IRE-Incentive, It Pays To Buy Irish Huxley Stakes
Group 2, Chester 15:05
£130,000 guaranteed,
4yo plus,
1m 2f 70y, Class 1    
Friday 10th May 2024

Boylesports

1 Passenger 7/4
2 Israr 13/8F
3 Regal Reality 11/1
6 ran NR: Certain Lad, Royal Rhyme, Sunchart
Distances: 1½l, 5½l, ½l Time: 2m 5.24s (fast by 3.16s)

Passenger kicked off his potentially impressive four-year-old season in style, securing a smooth victory at Chester. This marked an eighth win in the race for trainer Sir Michael Stoute, solidifying Passenger’s status as a top-notch prospect.

Despite facing a less-than-ideal journey when dead-heating for third place in the Dante Stakes last year and experiencing disappointment in the Derby (for which he was supplemented), the Ulysses colt rebounded. After Epsom, he made a single appearance, narrowly winning the Winter Hill Stakes at Windsor.

Breaking the track record at the Roodee, Passenger now appears poised for greater achievements. He secured Group Two honors by defeating Israr by a length and a half. Jockey Richard Kingscote wisely shadowed Jim Crowley until the short straight, where he asked Passenger for acceleration, resulting in an impressive victory.

Bookmakers initially priced Passenger at 14-1 for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, but they swiftly adjusted the odds to 8-1 following his commanding performance.

“I had a good chat with Ryan yesterday (about a plan) and we wanted to use Israr for as long as possible really and it’s nice when a race goes to plan,” Kingscote told Sky Sports Racing.

“This lad does battle, but obviously he’s still lightly-raced. We had to have a good battle at Windsor last year when I probably got to the front a little early. Today when he went by he didn’t hesitate and he put the race to bed really nicely.

“The Dante was a mess, I overcomplicated things and that was always going to be how we rode the race today, it’s nice when things go our way.”

The Derby-winning rider added on ITV Racing: “I think I let the horse down a couple of times last year, this went better so hopefully we can keep going forwards.

“Sir Michael doesn’t like bigging them up, but he’s a very likeable horse. The race was smooth for him, but you could just feel he was learning a bit on the job which is why I just feel Sir Michael loves coming here. He’s one to look forward to.

“Sir Michael has been at the top table a very long time, there’s a group of people who love him and are delighted to see him do well. Hopefully we’ve got another nice one.”

FormRatings

Huxley Stakes
(For The Tradesman's Cup) (Group 2)
£130,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m 2f 70y, Class 1
6 ran
Going: Good to Firm, Good in places

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (4)    Passenger 4 9-3 Sir Michael Stoute Richard Kingscote 7/4
2 (3) 1½ Israr 5 9-3 John & Thady Gosden Jim Crowley 13/8F
3 (9) 5½ Regal Reality 9 9-3 Sir Michael Stoute Saffie Osborne 11/1
4 (8) ½ Mashhoor 6 9-3 J P Murtagh Ben Coen 14/1
5 (6) ½ Hans Andersen 4 9-3 A P O'Brien William Buick 11/2
6 (7) 5 Oviedo 4 9-3 Edward Bethell Callum Rodriguez 16/1
NR 8 (5) Royal Rhyme 4 9-3 K R Burke NON RUNNER
NR 1 (2) Certain Lad 8 9-3 Jack Channon NON RUNNER
NR 9 (1) Sunchart 7 9-3 Andrew Slattery NON RUNNER

Odds catcher