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Eddie's Boy walks away with Super Sprint as revellers pack in for Craig David

Hollie Doyle and Eddie's Boy wins the Super SprintNewbury 16.7.22 Pic: Edward Whitaker
Hollie Doyle and Eddie's Boy charge home in the Super SprintCredit: Edward Whitaker

Saturday: Weatherbys Super Sprint, Newbury

A crowd around the 16,000 mark packed into Newbury with chart-topper Craig David due to perform after racing and you could have been forgiven for thinking most of them were crammed into the winner's enclosure after a well-received victory for Eddie's Boy.

The longstanding dash – devised for horses who cost no more than £63,000 when bought at certain sales – is seen as an opportunity for the everyday owner, and owners rarely come more everyday than those involved in Middleham Park Racing's sydnicates.

In the Archie Watson-trained Eddie's Boy, the operation, whose light blue and orange silks have become almost as recognisable as some of the sport's superpowers, have a likeable sprinter who was given a bold, rail-hugging ride by Hollie Doyle to win by a commanding two and a quarter lengths from 80-1 outsider Woolhampton.

Archie Watson after Eddie's Boy had won the Super SprintNewbury 16.7.22 Pic: Edward Whitaker
Archie Watson revels in the success of Eddie's BoyCredit: Edward Whitaker

This was not Watson's first fancy two-year-old prize of the year as he also captured the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot with the talented Bradsell.

"It's the first year we've had horses for Middleham Park and all three have won and this lad's won a Super Sprint, so it's going well," he said. "I think this race was a selling point when they were selling shares in him; that he'd be a Super Sprint horse.

"He's a bit lazy at home so we thought he might be a six-furlong horse. He was probably taking the mickey out of us a bit and he was working with Bradsell, who is a very good horse."

Eddie's Boy also ran at the royal meeting, finishing third in what is turning out to be a Windsor Castle that could be as hot as the day's soaring temperatures.

Nick Craven presents the trophies to winning connections of Eddieâs BoyThe Weatherbys Super Sprint StakesNewbury 16.7.2022©Mark Cranhamphoto.com
The Eddie's Boy team receive their prizeCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

He then ran in a Listed contest at Sandown and Watson, who was happy for Doyle to make use of a handy draw in stall 21, added: "I think the Windsor Castle was a better race than the Norfolk.

"At Sandown, he was bit intimidated by the winner against the rail, so I thought the quick five here – with plenty of room – would be ideal.

"The one thing I didn't want was be trapped against the rail, but as soon as nothing was able to come forward it was straightforward for Hollie. She kicked him in the belly a long way out and he's responded – he was very tough."

Regarding future plans, the recently married 33-year-old said: "He's very quick so we'll consider the Molecomb, but we'll see how he is.

"There's also the Flying Childers and he's in the Nunthorpe – Tom Palin [of Middleham] said he'd be scratched if he didn't run well today but he has run well."

You can say that again.


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James BurnLambourn correspondent

Published on 16 July 2022inReports

Last updated 17:54, 16 July 2022

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