Foret bid still a possibility for Hungerford victor Jumby

Simon Milham
August 22, 2022 3:38 pm

Newbury winner failed to sparkle at York.

Eve Johnson-Houghton is not ruling out a tilt at the Prix de la Foret for Jumby, who finished last of nine to Kinross in the City of York Stakes at York on Saturday.

The four-year-old had earned a fifth career success seven days earlier, taking the Hungerford at Newbury.

Though the respective races were a similar seven-furlong Group Two contest, the outcome was vastly different.

Jumby is too good in the GBP 100,000 Hungerford Stakes!
The 9/1 chance strikes for his biggest career success in the Group 2 prize for William Buick and @johnsonhoughton at @NewburyRacing pic.twitter.com/renLktMUAW
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 13, 2022

With William Buick retained by Godolphin to ride Al Suhail, the Anthony Pye-Jeary and David Ian-owned colt was slow to break under new partner Jim Crowley and finished 13 lengths adrift of the winner.

The Blewbury handler said she could offer no explanation for the lacklustre effort by the son of New Bay, who loves fast ground.

However, she has not ruled out a crack at the Group One Foret, over the same seven-furlong trip, at ParisLongchamp on October 2.

“I don’t know what the reason was. He seems fine,” said Johnson-Houghton.

Harry Redknapp with winning connections after Jumby took the Hungerford Stakes in the hands of William Buick. Eve @johnsonhoughton will now look at the Prix Foret, though he is still in Saturday’s City Of York. @PAracing pic.twitter.com/4PuRefK3XI
— Simon Milham (@simonmilham) August 13, 2022

“I don’t know what happened. I have no answer, but he is in the Foret and we don’t need to make any decisions yet.

“He missed the break and apparently they went very slow and then very fast. Ger Lyons’ horse (Dr Zempf, eighth) ran a pretty similar race, and that is a pretty good horse.

“They just didn’t get into it. We are all allowed an off-day and will draw a line through it.”