Tag Archive for: Newbury

Monday Musings: Dazzling Doubles

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There are doubles and then there are doubles, writes Tony Stafford, with a couple on Saturday courtesy of trainers Richard Spencer and Richard Hannon bordering on the absurd.

How else could you describe the feat of Spencer in winning both the Ayr Gold and Silver Cups (in reverse time order) within just over an hour, in each case with a horse making all the running over the tough six furlongs in testing ground, denying 24 other smart sprint handicappers on either occasion?

Spencer might well take the plaudits for having the two horses in prime form, respectively Candy (Silver) smoothly as a well-backed 8/1 shot with plenty in hand; and Run Boy Run, in a rather more contested finish in the Gold Cup. But behind the trainer there lurks a master planner.

Both horses of course are owned by Phil Cunningham, Spencer’s employer at Sefton Lodge stables in Newmarket. He admitted to having never been to Ayr before but was at the entire three-day meeting and in time for Thursday’s stalls draw for the two features. You can say the research paid off. Phil’s policy of targeting the biggest meetings this year has been handsomely rewarded, and he has been in attendance at them far more often than in the past.

What I liked most about Ayr on Saturday was the fact that none of the 50 horses declared and securing their place in the two valuable sprints – there was £92k on the line for the Gold Cup – was withdrawn, which is a rarity these days. Nobody was left wishing their horse had been, in their connections’ view, unfairly denied a run in one or other of the races.

The times were almost identical, the lesser (in terms of prizemoney, £33k) Silver Cup run in 0.25 sec faster. Maybe the effect of pounding hooves earlier on the yielding turf equated to that time difference – there’s no question though that Candy, winner of the valuable Redcar Gold Trophy last October as well as a course and distance nursery at this meeting twelve months ago, could have a massive future. Graduates of so many of this year’s Group sprints have gone to erstwhile handicappers.

Candy was an auction buy for Spencer and Cunningham, but even more pleasure will have been gained by Run Boy Run, not just a home-bred but also a son of his own stallion Rajasinghe, the Coventry Stakes winner for the owner who stands at the National Stud.

At one time Phil was even offering free coverings by the stallion as a way to getting Rajasinghe’s name onto racecards. The success of Run Boy Run and the team’s Stewards’ Cup winner Two Tribes, a creditable tenth in Saturday’s big race, will prove another boost to the stallion’s appeal.

A small side bar. For years I’ve been wondering why Peter Charalambous would not send his brilliant Apollo One from the Portland, second again the week before last, to Ayr, but he’s waiting for Ascot and the Group race he won last year. Run Boy Run was two places behind him at Doncaster.

The National Stud must be at its most optimistic for many years. Rajasinghe is doing his stuff with limited opportunities, but recent Group 1 winner Diego Velazguez will be joining him after having won the biggest mile feature of the summer in France, the Prix Jacques Le Marois for the Aidan O’Brien stable at Deauville late last month.

I tried to squeeze numbers out of Sam Sangster who brokered the deal, but he remained coy. One opinion related a seven-figure (of course) sum with a sizeable contingency and that secondary requirement has already been met with the Deauville success which makes him a six-time winner on top of his massive yearling price.

One number Sam will not be disputing is the £82k he bid to secure Oceans Four, trained by long-standing associate Brian Meehan in the popular Family Amusements colours. I thought the decision to drop him back a place after being beaten an inch in the Solario Stakes was pedantic in the extreme by the Sandown stewards and I was delighted that he picked up his own Group 3 prize at Chantilly on Saturday – and 30-odd grand too.

But to return to the doubles. How on earth could a juvenile from the Richard Hannon stable, junior or senior before him, be allowed to start at 125/1? It happened though at junior’s local course on Saturday. Richard and the entire family were understandably thinking of his mother, who died last Monday, and saw this win at the family’s favourite track as highly meaningful.

The winner was Night Patrol, fast away in the middle of the pack and comfortably in front until challenged by two opponents in the final 100 yards. The way he stuck out his neck and outstayed his rivals, well on top at the finish, augurs well for his future.

Hannon added to that with a mere 18/1 shot in the next race on the Newbury card, a seven-furlong handicap. Here, former Hannon stable apprentice Tom Marquand had the ride on the four-year-old Christian David and employed opposite tactics, holding up the son of Profitable at the back of the field. He came with a late rattle and got the better of fellow 18/1 shot Tarkhan who had fulfilled the pacemaking role here.  Just the 2,393/1 double for Hannon stable Newbury adherents!

