Hambleton Racing’s globetrotting star OUTBOX headed a magnificent stakes race quadruple in May, with stable companions Evade, Havana Ball and Shartash all supplementing his Group 2 success with wins in Listed company.
Outbox dominated his rivals to win the Jockey Club Stakes at the Qipco Guineas Festival at Newmarket under a brilliant ride from his regular partner Hollie Doyle.
Stakes race success continued with Shartash’s victory in the Listed Pertemps Network Spring Trophy Stakes at Haydock Park, Havana Ball’s Listed win in the Grosser Preis der Hannoverschen Volksbank in Germany and Evade’s win in the Listed Surrey Stakes at Epsom on 31st May.
Evade became the second Saxon Gate winner of the Oaks Day feature following the success of Mehmento in 2021. Ridden by Oisin Murphy, Qatar Racing’s Wootton Bassett colt got the better of a sustained duel to score by a short-head from the better-fancied Native American on his stable debut following a switch from Andre Fabre’s powerful yard in France.
Full reports on Outbox, Shartash and Havana Ball’s victories appear on this site.
Meanwhile, sprinter Rhythm N Hooves scored for the first time since last season’s Royal Ascot success when he battled hard to take a six-furlong handicap at Doncaster in the hands of stable jockey Hollie on the same day of Evade’s Epsom success.
Qatar Racing were also celebrating a winner the previous afternoon when Murphy steered Kameko filly Del Ray to a debut win in a fillies’ maiden at Lingfield Park. A second winner for her freshman sire, she relished every yard of the seven-furlong test on quick ground.
Meanwhile, Bath was the starting point for Wathnan Racing’s colt Aesterius. A £380,000 purchase from the breeze-ups by Blandford Bloodstock, he looked professional on his debut under the owners’ retained rider James Doyle to book his place in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Sea Of Diamonds was also a debut winner when she travelled up to Redcar a few days earlier. Jonny Allison’s daughter of Sands Of Mali overcame a bump at the start to win going away for 3lb claimer Laura Coughlan and complete a double with our German winner Havana Ball.
Another first-time-out winner was Vingegaard, who overcame difficult ground to take five-furlong maiden stakes for Hollie in the green colours of Jinky Farms. A 55,000 euros yearling, the half-brother to smart sprinter Confrontational could now head to Royal Ascot.
Chaturanga bounced back to winning form for Hambleton Racing at Newcastle on 12th May. Luke galvanised the three-year-old to repel a competitive field in a 10-furlong handicap – a first win for the gelding since back-to-back successes last year.
Earlier in the month, quick ground at Lingfield Park proved key to Secret Bid who defied a mark of 79 to take a seven-furlong handicap for Kieran Shoemark, while Clifftop Heaven got May off to a flying start by winning a two-mile amateur riders’ handicap at Wolverhampton for Brodie Hampson.
By Simon Mapletoft
