'A monkey has lifted off our backs' - Kimngrace provides milestone success for Richard Hughes

It was with relief, rather than jubilation, that Richard Hughes marked a milestone in his training career in the winner's enclosure at Lingfield on Saturday.

A three-time champion Flat jockey with a bucketful of big wins to his name on the likes of Canford Cliffs, Paco Boy, Oasis Dream and Sky Lantern, Hughes is now able to call himself a stakes-winning trainer too after Kimngrace swooped to land the Listed Hever Sprint Stakes.

George Rooke, replacing the unwell Neil Callan in the saddle, just managed to hang on to his rivals in the first half of the race before the Austin Whelan-owned filly accelerated through to nab favourite Tone The Barone, with Miss Nay Never back in third. 

Hughes is into his ninth year as a trainer and may come to look back on this day at Lingfield with particular fondness after Kimngrace's victory came at the end of a particularly comforting week.

"I'm at pains to say it is [my first Listed win]," he said. "In the last week it feels like a bit of a monkey has lifted off our backs. Two years ago our house was destroyed and we had the insurers come in and give us some good news on that this week, and now there's this as well. 

"I do feel sorry for Peter Cook, who owned half of this filly before Austin bought him out, as he's been a great supporter of ours like Austin is."

Adding to Hughes's good mood was that the Hever Sprint was not even the number one target for Kimngrace, instead the plan had been to use the race as a platform for another stakes contest in France, the Prix Cor de Chasse, in April.

"There's a race we've been looking at for her at Deauville over five and a half furlongs and I needed to get a run into her before that," Hughes said. "There was this race or a handicap, so we thought we might as well have two goes at winning some black type.

"I told George to hang onto their tails as she is not quite quick enough for five around here. He did exactly as I said and was very brave. I am delighted for him because he works hard."

Derby delight

Lord North came through his preparation for the $5 million (£4.2m) Group 1 Dubai Turf in serene style as he proved a class apart in the Group 3 Winter Derby Stakes.

Bar dead-heating with Panthalassa, who won the £8 million Group 1 Saudi Cup on Saturday, in the previous Dubai Turf, 2022 was something of a year to forget for Lord North as he was beaten in the Winter Derby and Tattersalls Gold Cup, had his blindfold removed too late at Royal Ascot and then did not race again after finishing fourth in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.

However, a new year appears to have brought about an old Lord North, as he travelled ominously well through the race under jockey Robert Havlin before dismissing his opponents in the straight, stretching out to win by three and a quarter lengths in the silks of Sheikh Mohammed's son, Sheikh Zayed, and secure £56,000 in prize-money.

Lord North: primed for the Dubai Turf following success in the Winter Derby Credit: Mark Cranham

"That went like clockwork," Havlin said. "I think he was better today than he was last year. I know it wasn't as strong a race but last year I felt he was laboured in the last furlong and a half, whereas I was always going to pick them up today. 

"He's a better horse again this year, more like he was back when he was a four and five-year-old, so hopefully he can go out and win the race for himself in Dubai this time."

Lord North was directed to Lingfield rather than competing in Saudi Arabia, where his stablemate Mostahdaf was far too good for his opponents in the Group 3 Neom Turf Cup.

Havlin, who went on to complete a double for trainers John and Thady Gosden on Burglar in the mile novice stakes, said: "It was a good bit of placing by the boss. He's a hard horse to get fit and he could've gone out to Saudi and that would've flattened him and it makes it more difficult to get him back to where you'd want for Dubai. This was just what he wanted today."

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