They also raced on Saturday at Newmarket. If you were looking out for a potential winner of the Cesarewitch, staged at the big Dewhurst meeting next month, you shouldn’t really be looking normally at the Trial for that race.

But if anyone would be capable of doing the double it would be one of those Irish enfants terribles, Tony Martin or Charles Byrnes, close to the wind sailors both, and highly capable of landing a punt when and where it’s wanted.

Martin was nowhere to be seen, so it was on Byrnes that the responsibility fell to maintain Ireland’s domination of our staying handicaps. Andrew Balding, prolific everywhere of late, bravely tried to swim against the green tide, but Belgravian, his 11/8 favourite could fare no better than third, with Byrnes, Henry de Bromhead and Peter Fahey, filling the one-two-four.

Well, a more accurate analysis was that “daylight” was second, third and fourth as Reverand Hubert, ridden by Harry Davies, easily romped eight lengths clear. He finished in the ruck last year in the big one and isn’t yet a certain starter next month but Byrnes hopes his penalty will get him in the final line-up. Could be another Irish benefit, and that’s without worrying about the Wilie Mullins hordes!

- TS

Mill Reef beckons for Into The Sky

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Jim Boyle has a return to Newbury for the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef in mind for his runaway debut winner Into The Sky.

The Starman colt made a serious impression when taking to the racecourse for the first time last week, cruising to a seven-and-a-half-length victory at 80-1.

With plenty of well-bred, costly purchases behind him, the 25,000 guinea buy very much caught the eye and is pencilled in for a step up in grade back at Newbury later this season, for which he would need supplementing at a cost of £6250.

“The most likely race for him now would be the Mill Reef at Newbury on the 20th of September,” said Boyle.

“He’s come out of his race grand, we’re very happy with him. Visually it was extremely impressive and that was backed up by the time.

“You couldn’t fail to be pleased with that, we’re just looking forward to his next run and hoping he can back it up.

“We’ve never had a two-year-old of the sort of quality that we’d be looking to go to the Mill Reef with any degree of expectation.”

Into The Sky’s early promise is another feather in the cap of the sire Starman, whose earlier progeny have been excelling on the racecourse.

Boyle said: “I have another Starman in the yard, he’s a lot more backward and may not see the track this year but he’ll be a smashing horse for next year.”

More Thunder keeps up winning momentum in Hungerford Stakes

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More Thunder continued his brilliant summer when powering home for an impressive victory in the Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes at Newbury.

Only an agonising Royal Ascot defeat in the Wokingham counts as a slight blot on the copybook of William Haggas’ four-year-old this season. He was scoring for the fourth time in a campaign which has seen him now successfully climb the ladder into Group company.

Sent off the 6-4 favourite after landing the spoils in the Bunbury Cup last month, Tom Marquand had More Thunder in his customary position away from the pace as Hackwood Stakes winner Rage Of Bamby and Lennox Stakes victor Witness Stand disputed the it and led the runners into the closing stages.

However, the complexion of the race changed once Marquand eased his mount into top gear, weaving his way to the front with half a furlong to run before darting clear in tremendous fashion late on.

More Thunder finished two and a quarter lengths clear of Witness Stand who kept on gamely for second and Marvelman a head further back in third.

Haggas said: “He’s progressing well and I was very pleased with him today, he won well.

“I still don’t really know what his best trip is, but he seems to be getting better anyway and he was strong at the finish today, he wasn’t stopping.

“I think he’s quite effective if not at his best on slower ground and he’s been fun. He’s done very well and beat a horse who won a good race last time, so hopefully the form is strong and he’s won comfortably so I’m delighted.”

Jockey Tom Marquand with More Thunder at Newbury
Jockey Tom Marquand with More Thunder at Newbury (Steven Paston/PA)

More Thunder holds a host of high-ranking entries at distances ranging from six furlongs to a mile later in the season and with Group Two honours secured, the Somerville Lodge handler raised the possibility of stepping up to the highest level before the year is out.

“I would say all options are open for him,” continued Haggas. “We’re in everything from six furlongs to a mile and he’s won a Group Two now so we’ve got to go for another Group Two or a Group One and it will just depend on how many more races we’re going to give him this season.

“He won at both the Craven and the Guineas meeting so he has been on the go for a while so we will have to see.

“We need to make plans, will he retire or race again as a five-year-old? So we’ve got lots to think about – but it’s nice thinking.”

