Tag Archive for: Humidity

Humidity coming to the boil for hot-looking Vintage Stakes

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Royal Ascot scorer Humidity will attempt to turn up the heat on his rivals when he puts both his unbeaten record and growing reputation on the line in the Coral Vintage Stakes at Goodwood on Tuesday.

Andrew Balding’s son of Ulysses excelled from the front when winning the Chesham Stakes and although the form of that race has taken the odd knock since, connections are hopeful they have identified the perfect Group Two spot for the exciting youngster to cement his position near the top of the juvenile ranks.

“I loved the way he did it at Ascot and he was just lolloping along and James (Doyle) felt if someone had come to him he would have picked up and gone again,” said Richard Brown, racing adviser for owners Wathnan Racing.

“The form has taken a few whacks which would make you nervous, but he did it in great style at Ascot and it makes you excited to seeing him go again.

“He’s drawn 10 which might be a bit wider than ideal, but hopefully he can get out and get striding.

“I’m sure we’ll try to go forward with him, but it’s not like he has to make the running and he’s a really relaxed horse who has a very big stride and I think he will be fine.”

Also arriving with a 100 per cent record from two starts is Eve Johnson Houghton’s Zavateri, who renews July Stakes rivalry with Ed Walker’s Do Or Do Not having fought out the finish at Newmarket last month.

Both colts are stepping up in trip here, something Johnson Houghton believes will bring improvement from Zavateri.

Zavateri in the parade ring after winning the July Stakes
Zavateri in the parade ring after winning the July Stakes (Steven Paston for The Jockey Club)

“He’s been in very good form since Newmarket and won the July Stakes impressively,” said Johnson Houghton.

“I know he’s got a 3lb penalty now, but we think that won’t be a problem to him and we’ve always thought he wanted further so this was the obvious next step for him.”

Aidan O’Brien has won this three times in the past, with Highland Reel his most notable graduate, and this time he relies on Dorset, who has caught the eye both in defeat on debut and when returned to the Curragh to open his account next time.

O’Brien said: “We think he’s come forward from the last day and it will be interesting to see.”

Dorset is joined from Ireland in the line-up by Joseph O’Brien’s Coventry Stakes fourth Andab, who has not only had the misfortune of bumping into an on-song Gstaad but also Albert Einstein since a clear-cut winner on debut.

Dorset in winning action at the Curragh
Dorset in winning action at the Curragh (Brian Lawless/PA)

David Menuisier’s Goodwood Galaxy, Richard Hannon’s Gharma Sutra and Hugo Palmer’s Laureate Crown have all raced once, won once and step up in grade, with the latter given the chance to emulate subsequent Classic hero Galileo Gold who won this for Palmer 10 year’s ago.

Charlie Johnston’s Vincenzo Peruggia showed marked improvement when off the mark at the second time of asking, while John and Thady Gosden’s Haydock winner Morris Dancer.

Temperature rising for Humidity at Goodwood

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Humidity will bid to crank up the heat on his rivals once again on his next start, as the impressive Royal Ascot winner forms part of what will be a stellar Wathnan Racing team for the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

A winner in the colours of Cheveley Park Stud at Newbury on debut, Andrew Balding’s son of Ulysses dazzled on his first start for his new owners with his Chesham success and will now take the next step up the juvenile ladder for the Group Two Coral Vintage Stakes on the Sussex Downs.

“He’s a lovely colt and I loved the way his ears were flicking about in front,” said Wathnan’s racing adviser Richard Brown.

“I thought James Doyle gave him a brilliant ride as it’s hard to make all on a two-year-old and win from the front, but he got every fraction right and there was still plenty in the tank as he was flicking his ears all the way along and in particularly in the last furlong.

“We were delighted and he’s a colt with a good future. He’s come out of it well and with Goodwood being an important meeting for Wathnan as it’s supported by Qatar he will head to the Vintage Stakes.”

Joining Humidity for the owners at the meeting is fellow Ascot scorer French Master who is set for a step up in class for one of the meeting’s highlights, the Group One Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup.

John and Thady Gosden’s Copper Horse Stakes winner thrived in first-time blinkers in Berkshire and will now return to a track he has already tasted success at this term – claiming a race that was once won by Wathnan original Courage Mon Ami – on his penultimate start.

French Master stormed home at Ascot
French Master stormed home at Ascot (John Walton/PA)

“I saw French Master at John and Thady’s a couple of days ago and he looked to have come out of Ascot in great nick,” continued Brown.

“He’d raced on and off the bridle on his previous start at Goodwood and it was actually Rab (Robert Havlin) who suggested to put some headgear on and I think it just helped him focus during the race. I don’t think he needs the help at the finish as he’s a very genuine horse, it’s just during the race he needed it.

“You had to be impressed with the performance and he’s going to have to step forward again to go from a handicap to a Group One but it was a top performance and we’re going to pitch him in the Goodwood Cup and see where we are at.”

Humidity too much for Chesham rivals

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Humidity made his rivals feel the heat in the Chesham Stakes thanks to a fine front-running ride from James Doyle at Royal Ascot.

Trained by Andrew Balding, he was an impressive winner in the colours of Cheveley Park Stud over six furlongs at Newbury on debut, but transferred to the ownership of Wathnan Racing ahead of stepping up to seven furlongs for this Listed event.

Humidity (4-1) was quickly away and never passed by his rivals, showing great resolve when challenged late in the day to replicate his brother Holloway Boy, who won this contest on debut at the 2022 Royal meeting.

Balding said: “I am so pleased and at the beginning of the week we felt this horse was probably our strongest chance.

“He’s a lovely horse who had to battle hard today, and he’s done nothing wrong. I would hope he would stay further, but he’s not short of speed either. This was always the plan but we will now work back from something nice in the autumn.

“He’s so laid back. I’m a big fan of Ulysses – I think he’s an under-rated stallion, so this is good for him and we’ve got a couple of other nice horses by him, but he (Humidity) is an absolute dude, very relaxed.

“I think he could be a Guineas horse. He’s not short of speed and he’s got a lovely long stride, so he’s got a bright future.”

Coral make Humidity a 14-1 shot for next year’s 2000 Guineas.

Thesecretadversary followed Humidity home a length adrift at 12-1, with trainer Fozzy Stack predicting a bright future for the son of St Mark’s Basilica.

“He ran a great race. It’s annoying we didn’t get there, but he ran a great race,” said Stack.

“He’s been very straightforward, he’s always looked a bit above average from the minute we started doing a bit with him.

“I know he’s quite colourful, but he’s actually a very good model. Seamie (Heffernan, jockey) was delighted with him, he said he has the pace of a good horse, he feels he will mature in time.

“We have all the options, we can run back at a maiden, we can keep pitching in at a higher level, we will see.”