Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed)

EVE Johnson Houghton celebrated her second Listed Windsor Castle Stakes success after Havana Hurricane delivered an irresistible late surge under Charlie Bishop. Runner-up in the Woodcote Stakes last time out, the drop back to five furlongs proved ideal as he powered home to beat Dickensian (20/1) by a length and a half. Azizam (7/1) was involved in a dead-heat for third with Paddy Twomey’s Rogue Legend (4/1).

An eye-catching debut winner at Goodwood, Havana Hurricane follows in the footsteps of another son of Havana Gold, Chipotle, who won this race for the same trainer-jockey combination in 2021.

Johnson Houghton said: “I said to the owners, win lose or draw, he cost you 9,000 guineas. You have made more than that already and you’re here to play. We have had a great day, but I think Havana Hurricane is pretty special. He won really easily.

“The horse is pretty laid back, pretty easy, but my staff do a great job and they’ve done a great job with him. Charlie got slated for his ride at Epsom, unfairly, and he gave him an absolute corker; he waited and was incredibly patient. I could not be more proud of my jockey.”

Bishop said: “Havana Hurricane is a lovely horse. He did not stay six furlongs at Epsom. I was very confident coming here today, which is a very strange thing to say coming to Ascot.

“I felt he was the best horse in the race at Epsom and, if he had got home, he would have won. With a stiff five here, the race was made for him. You’ve got to get a bit of luck in running, and I did.

“Eve is magic to ride for. She has a lot of trust in me and leaves me to ride on feel.

“I can’t thank her enough – three Royal Ascot winners. One is the sort of thing you dream of, so to have three is incredible. I have waited a few years for this one.

“Eve is magic at buying these horses and training them. She does all the hard work, while I just do the steering. That one is for Fulke [Johnson Houghton]. He was amazing to all of us and this one is for him.”

Royal Hunt Cup

THE Royal Hunt Cup is always a competitive handicap and this year’s renewal went to the unexposed My Cloud (Roger Varian/Silvestre de Sousa) who justified strong market support to win at odds of 3/1.

De Sousa held the favourite up and My Cloud travelled strongly on the stands side but had to weave his way through a host of horses to get his head in front, in the end beating Bullet Point (William Haggas/Tom Marquand), who was drawn on the opposite flank by three quarters of a length. Bopedro (David O’Meara/Danny Tudhope), and Greek Order (Michael Bell/Christophe Soumillon) filled out the frame.

My Cloud, a half-brother to St James’s Palace Stakes and Queen Anne winner Palace Pier, has now won four of his six career outings and is due for a step up in class given his progress.

Varian said: “We have had to be patient with My Cloud, because he had a few niggles as a young horse, so we couldn’t get as busy on a racecourse as we’d like aged two and three. There are a lot of people to thank regarding this horse, the main person is the owner, His Highness Shaikh who has been most patient.”.

Kensington Palace Stakes

ANDREW Balding and Oisin Murphy opened their accounts for Royal Ascot 2025 as Miss Information (11/1) finished strongly to take the Kensington Palace Stakes.

Racing over a mile for only a second time, the Blue Point filly came home best of all down the middle of the track to collar Irish raider Snellen (25/1) and win by a length.

Snellen, who won the Listed Chesham Stakes at this meeting in 2023, finished a head in front of Cheshire Dancer (20/1), with Muddy Mooy (33/1) three-quarters of a length further back in fourth.

Balding said: “Miss Information has been a star. She had no luck at Epsom last time - she got shuffled back and didn’t really enjoy herself - but fast ground is what she wants. She just about got a mile. It was a very good ride.

“These owners get so much enjoyment out of it, and I’m so pleased for them. They have a stud and she will make a lovely broodmare. We will try and get some black type for her at some stage.”

Oisin Murphy said: “I thought she might be at the upper limit of her handicap mark, but sometimes they eke out a little bit of improvement when things go absolutely perfectly, and today we got that.”

Co-owner Susan Bunney, who lost her shoes in the celebrations, said: “I got stuck in the grass I was so excited! This is such a thrill, I really can’t speak. I am so emotional... how often do you get a winner at Royal Ascot?

Gavin Cromwell said of second placed Snellen: “We are delighted, it was a great run. I thought she was going to hold on for a few seconds, but nowadays I think a mile is her minimum and she will stay further. The owner just bought her at the London sale on Monday, so we’ll have a chat and work it all out.”