Furthur returns to winning ways with Geoffrey Freer triumph

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Furthur put himself in the Betfred St Leger picture when making an impressive return to Newbury in the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing Geoffrey Freer Stakes.

A winner at the Berkshire track at the beginning of the season, Andrew Balding’s colt would go on to run with credit behind dual Derby hero Lambourn when fifth in the Chester Vase and then took the runner-up spot in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot.

He left a disappointing display at Newmarket’s July Festival behind here, with Oisin Murphy taking full advantage of the gap presented up the inside rail to send the 13-2 chance on to an impressive three-length win over David O’Meara’s 3-1 joint-favourite Epic Poet.

Coral cut the winner to 14-1 for the final Classic of the season at Doncaster on September 13, with Balding confirming that would be his intended next target.

He said: “That was much more like it and for whatever reason he was really disappointing in the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket last time.

“I think it’s because I probably ran him back too soon after Ascot, but that was pleasing to see him settle nicely and then quicken like he did.

“We’re hoping we’ll be heading towards the Leger now, that seems the logical next step and he’s proved he’s worthy of his place there. The nice thing is he seems to handle any ground and we’ll hopefully be in good shape at Doncaster.”

Hollywoood Treasure takes starring role at Newbury

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Kevin Philippart de Foy secured his biggest success since being installed as principle trainer for Amo Racing when Hollywood Treasure came out on top in a blockbuster finish to the Sequoia Hair & Spirit St Hugh’s Stakes at Newbury.

An impressive winner at Wolverhampton on debut for Amo’s previous Freemason Lodge incumbent Raphael Freire, the daughter of Gregorian was sent off 16-1 to double her tally in the Listed event, with fellow Amo-owned contender and Queen Mary runner-up Flowerhead the even-money favourite.

Rowan Scott was aboard the perceived Amo second string and while both runners in the silks of Kia Joorabchian’s racing organisation were involved at the finish, it was Hollywood Treasure who finished strongest to edge out Eve Johnson Houghton’s Palmeira by a neck, with Flowerhead a further head adrift in third.

Philippart de Foy was thrilled to see the filly continue her progress and said: “I’m delighted and Raphael did a brilliant job with the filly at the beginning of the season and then I’ve taken over and kept on doing the good work he started.

“She showed a lot of ability first time out and she showed the turn of foot once again there. I’m delighted for connections and obviously it’s great to win a good race like this for Amo Racing.

“It’s always easier when you have good ammunition and we inherited a great bunch of horses. This is the level we want to be targeting and the kind of races we want to be winning, so it’s a good start and hopefully we can keep building on this.”

Hollywood Treasure looks a smart prospect
Hollywood Treasure looks a smart prospect (Jonathan Brady/PA)

On future plans, Philippart de Foy added: “Hopefully she will have a bright future and we don’t have a huge amount of options between now and the end of the year.

“I want to keep her over five furlongs and she will need some decent ground. We will have to sit down and see what there is and it could all depend on ground conditions over the next couple of months.”

Pinhole aiming to justify connections’ faith in Geoffrey Freer

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Having got his season back on track in some style at Ascot last month, Ralph Beckett’s Pinhole again dips his toe into Group-race waters in the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing Geoffrey Freer Stakes.

The Frankel colt looked an exciting prospect when winning at Southwell at the backend of his juvenile year, but any dreams of Epsom were put to bed after he finished a well-held fourth behind the subsequent dual Derby winner Lambourn on his return in the Chester Vase.

He disappointed as a joint-favourite for the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot on his next start, but made the most of having his sights lowered when bolting up in first-time cheek pieces on his handicap debut three weeks ago, earning him a return to Group Three level at Newbury on Saturday.

Barry Mahon, racing manager for owner-breeders Juddmonte, said: “He was obviously an easy winner the last day and the handicapper has forced our hand to head back into Group company, so we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do.

“He’s a horse we always felt was up to this sort of level, hopefully it’s not coming too soon for him.

“He’s a big horse and probably still a little on the weak side. We started out with Derby ambitions and the form of the Chester Vase has obviously worked out very well, but the Derby was coming too early in his life. Let’s hope we can get back on track at Group-race level.”

Pinhole’s five rivals include the William Haggas-trained Candleford, who was last seen finishing third behind high-class stablemate Al Aasy in the Glorious Stakes at Goodwood and Ambiente Friendly, who was one place and just under two lengths adrift of Candleford two weeks ago.

