by Hotazhell (11/1) saw off fellow Irish raider Delacroix to win a thrilling extension of the William Hill Futurity Trophy in Doncaster.
From the moment the pioneering seaplane began to pull away at the two-eighths mark and the runner-up, displacing a well-supported 15/8 favorite, was pushed to the right, the race was between the two.
He was traded at just 1/7 in-running on the Betfair exchange but the winner, ridden by Shane Foley, was not intimidated and overtook his rival but narrowly held him off in his late rally.
The gap to Wimbledon Hawkeye (3/1) in third place was four and three-quarter lengths.
Betfair and Paddy Power reduced the Jessica Harrington-trained Hotazhell from 33/1 to 25/1 for next year’s Betfred 2000 Guineas.
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The winning rider told ITV Racing: “He’s a very good, strong horse. We all thought he wanted some slower terrain, but this was probably a little too slow for him.”
“He almost sent me off at the start, but that’s just him. We work hard every day and have had a very good year, but it’s been a while since we’ve had a Group One and it’s been a few years since the Oaks.” Now it’s important to get there and finish on these big days win.
“And what a trainer this woman, Ms. Harrington, is. Kate is a big part of the team, it’s a big team effort and there’s a lot going on behind the scenes and it’s a legend to work for and a legend to drive for.”
“From a five-eighths race for two-year-olds to a three-mile hurdles for beginners at Cheltenham, it doesn’t matter to them. I’m just in a privileged position. I had hip replacement surgery a few years ago and this is like this. It took a while to get back to full health, but I’m fit to fight now and have a few good years ahead of me.”
Harrington added: “He’s a great horse. He is very, very tough and loves fighting. I don’t think he’ll ever win races by a big margin. He loves to just look at the other horses and say, “I’m better than you.” He’s a bit feisty, he’s called Hotazhell for a reason.”
Regarding 2025, she said: “We will start over a mile and see how it develops over the winter. I think he’ll probably do a mile and a half, I’m not sure he’ll do a mile and a half, but you never know. He is a very relaxed horse and he could do that too.
“Today is something very, very special. There’s something special about winning over Group 1 or Class 1 jumps and it takes a special horse to do that.”
Reaction of placed compounds
O’Brien said of Delacroix: “He was a striker. We hope this bodes well for next year.”
James Owen said of Wimbledon Hawkeye: “He was lost in the ground. He showed his heart and how good he is as he fought to third place.
“James (Doyle) said it was a lot softer here today than in Newmarket. He struggled with that, but he’s a great horse for next year. I’m thrilled to be at the helm here and he’s made us proud.”
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