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Havana Hurricane Heads The 20 Strong Field In The Weatherbys Super Sprint
Eve Johnson Houghton - trainer of the Ascot-winning two-year-old - revealed how he’s shaping up ahead of the feature race
Eve Johnson Houghton’s Royal Ascot winner, Havana Hurricane, heads the market in the Weatherbys Super Sprint, worth an increased prize fund of £272,710, the feature race of Saturday’s seven race card at Newbury Racecourse. The Windsor Castle Stakes winner is one of 20 two-year-olds to have been declared in the five-furlong contest, open to horses costing less than £65,000 at the sales.
A winner of two of his three career starts and highest rated in Saturday’s field; Havana Hurricane is in good order as he bids to provide his trainer with her first winner in the race, Johnson Houghton commented: “He is in great form, all he does is eat and sleep at home. We gave him a bit of work yesterday morning, he has gone very nicely and hopefully he is ripped and ready to go. I always thought he had an engine, but I wasn’t’ sure it was quite as good as the engine he has produced.”
After having not stayed the six furlongs at Epsom, the 9,000gns purchase dropped back to five furlongs at the Royal Meeting at a track Johnson Houghton was confident would suit him. Under a patient ride from jockey Charlie Bishop, declared to ride on Saturday with a favourable weight of 8st13lb, Havana Hurricane showcased his turn of foot, Johnson Houghton added: “I think the key to him is being confident that he has got a great turn of foot. When he is not going anywhere, you would be fooled into thinking that he’s not going to go anywhere.”
On the decision to opt to run the son of Havana Gold in the Weatherbys Super Sprint, Johnson Houghton commented: “It’s a lot of money. It’s a race I’ve already wanted to win but I’ve been incredibly unlucky in it. Chiptole 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.”
Owned by Jonny Allison and Tom Cartwright, an ownership venture “30 years in the making,” Havana Hurricane is providing a thrill for all involved having already won over £96,000 in prize money. Johnson Houghton explained: “It’s some thrill for the owners, it’s some thrill for me and Anthony Bromley knowing we can do it. You can buy them for that money but you have to kiss a lot of frogs. You can buy an awful lot that aren’t very good for that money too.”
Others amongst the 20 declared include the Rod Millman trained Anthelia. Purchased for just £6,000, the 94 rated filly set to carry 8st8lb in Saturday’s contest, has won three of her four career starts including landing the Listed National Stakes at Sandown. Due to be ridden by Lewis Edmunds, she bids to provide Millman with a third winner in the race. Narrowly beaten in the Group 3 Prix du Bois Longines over six furlongs, Ali Shuffle, seeks to provide a maiden victory for Karl Burke in the Weatherbys Super Sprint. Fresh from landing his first Group 1
victory in the July Cup, Richard Hughes saddles £3,000 purchase, Our Cody, in the five-furlong sprint. Carrying a feather weight of 8st2lb, the daughter of Kodi Bear seeks to back up her victory at Windsor. Richard Hannon, a four-time winning trainer in the race, has declared three to run including Superlative Stakes fifth Raakeb, Logi Bear and Corniche Girl.