His trainer James Owen said: “He worked nicely on Tuesday morning and he’s taken a step forward from Goodwood, so I think gelding him is definitely helping.

“It’s small steps but I feel I’m getting him back into form. I think if you watch his races, even at Goodwood, in the last 15 yards he’s beginning to stay on again and I just think he needs to give himself chance to get these longer trips, then I do think he will stay well.

“He’s getting better at home and he’s improved the last twice on the track. Sean D Bowen did a great job with him the last day and rode him very well and I think that was the most settled he has been for a long time.”

The Haggas-trained More Thunder is the potential star attraction in other Group race on the card – the Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes.

Tom Marquand on More Thunder after winning the bet365 Bunbury Cup at Newmarket
Tom Marquand on More Thunder after winning the bet365 Bunbury Cup at Newmarket (Joe Giddens/PA)

The four-year-old has won three of his four starts since moving across Newmarket after Sir Michael Stoute’s retirement and he is perhaps unlucky not to be unbeaten, having just failed to reel in Get It in the Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot.

He bounced back to winning ways in Newmarket’s Bunbury Cup last month and now gets the chance to showcase his talent at Group Two level.

Haggas told Sky Sports Racing “It was a bit messy at Newmarket, but he’s absolutely fine and it’s time he had a step up in grade.

“He’s a pretty smart horse, he’s done really well. He’s got about the lowest rating of any of the runners on Saturday and yet he’s favourite, I don’t quite understand that, but some people think that he has the potential to do a bit better, so we’ll see if they’re right.”

The highest-rated runner is Witness Stand, who bids for back-to-back Group Two wins for the training partnership of Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole following his surprise Lennox Stakes success.

Insole said: “We obviously have to carry a penalty now, but he’s come out of the race at Goodwood well. He did a nice breeze on Wednesday and we’re really happy with him.

“He’s already a Group Two winner now, so we just hope he turns up and puts in another brave run to do us all proud.”

More Thunder moving up in class at the weekend

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More Thunder is all set to have his first run in Pattern company in Saturday’s Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes.

William Haggas’ rapidly improving four-year-old won over 10 furlongs for Sir Michael Stoute last season, but his new trainer wasted no time in reverting to sprinting.

He won a six-furlong handicap at the Craven meeting off 87, followed up at the Guineas meeting off 92, was beaten a head off 98 in the Wokingham and won the Bunbury Cup over seven furlongs last time out off the same mark.

Now up to 103, connections feel it is time to test the water at a higher level, starting with this Group Two contest.

Bruce Raymond, racing manager to More Thunder’s owner Saeed Suhail, said: “I can’t see why he won’t be up to it, he’s unlucky not to be unbeaten this season.

“Because he’s only been running in handicaps his rating is still pretty low compared to some in the race, but I’d be very disappointed if he wasn’t up to this level.

“He’s very versatile regarding trip. For now I think seven suits him, but I know his jockey (Tom Marquand) thinks he’s at his best over a strong-run six, which is quite hard to believe given Sir Michael started off with him at 10 furlongs.”

With More Thunder in action this weekend, Never So Brave, in the same ownership and trained by Andrew Balding, has the Sky Bet City of York Stakes on his agenda.

“He’ll be going to the new Group One at York, he’s improving with every run and looked good at Ascot,” said Raymond.

Also in contention for the Newbury race are Lennox Stakes winner Witness Stand, the Charlie Appleby pair of Notable Speech and Shadow Of Light, Marco Botti’s Great Generation and Eve Johnson Houghton’s Rage Of Bamby.

Anthelia comes out on top in Super Sprint thriller

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Rod Millman continued his love affair with the Weatherbys Super Sprint, as Anthelia regained the winning thread to deny Royal Ascot winner Havana Hurricane in a thrilling finish to the Newbury feature.

The Devon handler credits the valuable two-year-old contest as salvaging his career when winning it for the first time with Lord Kintyre in 1997 and after striking again with Bettys Hope in 2019 was making it a hat-trick with the Middleham Park-owned filly – who was picked up for a bargain price of £6,000 as a yearling.

Anthelia was sent off the 6-1 co second-favourite and looked booked for second when Eve Johnson Houghton’s Windsor Castle Stakes victor and 6-4 market leader Havana Hurricane burst onto the scene inside the final furlong.

