Valuable races in the Middle East in the New Year beckon for the speedy Spartan Arrow following his Group 3 breakthrough in Ireland on Friday, 24th October.
Hambleton Racing’s speedball overcame a wide draw under Hollie Doyle to win the Bar One Racing Mercury Stakes on the Polytrack at Dundalk.
His trainer Archie says: “We will most likely look towards options in the Middle East early next year now. He’s had a great season for his owners and has proven to be another fantastic purchase by Tom Biggs of Blandford Bloodstock.”
A bargain buy at just 17,000 gns at last year’s Horses in Training sale at Tattersalls in Newmarket, the five-year-old broke well from stall 13 and travelled strongly throughout the five-furlong feature to beat favourite West Acre and claim the 35,400 euros prize.
“Hollie gave him a great ride and did well to get him across from his wide draw to a good position,” adds Archie. “He is a very fast horse and was very tough in the straight and was not for catching. He really appreciated the return to a sounder surface.”
It was Spartan Arrow’s first win at Group level and supplements his hard-fought success in the Listed Prix Hampton for Hollie at Chantilly in June when Hollie described him as the fastest horse she has ever ridden, apart from multiple Group 1 star Bradsell.
He has also won at Wolverhampton and Epsom this year, where he went on to finish second in the valuable Dash on Derby Day.
Simon Turner of Hambleton Racing adds: “There were some great scenes in the winner’s enclosure after the race as Spartan’s syndicate gave them the rapturous reception they so richly deserved. The skill of trainer Archie Watson to saddle Spartan Arrow 11 times as a five-year-old after he’d managed only seven starts in his career prior to that, once again highlights the value we can source from the horses in training sales.”
By Simon Mapletoft
