tnr: A P O'Brien

2. Two of the last three winners of the French 1,000 Guineas have won the Prix d’Aumale (3.05) as a juvenile so this Group 2 at Longchamp is well worth keeping an eye on this afternoon. Looking to follow in Blue Rose Cen and Zarigana’s footsteps is Princess Petrol for Ed Walker, who is always to be respected when he sends horses to France. After breaking her duck at Ascot in July, the St Mark’s Basilica filly was beaten only a neck by Godolphin’s Dance To The Music in the Sweet Solera. Her main rival is likely to be Green Spirit, who is unbeaten in three starts, had several of today’s opponents behind when landing a Group 3 on her most recent run, and whose jockey Maxime Guyon will bear the now familiar blue and white silks of Aventure and Sosie's owners Wertheimer and Frere.

Green Spirit15:05 Longchamp

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Jky: Maxime Guyon Tnr: Christopher Head

Princess Petrol15:05 Longchamp

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Jky: Kieran Shoemark Tnr: Ed Walker

3. Epsom’s afternoon fixture includes the Jump Jockeys Derby (3.18) and it may be an improving jumps horse who is the one to beat. Gary and Josh Moore did their best to steal Willie Mullins’ thunder on the final day of the 24/25 jumps season at Sandown in April when winning the opening two races, the first of which came courtesy of Give It To Me Oj. That was his third win in his last four starts over hurdles (the other being a fourth-placed effort in an Aintree Grade 1) and all of a sudden his Flat rating of 78 looks a lot more appealing. His regular partner Caoilin Quinn is able to keep the ride.

Give It To Me Oj15:18 Epsom

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Jky: Caoilin Quinn Tnr: Gary & Josh Moore

Read these next . . .

1.50 Doncaster: can Song Of The Clyde give Middleham Park a boost and give them a lucrative sales race double in £300,000 contest? 

2.25 Doncaster: Moon Target is Sir Mark Prescott's pride and joy - will she avenge her Goodwood defeat in the May Hill Stakes? 

3.00 Doncaster: the Gosdens hold the key once again but will it be three-year-olds or older horses who dominate the Park Hill? 

3.35 Doncaster: is First Principle another Crown Of Oaks? William Haggas on the hunt for more handicap success with unexposed three-year-old 

The Front Runner is our unmissable email newsletter available exclusively to Racing Post+ subscribers. Chris Cook provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday. Not a Racing Post+ subscriber? Join today and also receive our Ultimate Daily emails plus our full range of fantastic website and newspaper content.