Regular partner Lewis Edmunds was also conjuring maximum effort from the daughter of Supremacy, though, and after showing the blistering speed that had been a hallmark of her campaign to date, Anthelia stuck her head down to be rewarded with a short-head success.

“I didn’t know if she had got there and she had to make a bit of ground inside the final furlong as Eve’s horse got first run on us,” explained Millman.

“I don’t try to buy cheap horses, I try to buy nice horses cheaply. She’s a lovely filly to be involved with and we’re so lucky to have a nice filly like this.

“It’s a wonderful race for any trainer, but especially the small trainers and it kept me in business many years ago when I was struggling and then won it with Lord Kintyre. After that people sent me horses and we’ve been fine ever since.

“We always try to have a nice horse for it and I’ve spent a lot of money on entry fees as the trouble is you have to enter them before you know how good they are. So you’re sort of running for your own prize-money, but if you’re lucky enough to have the right horse it’s a great race.

“My wife always says, what’s mine is half hers and what’s hers is hers, so she’ll enjoy this.”

Connections had deliberately skipped Royal Ascot after landing Sandown’s Listed National Stakes earlier in the season, but suffered disappointment when trying six furlongs for the first time in Newmarket’s Empress Stakes last month.

However, having bounced back with a lucrative £134,092 haul, Anthelia could now go in search of further sales race bounty before dipping her toe in at a higher level.

Anthelia in full flow
Anthelia in full flow (Jonathan Brady/PA)

“We’ll probably go for Harry’s Half Million (York, August 21) and then there’s some nice Group races later in the season,” said Millman.

“The Empress went wrong last time, but she’s a good filly and proved it today. It wasn’t that she didn’t stay in the Empress, she was just in the bad position but it wasn’t the jockey’s fault, it was my fault as I gave the instructions and I gave myself a good telling off afterwards.

“I think she’s quite nice, but it is always another ball game taking on the big girls. She’s effective over five and six furlongs and once you start trying to go further you’ve got to be a better class again to be effective at that distance, but I have not ruled it out.”

Johnson Houghton, meanwhile, could potentially seek immediate compensation at the Qatar Goodwood Festival with the runner-up having been thwarted in her continuing quest for a first Super Sprint victory.

Trainer Eve Johnson Houghton had to settle for second
Trainer Eve Johnson Houghton had to settle for second (Nigel French/PA)

Johnson Houghton said: “I’m thrilled but gutted is the best way of putting it, it’s my unlucky race.

“I’m pleased for Rod but gutted for us and I think if we hadn’t had the rain he might have won, but I can’t possibly say that as there is no way of knowing and the winner is a very good filly.

“She’s a Listed winner, we’re a Listed winner and they should have finished like that really as they are two good horses and two cheap horses we have done well with, so clever us – aren’t Rod and I clever.

“We might as well have a look at Goodwood now, but I don’t think he wants soft ground as it just dents his turn of foot. I don’t know if we’ll go go five or six furlongs just yet, I need to have a think about it.”

Rage Of Bamby is 33-1 winner of Hackwood Stakes

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Rage Of Bamby produced a 33-1 shock in the Hallgarten And Novum Wines Hackwood Stakes at Newbury.

The winner of a Listed affair at Newmarket in October, Eve Johnson Houghton’s charge was well adrift of her best in her first two starts of this season, but was back to something like when not beaten far when sixth in a Group Three at York last weekend.

Despite that she looked to have it to do in a strong renewal at the same level, but was in the firing line from the off as she raced slightly away from the others on the near side of the pack, and while Regional and the gambled-on King’s Gamble looked like they would battle it out, Charlie Bishop had lots of horse underneath him and swept past to score by a length and three-quarters over King’s Gamble.

Johnson Houghton said: “We always had faith she would win a Group race, but that faith has been tested somewhat this year.

“She ran really well at York last time when possibly I had left her a bit short. I know it was a bit quick to run her back and it looked a Group One in all but name – I wasn’t expecting her to win, (but) I did think she would run a big race. On her day she is really good.”

For the winning syndicate Hot To Trot Racing it was a 100th winner since their formation, with members now able to dream of bigger days later in the season before the five-year-old bows out at the conclusion of the campaign.

Racing manager Sam Hoskins added: “We’ve been going since 2012 and it’s our 100th winner so to do it in a Group Three is really, really special. We have 80 members in the syndicate and it is just brilliant.

