By Tom Frary
There was a shock in the opening Listed Chesham S. on Royal Ascot Saturday, as the race's only newcomer Holloway Boy (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) came through to land the spoils at 40-1. Anchored in rear early by Danny Tudhope, the Karl Burke-trained chestnut stayed on strongly to overhaul the 80-1 shot Pearling Path (Fr) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) in the last 50 yards and gain a length success, with Lakota Sioux (Ire) (Sioux Nation) 1 1/2 lengths away in third. The 11-8 favourite Alfred Munnings (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) was a disappointing sixth as the race that has been so predictable in recent times imploded. “Time will tell how strong the form is, but to do that first time out is a bit special,” trainer Karl Burke said. “He's a lovely horse, but he has been slightly backward and is a horse for the future.”
Debutante winners at Royal Ascot are understandably rare, but there was precedent as Dazzle (GB) (Gone West) did win the Windsor Castle in 1996 and Shamikh (GB) (Unfuwain) in this race in the same year. “We were going to go to Musselburgh for one of the Sunday Series races a couple of weeks ago, but he tweaked a muscle,” Burke added. “[Owner] Nick [White] rang me and said he had been let down for a box here on Saturday, so I said, 'we will enter the horse and use the tickets for that!' He worked well at home, so we thought we'd let him take his chance and give the owners a nice day out. I think we have achieved that!”
“He is the first horse and first runner that Nick has ever had in his own colours. It is a great story. We were always going to ride him that way and Danny rides this track brilliantly. He is hardly blowing there. I saw him as a yearling with the Cheveley Park draft and they have been very good to us in the past. I like to try and buy one off them every year–I'll buy a few more now.” Tudhope, who was bringing his total of winners to four this week, added, “We liked him, but we didn't think he would go out and do that so I'd say he is very good. He gave me a great feel. He is a fine big horse and I'm pretty sure he will improve on that.”
John O'Donoghue said of Pearling Path, “I think with a stronger pace, we would have won. He's just got there too soon, idled, and got caught. We'll probably geld him–we are frustrated with him, because he isn't coltish at home at all but he's real macho coming into the ring. I think he could be a serious horse with the gelding operation. The strength of Irish maidens these days–it's so hard to win one and we had Jessie [Harrington] and Ger [Lyons] behind us that day. This is my second runner in England and my first season training.”
Holloway Boy is out of the unraced Sultry (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), who is kin to the Listed Harry Rosebery S.-placed Secret Venture (GB) by Pivotal's son Kyllachy (GB). The third dam is the G1 Cheveley Park S.-winning champion Gay Gallanta (Woodman), who produced the dual group winner and G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains-placed Byron (GB) (Green Desert). Also connected to the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud-winning sire Gay Mecene, the dam's yearling is a full-sister to Holloway Boy.
Saturday, Ascot, Britain
CHESHAM S.-Listed, £100,000, Ascot, 6-18, 2yo, 7fT, 1:28.12, g/f.
1–HOLLOWAY BOY (GB), 131, c, 2, by Ulysses (Ire)
1st Dam: Sultry (GB), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: Resort (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB)
3rd Dam: Gay Gallanta, by Woodman
1ST-TIME STARTER; 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (60,000gns Wlg '20 TATFOA; 60,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Nick White & Mrs Elaine Burke; B-Cheveley Park Stud Ltd (GB); T-Karl Burke; J-Daniel Tudhope. £59,200. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $72,346. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Pearling Path (Fr), 131, c, 2, Holy Roman Emperor (Ire)–Sacrifice My Soul (Ire), by Nayef. 1ST BLACK TYPE. (£80,000 Ylg '21 GOFFUK). O-Fawzi Abdulla Nass; B-Fair Salinia Ltd (FR); T-John O'Donoghue. £22,390.
3–Lakota Sioux (Ire), 126, f, 2, Sioux Nation–Shemiyla (Fr), by Dalakhani (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (£15,000 Ylg '21 TATIRY). O-Gallop Racing; B-Fethard Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Charlie & Mark Johnston. £11,190.
Margins: 1, 1HF, 3/4. Odds: 40.00, 80.00, 33.00.
Also Ran: Finn's Charm (GB), Dark Thirty (Ire), Alfred Munnings (Ire), Crypto Force (GB), Alzahir (Fr), The Foxes (Ire), Sunningdale (Ire), Legend of Xanadu (GB), One World (GB), Faisal Road (Ire). Scratched: Shahbaz (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Wow! Holloway Boy (Ulysses, @CPStudOfficial) wins the Listed Chesham S. on debut! pic.twitter.com/2FUlqbKDxe
— TDN (@theTDN) June 18, 2022
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