Hotazhell (pink silks) becomes a Group 1 winner (JTW Equine Images)
William Hill Futurity Trophy Stakes Day, Doncaster Racecourse, Saturday 26th October 2024
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By JTW Equine Images
On a day when Irish-trained runners dominated at Cheltenham once again, over on Town Moor the feature race of the day, the Group 1 William Hill Futurity Stakes, went the way of the Irish as well, as Hotazhell, ridden by Shane Foley and trained by Mrs Jessica Harrington, for owners Silverton Hill Partnership took the final Group 1 of the British Flat Season. The Too Darn Hot colt had a titanic battle up the Doncaster straight with the favourite Delacroix for Ryan Moore and Aidan O’Brien, in a race where many of the fancied horses, including Anno Domini, Detain and Wimbledon Hawkeye (who finished 3rd eventually) never got involved in the testing conditions. The first two home pulled 4 and 3/4 length clear of the field, and it was just a nose which separated them, as despite being carried right by Delacroix, Hotazhell held on, as his rival came back in the final strides.
Trainer Jessica Harrington was interviewed by ITV Racing’s Matt Chapman, who commented that she had another good one in the stable.
“We do indeed, and he’s a special horse. He’s very, very tough, and he loves a battle! I don’t think he will ever races by large margins, he loves just looking at the other horses, saying “I’m better than you”!”
“He’s a little bit feisty, he ain’t called Hotazhell for nothing.”
When quizzed by Matt Chapman over next season, Jessica stated they would look at starting the winner off over a mile, and then look at seeing where the horse developed.
“He could get a mile and a quarter, maybe a mile and a half.”
“He’s done very well, won a Group 3, Group 2 and Group 1… he’s in both (Irish and British 2,000 Guineas) so we shall take it from there… it’s very special to win any Group 1 and Grade 1 over jumps, any win is special.”
As for the rest of the action, La Bellota was a game winner of the opening contest, the Listed William Hill Prospect Stakes over 6 furlongs, under Oisin Murphy, for trainer John Ryan. The Mehmas two-year-old led from pillar to post on ground described by the winning jockey as “truly soft”, but Oisin Orr, who rode the unplaced Shadow Army for Richard Fahey, was far more strong in his description, claiming the surface was “horrible ground”. He however had blown his chance at the start, pecking as the stalls opened, and on the tough going at Town Moor, that was never going to be ideal.
Oisin Murphy kept things nice and simple, leading from the front, and skipped 3 lengths clear at halfway, which immediately caused concern for the other riders. Ryan Moore, on board favourite Bounty for Aidan O’Brien, could simply not get close to the eventual winner, who was a willing partner under his jockey’s urges, holding off the closing challenge of Diego Ventura to score by a diminishing neck.
Speaking to ITV Racing’s Matt Chapman, Oisin Murphy was praising of his mount. “It is just soft (the going)… they had 1 or 2 mls of rain… be interesting to see what time they run in the Group 1 later on.”
“He’s probably a decent horse, he has loads of size, Mehmas again, unbelievable stallion.”
“We decided to go where he was most comfortable, the blinkers have woken and lit him up a little bit, but he kept going.”
When asked about his mount in the Group 1 later, Royal Playwright, Murphy added he was “concerned about the ground, he is by Look De Vega though, Sea The Fire ran well in the Champion Stakes and Delacroix (Aidan O’Brien’s challenger) deserves to be right up there.”
William Buick gave himself the best boost ahead of the big race when delivering Cover Up to score for John & Thady Gosden and owners Godolphin in the Join Century Racing Club Today Handicap Stakes over the minimum trip. Despite not breaking well, it was far better than Woolhampton, who effectively ended his race before it had even began by dwelling in the stalls, and when eventually breaking, had already given his nearest rival 10 lengths head start. As the field bunched up entering the final stages, Buick switched his mount to the far side, aiming for some better ground if he could find it. His mount responded to his urges, and the pair nailed Jer Batt and race 1 winner Oisin Murphy where it mattered; right on the winning line.
“He jumped off awkwardly, and we were where we were, he travelled well, it was all about getting the splits, worked quite hard, it was just a case of whether we would get there in time.”
“Credit to the horse, he did well in that ground.”
There was a 33-1 shock in the William Hill Proper Betting Handicap as Laafi defied his big odds to win cosily under Callum Rodriguez for trainer William Haggas. The first-time blinkers clearly had an effect as the horse knuckled down in the soft to score by 1 3/4 lengths. Top-weight Iron Lion ran a screamer to finish second at 66-1, with Stressfree at 14-1 and Alpha Crucis at 16-1 filling the places, where the first 5 home were double-figure prices.
Connections of Wimbledon Hawkeye were given some redemption of sorts when Pellitory won the Caseih & Paxtons Supply Tractors to ARC Nursery Handicap Stakes under James Doyle for trainer James Owen and owners The Gredley Family. Recent placed efforts at York and Doncaster, as well as a success at Yarmouth, had given connections hope he could indeed reach the top step again, and sure enough he did, always well-placed and coming clear to score by a cosy 1 3/4 lengths from We Dare To Dream at 20-1 and Law Degree at 40-1, once again showing how the change in ground to soft affected the chances of the more fancied runners.