“Eve has always thought so much of her and it was quite a big decision for us to enter her in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

“But when she finished out the back of the television at York in the (1895) Duke of York (Stakes) it was really disappointing and she ran the same at Haydock the next time and she was almost borderline retirement. Because we lease the filly, it was a big decision for the breeder to keep her in training this year and we were feeling rather low.

“She has nothing to lose now as she will go off to stud at the end of the year, so she could maybe head to Haydock for the Sprint Cup or something, we’ve got to have a go.

“We’ll enjoy today first and we’re over the moon, it shows you have to always have a go, but I don’t think we saw this coming.”

Royal Dubai relishes extra distance on first start for Owen Burrows

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A hunch from Owen Burrows to explore options at 10 furlongs paid dividends, as new recruit Royal Dubai thrived over the extra yardage in the BetVictor Steventon Stakes at Newbury.

Previously trained by Marco Botti, the five-year-old has been a consistent operator in good company at distances around a mile, but after a switch to Lambourn to join Burrows, he tried a mile and a quarter for the first time since his three-year-old days.

The 10-1 outsider of five in the hands of Callum Rodriguez, he relished conditions to see off Brian Meehan’s 5-2 chance Rashabar for Listed honours, teeing up further action at this trip.

Burrows said: “I’m very fortunate to get him, he’s been with us a month and came in great shape from Marco’s.

“The owner sportingly left it to me and I just felt at a mile he was looking exposed and with his pedigree it might be worth trying him over a little bit further again.

“He had a fair bit to find at the ratings and we were hoping for a drop more rain, but it was really pleasing and I’m still learning about him to be honest.

“He’s a Listed winner now and we’ll have to look at the programme book, but there’s the Rose of Lancaster (at Haydock) on August 9 which we could have a look at and this is just a great start.”

Ralph Beckett’s 6-4 favourite Egoli could have booked a return to York or a trip to the Qatar Goodwood Festival after confirming the promise of his previous Knavesmire victory in the Run For Your Money At BetVictor EBF Novice Stakes.

Beckett said: “I like him, he’s a nice horse. He’s in the Gimcrack Stakes at York for a reason and I would like to go back there. When he won there last time he was impressive.

“He might have an entry for the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood as well, although I’m not sure that would be his track. He’s quite a heavy shouldered horse and I’m not sure it will suit him and it might want a bit of juice in the ground there for him to go there.

“We’ve all had No Nay Nevers which are fidgety, but he’s not, he just eats and sleeps and is a lovely sort of horse.

“He was very professional today and he goes well. It takes a good horse to win a Newbury novice under a penalty. Hopefully there is more to come and he’s one to look forward to, I think. There’s a bit of size and scope to him, so he shouldn’t be just a two-year-old either.”

Sir Mark Prescott’s Consent (11-2) defied a near 300-day absence to land the Darley EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes in the hands of Luke Morris.

Prescott said of the Denford Stud-owned winner: “She’s always been rather flighty, she went back to Denford in the winter and they’ve done a great job. She’s been slow to come in her coat, she’s just come right the last month.

“She’s got ability and a proper pedigree. She’s in all those races, which when you make the entries you think you might look mad in a few weeks, but she’s in them all. She’s an interesting animal.”

Wise Approach makes his mark in Newbury feature

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Wise Approach was much the best when sauntering to success in the Ire-Incentive – It Pays To Buy Irish Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury.

Charlie Appleby’s Mehmas colt – who cost a million guineas as a yearling – is a half-sibling to the Group-placed Golden Mind and multiple Group One winner Perfect Power, and was last seen finishing second to Charles Darwin in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot.

That was a Group Two event and he therefore stepped down in grade to Listed level but back up in trip to six furlongs at Newbury, starting as the 11-10 favourite and registering an easy four-length victory under William Buick.

“It was a nice performance, he ran a good race at Ascot when he was on a different side of the track to the winner,” the rider told Sky Sports Racing.

“He was more comfortable back at six. I like what he did there, it was a nice smooth performance and I think he’s a horse who will get better.

“He looked a good deal better than the opposition there and he certainly deserves to have a look at those targets (the Gimcrack and the Middle Park).

“I think he will develop, he’s a scopey horse and he was very natural from early on, but I do think he’ll keep getting better.”

Bethell hoping Regional outlook is favourable in Hackwood Stakes

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Ed Bethell’s dependable stable star Regional will bid to be the toast of the yard in the Hallgarten And Novum Wines Hackwood Stakes at Newbury.

