Hukum Looking For Back To Back Royal Ascot Wins In Hardwicke

Owen Burrows stable star Hukum is heading back to Royal Ascot next week in search of back to back wins at the meeting and his handler has nominated the Group Two Hardwicke Stakes as his most likely event.

The four year old colt was a decent two year old, only racing twice and getting off the mark at the second time of asking at Kempton over a mile.

Burrows always planned to step this horse up in trip and on his seasonal debut last term he landed the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot in gritty style.

The way he battled and stayed on that day showed he could handle a bigger trip and when stepped up to 1m5f in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury, he was a runaway winner in soft conditions.

Both these runs set him up perfectly for a crack at the Group One St Leger at Doncaster, but on the day he was outstayed by better horses and had to settle for fifth.

He returned this season at Sandown in the Group Three Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown over 1m2f and looked to need the run in the final stages.

As expected he came on for the run last time out when getting off the mark for the term in the Listed Tapster Stakes at Goodwood back over 1m4f and that now sets him up perfectly for the Hardwicke Stakes next week.

(Credit ATR) Burrows said: “He’s been in good form since Goodwood, so the plan is to run in the Hardwicke.

“Aidan (O’Brien) will have one or two, I guess – it’s always a strong race.

“I’m looking forward to getting our horse back on some decent ground, and we’ll see what he can do.”