HKJC World Pool Palace House Stakes |
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| Group 3, Newmarket 14:55 £95,000 guaranteed, 5f, Class 1  |
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1 Night Raider 9/1
2 Rumstar 7/2F
3
Shagraan 13/2
14 ran Distances: ½l, 2½l, 1¾l
Time: 57.86s (fast by 0.14s)
BACK ON TRACK 🔵🔴🟠
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 2, 2026
Night Raider bounces right back to his best by making just about all the running in the Palace House Stakes on seasonal return.
Not much got into that!@HKJC_Racing | @WorldPool | @karl_burke pic.twitter.com/ze9Ms65pKq
Night Raider delivered on long-held promise with a performance of pace and maturity, signalling a breakthrough moment on the Rowley Mile.
Trained by Karl Burke for Wathnan Racing, the son of Dark Angel had long been held in high regard, but had not visited the winner’s enclosure since 2024 and underwent gelding during the winter – a decision that now appears pivotal.
Composed in the preliminaries and breaking sharply from the stalls, Night Raider quickly found his rhythm, travelling strongly over the stiff five furlongs before asserting late to score by half a length at 9/1. Last year’s winner Rumstar, sent off favourite, gave chase but could not reel him in.
Burke said: “We tried to turn him into a miler, but he was just too keen, too free and too fractious.
“Gelding him has really made a man of him – in a perverse sort of way! He’s 10 kilos lighter than he was last year and he looked tremendous in the paddock.
“I knew if he jumped quick and got in a lovely rhythm he’d handle the undulations and he did.
“He was fractious in the stalls last year as a full horse and I think gelding him has calmed him down.
“He’s been working really nicely, he does a lot of his work on his own as he’s a horse you don’t need to buzz up and work him with other horses. That was a great result, Richard Brown from Wathan will be delighted because he’s had huge faith in him.”
Looking ahead, Burke added: “I would think we’d go to Ascot (King Charles III Stakes), he is in the York race (Minster Stakes) but it might come too quick.
“I think he will stay six (furlongs) and it will be interesting to see what James (Doyle) says, but I wouldn’t have thought we’d turn him round that quick.”
Rumstar, beaten just half a length in his bid to defend his crown, lost little in defeat and connections remain optimistic for the summer ahead.
Trainer Jonathan Portman said: “He’s run a blinder and every bit as well as when he won it. It was a shame he had to come over and he had a good spot on the far side, but I’m very proud of him.
“It’s lovely to see him back and running a big race and yes it’s gutting he didn’t win but he loves this track. He loves a stiff five furlongs and an easy five is a bit sharp for him, while six furlongs is not ideal.
“We’ll look towards Ascot now and see, there’s very few options and the owners don’t like travelling which limits things a little. But I’m very proud to have him and he’s a special horse.”
Meanwhile, a lack of match fitness was cited as the primary reason behind the below-par effort of Australian raider Asfoora.
Lemos De Souza, temporarily overseeing her preparation for Henry Dwyer, said: “Oisin (Murphy) said she blew up and as we’ve seen before she takes a couple of races to get fully fit.
“I think over an easy five furlongs she could have got a place, but here is a stiff five and if you are not 100 per cent fit it will catch you out.
“I personally think the easier the five furlongs it is the better she is, but she does need to be fit. On form she was the best horse in the race, but she needed to be fit to run to her true form.
“Hopefully we can roll into Haydock (Temple Stakes) now which will be right up her street and I think she will show her best there.”
Palace House Stakes (Group 3)
£95,000 guaranteed, 5f, Class 1
14 ran
Going: Good to Firm