The seven-year-old has hardly run a bad race across the last three seasons, and has a Group One win in the Haydock Sprint Cup to his name alongside multiple placings in the upper echelons of the division.

This year he has appeared to be as good as ever, going down by less than a length when third in the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in April and then coming home third again in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot.

“He’s grand, he’s in really good nick,” said Bethell.

“We’re really looking forward to it, I just hope the rain doesn’t materialise.

“I’ve been very pleased with him since Ascot, he worked really well on Tuesday.

“Hopefully he goes there with a big chance, but it’s not an easy Group race at all and there are some good horses in there.

“He’s ultra consistent for a sprinter, he always turns up and he’s a legend for us.

“I’m very fortunate to be able to train a horse like him so early on in my career, it’s an absolute pleasure.”

Karl Burke’s Elite Status won the contest last term as Regional finished fourth, and the trainer is hoping cheekpieces can bring about a return to the same level of form.

He said: “We’re hoping for a big run, we put the sheepskins on him a couple of weeks ago and he worked very well in them – he seems in good form.

“He has been a little bit disappointing so we’ve lowered our sights a little bit to try to get him going again.

“The ground was a bit against him at York and he probably got tired, but Ascot was a little bit a non-event for him really.

“I wouldn’t want too much rain for him, as long as it’s good ground that’ll be fine.”

Saffie Osborne takes the ride on the Chipchase Stakes winner Diligent Harry, who carries a penalty for that Group Three triumph and is aiming for a first success on turf.

“It’s a really good race and he’s obviously got to carry the penalty,” Osborne told Sky Sports Racing.

“He’s been absolutely flying at home, he feels great and we’re slightly on weather watch – hopefully there’s not too much rain.

“He’s a seriously classy horse and he’s shown what he can do at Group One level with some really good runs in defeat. Hopefully he can go on to bigger and better things this year.”

As Diligent Harry won the Chipchase, James Fanshawe’s Kind Of Blue could only come home in ninth place, another below-par effort after his luckless run in the Prix du Gros-Chene.

On the latter occasion he had a run-in with the stalls, and connections are hoping he can get back on track after finishing third in this last year and going on to strike at Group One level on Champions Day at Ascot.

Richard Brown, racing manager to owner Wathnan Racing, said: “His first start this year was a non-event, he reared as the stalls opened and missed the break by six or eight lengths.

“We then took him to Newcastle on the all-weather and we were all very disappointed and left scratching our heads.

“His work has been good since and everyone seems happy with him, hopefully getting him back on turf will see him get back to somewhere near his best.”

Hurricane bidding to give Johnson Houghton change of fortune in Super Sprint

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Havana Hurricane will bid to put an end to Eve Johnson Houghton’s “incredibly unlucky” record in the Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury on Saturday.

The Havana Gold colt provided his trainer with a second victory in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, following in the hoofprints of her 2021 winner Chipotle.

The latter was beaten into ninth place as a 15-8 favourite for the Super Sprint, however, and Havana Hurricane could well be even shorter odds for this year’s renewal of the £250,000 contest.

“He is in great form, all he does is eat and sleep at home. We gave him a bit of work on Wednesday morning, he went very nicely and hopefully he is ripped and ready to go,” said Johnson Houghton

“I always thought he had an engine, but I wasn’t sure it was quite as good as the engine he has produced.”

The Didcot handler had the option of saving Havana Hurricane for Pattern events later in the summer, but she admits the lure of the huge prize-money on offer this weekend was too much to resist.

Trainer Eve Johnson Houghton has high hopes for Havana Hurricane
Trainer Eve Johnson Houghton has high hopes for Havana Hurricane (John Walton/PA)

She added: “It’s a lot of money. It’s a race I’ve already wanted to win but I’ve been incredibly unlucky in it. Chipotle got wiped out when I thought he should have won it.

“The unluckiness rather put me off, but I’ve always wanted to win it and I think we have a horse here that if he doesn’t get bad luck, he should be there or thereabouts.

“There are horses in there who are having to give him weight despite being rated inferior, so it’s good conditions for him.”

Rod Millman has saddled two previous Super Sprint winners in Lord Kintyre (1997) and Bettys Hope (2019) and has unearthed another major contender in Anthelia, who has already proved a shrewd purchase for owners Middleham Park Racing, having won her first three starts after being purchased for just £6,000 as a yearling last summer.

