News
26 Entered For The Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes
The Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes, open to horses aged three and above, has received 26 early entries. Run over seven furlongs for an increased prize fund of £165,000, the Group 2 contest takes place at Newbury Racecourse on Saturday 15 August.
A quality renewal is shaping up with 12 of the possible runners also entered in the Group 1 Sky Bet City of York Stakes, worth £600,000, on Saturday 22 August.
Among these is James Fanshawe’s Kind Of Blue, who established himself as top-class sprinter when victorious in the Group 1 British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot in 2024. Owned by Wathnan Racing, the 5-year-old has consistently competed at the top level and was last seen in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot but is yet to be tried over the 7f trip.
Now in training with David O’Meara, Audience may return to the Berkshire track in pursuit of another major prize, having produced an impressive front-running display to land the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes over Newbury’s straight mile two seasons ago. Meanwhile, William Haggas could be represented by the consistent Lake Forest, winner of the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes as a juvenile before landing the Golden Eagle at Rosehill in Australia.
Another exciting contender is Eve Johnson Houghton’s Zavateri, whose outstanding 2-year-old campaign featured triumphs in the Group 2 July Stakes at Newmarket, Group 2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood and Group 1 Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at the Curragh. After missing the Classics earlier this season due to a setback following his second place in the Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes at Newbury, he is expected to make a return to the track soon.
Others with solid Newbury credentials are Richard Newland and Jamie Insole’s Witness Stand, who finished runner-up in last year’s Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes after capturing the Group 2 Lennox Stakes at Goodwood earlier that season, and Charlie Appleby’s Symbol Of Honour, winner of both the 2025 Listed Highclere Castle Gin Carnarvon Stakes and recent Group 3 Hallgarten And Novum Wines Hackwood Stakes.
A four-strong Andrew Balding team includes the talented Flora Of Bermuda, whose Pattern race victories and placed efforts have marked her out as one of Britain’s leading sprint fillies, alongside Never So Brave, winner of the City Of York Stakes in 2025, Marvelman and Copacabana Sands.
International performer Quddwah, who was last seen finishing second to Ombudsman in the Group 1 Dubai Turf at Meydan, would also bring Pattern race form for the father-son training partnership of Simon and Ed Crisford.
Entries will be confirmed by noon on Monday 10 August.
