For the second year running a Saxon Gate two-year-old came within an ace of winning one of the biggest juvenile races of the season, the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot in mid-June.
Electrolyte finished strongly in the six-furlong dash, missing out in a photo-finish to 80-1 shot Rashabar despite a determined challenge under Hollie Doyle. Wathnan Racing’s £220,000 breeze-up purchase went down by an official nose after gunning down the eventual winner with almost the width of the track between them.
Remarkably, our son of Hello Youmzain followed in the hoofprints of stable companion Army Ethos, winning the same Ayr maiden at the beginning of the month before going down narrowly in a race won by Archie’s Bradsell in 2022. He may re-appear in the Group 2 July Stakes at Newmarket in mid-July.
Also Royal Ascot bound was impressive Doncaster winner Twafeeg, who ran well in the Group 3 Albany Stakes despite not enjoying a clear passage. She had booked her place with an all-the-way win for Connor Beasley in a six and a half-furlong maiden on Town Moor on 1st June.
There was no glory for Wathnan’s Aesterius in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes but he emerged with credit after being beaten little more than a length into fifth in the five-furlong juvenile feature.
Shartash, another to carry the Wathnan colours, also ran a solid race in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, fading to finish mid-division on his drop back to six-furlongs following Listed success at Haydock Park in May.
Elsewhere, our amateur rider Brodie Hampson was in great form, winning a Worcester bumper on Wiltshire Wonder on 1st June, completing an across-the-card double completed by Twafeeg. Un-raced for the Gosdens, Jonny Allison’s four-year-old confirmed the promise of his second at Sedgefield the previous month.
Brodie was among the winners again on 13th June when she took a 10-furlong Newbury handicap on Blue Yonder, who was scoring for the first time for the stable following his move from Richard Fahey earlier in the year. That win left her needing only six more to ride out her claim.
Making it another double on the day was Hambleton Racing’s Piper’s Fort, who recorded a decisive success in a six-furlong handicap at Yarmouth with Luke Morris in the plate. It was a breakthrough success for the son of Kodiac.
A trip to Nottingham for a fillies’ maiden paid dividends for McLaren Horse Racing’s Countess Ciara, who left her debut run at Goodwood behind to score by a neck in the six-furlong sprint for Josh Bryan.
The following week, Hollie guided Churchill filly Rinnovati to her first success in a seven-furlong Chepstow handicap. She fought back after being headed by her market rival to round off another productive month.
By Simon Mapletoft
