Hopewell Rock (5/1) delivered on his early promise with a smooth success in the Highclere Castle Gin Summer Handicap over 14 furlongs for George Boughey and Ryan Moore.
Unbeaten in two starts as a juvenile, the four-year-old had largely performed well in six subsequent handicap appearances, latterly finishing sixth in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot on his first start for Wathan Racing.
More amenable in the early stages today, Hopewell Rock enjoyed a clean run towards the outer of the 13-strong field and saw the trip out well to score by three-quarters of a length. Joseph O’Brien’s duo Small Fry (6/1) and Aeronautic (11/4) were second and third, having met trouble in the straight.
Boughey said: “I thought Hopewell Rock was one of our best chances of the week at Royal Ascot and, for some reason, he did not show up. He looked super out the back today and got a super ride.
“I have always wanted to step him up, even to two miles, and today was the big target for Wathnan. It is a massive meeting for them. We have not thought much beyond today, but he can probably step up into Stakes company and hopefully develop into a Cup horse at some stage.
“Richard [Brown of Wathnan] was very keen to buy the horse heading into Ascot and the plan was Ascot, Goodwood and then we would work it out afterwards. We missed at Ascot and, luckily, we hit at Goodwood.
Asked about the Melbourne Cup, Boughey said: “I think it is a lofty target, but it is something that does come into the reckoning. James McDonald was saying a couple of years ago, ‘when are you going to bring one down?’ and, when Hopewell Rock was owned by the late Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, I earmarked him as one who could go down there.
“He is a very sound horse, a straightforward animal who, as Ryan just said, loves the hustle and bustle of it. I think a race like that could suit him, but he will probably have to step up again to qualify. It is nice to have a target like that. He has a lot of the attributes and, hopefully, we can get him there in one piece.
“He is in the Ebor and I think, at the moment, York is a pretty natural stepping stone for him, but we will take it a day at a time.”
On Wednesday’s brilliant Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes hero Bow Echo, he added: “Bow Echo has a day or two to get over the Sussex Stakes and, watching him get back on the scales this morning, he has nearly put back all of his racing weight. It takes him three or four days and then he clicks back into it. He is an extraordinary animal. It is a great time to be training a horse like him. He is unbeaten and there are some big decisions to come in the next couple of weeks.”
Moore said: “Hopewell Rock is a handy little fellow and handles the quick ground as well. They went a good gallop early on and he relaxed, got into a lovely rhythm and slipped round the turns here very easily.
“I ended up getting to the front earlier than I wanted, but I was in behind Colin [Keane] and I did not want to get pushed in, so I arrived there earlier than ideal. When I asked him inside the last furlong, he kept finding. He has a good attitude and stayed the trip.”
Richard Brown Of Wathnan Racing said: “He did not have an ideal preparation into Ascot. Nothing serious, just a couple of niggles, and George [Boughey] had probably only got him to about 95 per cent. You have got to go into those races at 100 per cent and it probably just showed in his performance there.
“Ryan [Moore] was pretty complimentary. We will go and have a look, but maybe we will start travelling with him later in the year. I think Australia could well come into the equation. He felt a Melbourne Cup might really suit him.
“I am not an expert on the Melbourne Cup but, having watched it for many years, it looks like he has every attribute you need. He is quite nimble, he does not mind the hustle and bustle and he can finish.
“It would be an exciting project for us. We have not done it before and Wathnan has not had any runners in Australia yet. There are a couple of horses that have been on our radar to do that with, potentially Map Of Stars in the Cox Plate. It is really exciting and it is what this operation is about – having horses competing on the international stage.”
Small Fry’s jockey Oisin Murphy said: “It may have been a career best, a very good run. It is a pity not to win.”
Dylan Browne McMonagle said of Aeronautic: “He ran really well. If I had had a bit of room, he would have won.”