The Owen Burrows trained Hukum has been given the target of the Princess of Wales’s Tattersalls Stakes at Newmarket next time out with the handler pleased with his Royal Ascot third in a good renewal of the Group Two Hardwicke Stakes.
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.
Just how wonder was WONDERFUL TONIGHT in the Hardwicke Stakes yesterday?! 😍
— The Winners Enclosure (@TWEnclosure) June 20, 2021
The @DavidMenuisier trained filly galloped to a career best success in stylish fashion 👏🏼
👀 Performance of the week?
🎬 @AtTheRaces pic.twitter.com/F72tNfPFsf
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 put him spot on for a go at back to back Royal Ascot winners.
He headed into an above average renewal of the Hardwicke Stakes and plugged on well in soft ground to grab third behind the dual Group One winner Wonderful Tonight.
The colt will now head to flat racing HQ for the Princess of Wales’s Tattersalls Stakes and Burrows is very bullish about his chances:
(Credit ATR) “He seems fine afterwards – he’s cantered away for a few days this week,” said Burrows.
“We’ll have a look at the Princess of Wales’s at Newmarket (on July 8).
“The filly obviously quickened up and is a bit special on that ground. Two out, I was getting a little excited given the way he travelled – hopefully on better ground he might be able to find two or three lengths.
“I wouldn’t want it to be too fast, but good ground would be great.”