Red-hot Super Sprint favourite given green light for trainer's 'unluckiest race'

The short-priced favourite Havana Hurricane has been given the go-ahead to contest the Weatherbys Super Sprint on Saturday (3.30), with his trainer Eve Johnson Houghton also "very tempted" by a crack at next month's Group 1 Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes.

Although happy to let the colt take his chance after emerging from a key workout in fine shape on Wednesday morning, the trainer admitted she would be watching Saturday's unique juvenile contest through her fingers. 

Havana Hurricane is evens favourite for the £250,000 prize after landing the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, and will carry only 8st 13lb due to his £9,000 purchase price.

Johnson Houghton said: "He worked perfectly fine. He's not a flashy worker, but he's worked as well as I'd like him to. He doesn't do much at home – all he does is eat and sleep.

"It's my unluckiest race and that's why I didn't want to run in it. I've had horses taken out and wiped out, one of which was my other Windsor Castle winner, Chipotle. I've had a few horses placed, but I've never won it. I'll be watching it through my fingers going 'please don't let anything bad happen'."

Caburn (grey): won last year's Super Sprint, with the subsequent Commonwealth Cup winner Time For Sandals (orange cap) close upCredit: Edward Whitaker

Although she will be proceeding with trepidation, the trainer concedes Havana Hurricane has an excellent chance on form and suggests his style of racing can minimise any mid-race drama. 

"On the ratings and at his weight, he's got to have a really good chance," she said. "Hopefully, his style of running, where he just sits back off them, means he can avoid all of the shemozzle. I think he'll get six furlongs no problem, but he's surprised us with his turn of foot and now we know we can use it."

Havana Hurricane would also be given a big chance at the weights if contesting next month's Nunthorpe Stakes at York, for which he would carry just 8st 3lb against a muddling crop of older sprinters.

His 20-1 odds to become the first juvenile winner since Kingsgate Native in 2007 would plummet if successful at Newbury on Saturday and it is a route Johnson Houghton took with Chipotle, who finished ninth, in 2021.

Chipotle (red silks, second right): beaten in the Nunthorpe behind Winter Power in 2021Credit: Edward Whitaker

"He's in it and we might be very tempted," she said. "I don't know yet, but he's grown again since Ascot and I think he's got every chance of being a good older horse over five or six furlongs. I don't think he's going to stay further, but he might."

The trainer is enjoying a stellar season with her juveniles without spending big money at the sales, and Zavateri's July Stakes victory at Newmarket last week was further evidence of her two-year-old talent.

"My secret is Ant Bromley and we do it together," she said. "You have to kiss a lot of frogs and there are an awful lot of them that I buy for the same money that aren't as good. Finding a jewel isn't a given. It would be lovely if I was spending a bit more money because you definitely get a better percentage chance of finding a better horse."

Weatherbys Super Sprint, 3.30 Newbury, Saturday
Sky Bet: Evens Havana Hurricane, 7-2 Anthelia, 7 Ali Shuffle, 8 Cotai Belle, Raakeb, Nifty, Our Cody, 10 Big Fun, 12 Kamakameleon, 14 Irish Fighter, 20s bar.

Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes, York, August 22
bet365: 9-4 Charles Darwin, 5 Asfoora, 8 True Love, 10 Big Mojo, 12 Arizona Blaze, Frost At Dawn, Mgheera, Time For Sandals, 14 Washington Heights, 16 Night Raider, Sayidah Dariyan, 20 Havana Hurricane, Whistlejacket, Zelaina, 25 bar.

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