Anthelia (left) winning at Sandown
Anthelia (left) winning at Sandown (Adam Davy/PA)

She met with defeat for the first time when fifth in the Listed Empress Stakes at Newmarket three weeks ago, but looks to have every chance back in sales race company.

Millman said: “I thought she ran a sound race at Newmarket, giving them all 3lb.

“Five or six (furlongs) is fine, I think she’s pretty versatile really. She definitely stays six.

“She’s probably the classiest horse we’ve ever run in it and it’s been a very lucky race for us. We’ve won it a couple of times and been second a few times, so let’s hope luck’s on our side again.”

Ali Shuffle (right) on her way to victory at Chester
Ali Shuffle (right) on her way to victory at Chester (Nick Potts/PA)

The Karl Burke-trained Ali Shuffle also won her first three races and was only narrowly denied the four-timer in a Group Three at Chantilly last month.

She was disappointing on her latest visit to France, finishing fifth as a hot favourite for a Listed event at Deauville, but Burke feels she was not at her best that day, saying: “We think she was in season in France, so we’re putting that down as an excuse.

“She’s worked well this week and goes there with some sort of chance, but it’s a bit of a lottery race.

“She’s in good order and it’s worth a go for that sort of money.”

Other hopefuls include Richard Hughes’ Windsor winner Our Cody and Cotai Belle, who has won her last two starts for Richard Fahey.

Meehan seeking stamina answers with Steventon contender Rashabar

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Brian Meehan is on a “finding-out mission” with Rashabar in Saturday’s BetVictor Steventon Stakes at Newbury.

A shock 80-1 winner of the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot last summer, the Holy Roman Emperor colt went on to finish second in two French Group Ones before the end of his juvenile campaign and kicked off the new season by finishing second to Jonquil in Newbury’s Greenham Stakes in April.

He has since chased home the brilliant Field Of Gold twice, placing fourth in both the Irish 2,000 Guineas and in St James’s Palace Stakes ahead of a first attempt at a mile and a quarter at Listed level this weekend.

Meehan said: “He’s very well and we’re on a finding-out mission to see whether he’ll get the trip.

“There was never any question mark about whether he’d get the mile, if anyone had doubts about that they were obviously watching a different horse to me, but the mile and a quarter is unknown territory.

“I’ve always felt he would stay and we’re doing it try to open up more possibilities for him. He’s a Group One horse and he needs to have different bullets in his arsenal really, to give him options to try to get that Group One win.

“He ran very well in the Irish Guineas and I was happy with his run at Ascot. He was hampered twice by two different horses up the straight and I felt he ran a very solid race.”

With rain forecast, conditions could ease at Newbury, which Meehan admits may not be ideal given the question marks over his stable star’s stamina.

He added: “I don’t think cut in the ground bothers him, but I don’t know how I’d feel about soft ground on a fact-finding mission over this trip.”

Do Bronxs set for Rose Bowl bid

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David Loughnane is of the view he is not going to dodge a challenge with Do Bronxs, who runs in the Ire-Incentive – It Pays To Buy Irish Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury on Friday.

Owned by Amo Racing, the 80,000 guineas purchase is the first foal out of Lola Showgirl, a Royal Ascot and Group Three winner for Loughnane.

Do Bronxs made his debut up at Ayr but went off a weak 10-1 shot before staying on strongly inside the final furlong to win well.

He is up against Charlie Appleby’s Norfolk Stakes runner-up Wise Approach but Loughnane is never one to shy away from a good one.

“He’s a nice horse, he impressed on his debut and he seems to have come on leaps,” said Loughnane.

“I think a lot of him.

“Obviously the Godolphin horse who was second in the Norfolk sets the standard and could prove hard to beat but you can’t run away from one horse.

“If he’s going to be as good as I think he is he’ll have to be competitive in this company.”

Wise Approach won on his debut and was then fourth at York in a race won by the reopposing First Legion, but the Godolphin runner turned that form around at Ascot when beating all bar Charles Darwin.

Appleby told the Godolphin website: “Wise Approach came out of Ascot well and we feel that stepping back up to six furlongs will suit.

“If he runs to anything near the level of his Norfolk Stakes form, it should make him very competitive in this grade.”

Owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid has two runners, George Boughey’s Windsor winner Amorim and the Kevin Ryan-trained Rock On Thunder, who was ninth of 20 in the Coventry.

Tom Dascombe’s Kolkata Knight is the only other runner with the planned Irish raider Nuevo Slovo now not taking part.