Equinties - Wathnan

Gm Equinauts

Another glorious day of sunshine over Equinties HQ in Berkshire today, but the rain is coming…

We will make hay when the sun don’t shine!

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUND UP

WILL THEY OR WON’T THEY

We may have just completely missed him up until now, but yesterday was the first time that we saw Hamad Al Jehani, one of Wathnan Racing’s retained trainers, do an interview in front of the television cameras.

He spoke to Jason Weaver on Sky Sports Racing regarding POSTMODERN, his TOO DARN HOT colt who bolted up at Yarmouth under Jamie Spencer, and he had some interesting things to say. More on this in a bit.

It’s a funny time of the year for these speedy juveniles, as any horse that bolts up in a winnable race on their debut instantly gets quoted at short odds for a big Royal Ascot two-year-old race.

Remember ASADNA? He’s probably just passed the five-furlong pole in the 2023 Coventry Stakes.

Anyway, such is racing, POSTMODERN put on a show yesterday and earned himself quotes of 10/1 for the aforementioned Group 2 Coventry Stakes at the Royal meeting, just behind ALBERT EINSTEIN (5/2), TREANMOR (8/1), and CHARLES DARWIN (10/1) in the market.

There’s not too much we can say about POSTMODERN because, visually, he was very good. He took Spencer into the race nicely, was still on the bridle with one to go, and he lengthened away.

Would he have the tactical speed to win a competitive Royal Ascot juvenile contest based on what he showed yesterday? That may still be up for debate, but you have to be impressed by what he showed.

Speaking after the race, Wathnan Racing’s Richard Brown said: “That was very exciting. I'm delighted for Hamad and his team as they've done a great job with him. He'd done some nice work at home but he hadn't been asked to do too much, so we thought he'd run well, but we weren't expecting that at all.

"I've not spoken to Jamie or Hamad yet but it's hard not to be excited by the way he won.

"Without a shadow of a doubt he's one of our exciting juveniles. It's rare they go and win like that, and I imagine he'd go straight to the Coventry now."

However, Hamad Al Jehani’s interview on Sky sounded a bit more lukewarm on Royal Ascot, though he didn’t rule it out by any stretch.

Might they be considering their other rocket who debuted this week, UNDERWRITER?

Wathnan are massive now and still growing. They’re building a bigger collection of rockets than bloody Elon Musk. They’re running top horses on a daily basis!

Either way, Wathnan have a nice one here, and a clash against ALBERT EINSTEIN et al could be very exciting.

OUT THE DOOR

This year’s Goffs Doncaster Spring Point-to-Point and Horses in Training Sale was like a reunion for previous losing bet slips.

BOWTOGREATNESS, HANSARD, THE WOLF, PUSH THE BUTTON (who made £105,000 in the ring, somehow), MINELLA CROONER, GIN COCO, SHANAGH BOB, WEVEALLBEENCAUGHT, ASTA LA PASTA, MIGHT I, FIRST STREET, TAHMURAS, and more. Hello darkness my old friend!

The sale also revealed, categorically, that Olly Harris, a prominent owner with his yellow and black silks, is packing up his operation. The rumour is he is escaping off to Dubai. A sunny and safe tax haven, makes sense!

He had already started selling off some of his bright lights, notably BREAK MY SOUL who is now with Ian Donoghue, but yesterday saw the rest of his force head through the sales ring.

MINELLA PREMIER was withdrawn from the sale, which is interesting as he cost £400,000 in 2024 and still hasn’t made it to the track yet. Keep an eye on this.

One of the major purchases through the ring yesterday came from this boatload of Harris exports, as KINGSTON PRIDE went under the hammer. In the end, Olly Murphy and his father, Aiden, came out on top as they went all the way to £285,000 in order to take the six-year-old grey gelding away from his former trainer, and main underbidder, Nicky Henderson.

KINGSTON PRIDE only has one major blip on his profile, and that’s when he bombed out in the Grade 2 Winter Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown in December. He was sent off the 6/4 favourite that day, but he pulled up in the race won by BILL JOYCE with QUEBECOIS in second.

Funnily enough, he reversed that form at Kempton in March when beating QUEBECOIS by five lengths. He’s got age on his side, he has an unexposed profile, he’s yet to go chasing, and he’s a grey. How can you not like him?

£285,000 does seem steep, but when you have the deep pockets of the Whateleys (who will be his new owners), that isn’t too much of a worry. Murphy is coming off the back of a career-high season, and it seems like his owners are rewarding him for that, which is nice. We wish them the best of luck!

GROUP 1 AGAIN

He may be five, but with just seven runs under the belt, QUDDWAH is a horse that is very likeable.

Yesterday, the KINGMAN entire went to Longchamp and won the Listed Prix de Montretout, and while it was labelled as a Listed contest, the field he took on was far from Listed level.

On his first start of the season, last season’s Group 1 QEII fifth pulled away nicely under Callum Sheppard to beat SIAM PARAGON, MARHABA YA SANAFI, and HAATEM.

He got soft ground (a surface he has won on before), and even if it was his maiden outing in 2025, he looked quite good. He was ridden like the best horse in the race from the front, and he kicked clear when the time was right.
With this success in the book, connections now have more Group 1 targets for the future.

Simon Crisford said: “We were delighted with him today, he wasn’t quite ready to start back in the Lockinge so we opted to go to Paris with him and he acquitted himself with great credit.

“We’ll consider the Queen Anne for his next race, he goes well at Ascot and we were delighted with his comeback run.

“He ran well in the Jacques le Marois last year, he’s got form on the round course and the straight course at Ascot, but that straight course does suit him well and today puts him in contention for a win in the Queen Anne.”
In what could be a hot Queen Anne this year, QUDDWAH is a 28/1 shot.
More: 

https://www.attheraces.com/news/2025/May/22/quddwah-puts-queen-anne-case-with-smooth-return-in-paris

RISK ON

Another terrible day of punts gone astray yesterday.

We were eyeing up Burkes LIBERTY LANE today as we think he’s the best horse in the race but there’s always something stinky when they run him - a tin foil hat theory but we do think they save him for the big Saturday handicaps, or they might have RA in mind today.

We’re pretty confident we’ll get redemption on all bets this week in:

14.05 GOLDWORK

This looks a warm race but no where near as warm as the race this lad debuted in. He was drawn on the wing and never in it. Same issue today but far fewer numbers in this field. This lad is good and he’s the one to beat. Was 7’s last night but that would have been backing him blind without messages on field. We’ve taken 9/1 down to 5/2 now. Scott’s is useful without being standout and mixed messages from Baldings, plus it’s first time out. Eve’s lad should be going to Royal Ascot - he needs to prove it today.

We have a max bet bet coming up from this yard very soon. Do NOT miss it.

18.55 SHACKLETON

We’re enjoying our punting in Ireland atm (no handicaps) and we’re following this guy who should be the best horse in the race. Named after Britain’s famous explorer, let’s his Irish namesake explores the finish line first. Single and double with GOLDWORK.

8/1 PEDIGREE TREBLE

14.15 FORTIFICATION, 15.35 WILD DESERT and 16.00 PERGOLA. Betting these shorties solely based on nothing but their brilliant pedigrees.

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