Newmarket run opens up possible choices for Eddie’s Boy

Adam Morgan
August 30, 2022 1:38 pm

Super Sprint victor finished third on his first try at six furlongs.

Connections of Eddie’s Boy have plenty of options open to them after Archie Watson’s two-year-old proved he stayed six furlongs when third at Newmarket on Saturday.

Campaigned exclusively at five furlongs, with highlights including placing in a red-hot renewal of the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot and landing the valuable Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury, he switched up in distance to be beaten a length and a half by Amichi in another sales event.

Having come through his fact-finding mission with flying colours, there is now a plethora of further opportunities available to the precocious son of Havana Grey, starting with the Group Three Sirenia Stakes at Kempton on Saturday, provided the race does not come soon.

Just how far can he go?! 🤩
Eddie’s Boy holds on to take the Weatherbys Super Sprint Stake 🏆@Archie_Watson| @HollieDoyle1| @MprUpdates | #ITVRacing | @NewburyRacing pic.twitter.com/dqTDmqqoZL
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) July 16, 2022

“Eddie’s Boy saw out every yard of the trip,” said Tim Palin, director of racing for owner Middleham Park Racing.

“On weights and measures, he ran his race if you analyse what he did. Most of his life he’s probably run anywhere between 95 and 100, sometimes he’s a 99 and sometimes he’s a 96.

“We were giving away quite a lot of weight to the others and I think we’ve put in a mid to late 90s kind of performance – a 96 to 98 – which is what he does over five.

“If they had gone another 20 yards he might have actually picked up second again – as the cameras are showing the horses pulling up, he’s the one who’s took longest to stop.

“Even though his Super Sprint performance suggested he might stay, when he hit the line strong over five furlongs and 34 yards, we also suspected he might not. But we’re absolutely convinced he did stay six.

“Admittedly that is not group company, it is one notch down from that. Will he truly stay six at a bit higher level, we don’t know. But there was no feedback saying he didn’t get the trip.

Newbury Races – Saturday July 16th — Eddie’s Boy winning the Weatherbys Super Sprint Stakes at Newbury (Zac Goodwin/PA)

“Time might tell that in Group or Listed company he doesn’t get the trip, but certainly in that company the evidence was that he did see it out.”

On future options he added: “Until now we’ve only been thinking sales races and five furlongs, while now we can add six into the mix and there might be races out there that we can run in over six furlongs. It now opens up a little avenue for us and there’s a sales race (the GBP 150,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes) on October 1 on the Rowley Mile that he qualifies for, but we might try to go somewhere before that.

“It might come too soon, but races like the Group Three Sirenia at Kempton, round a bend, where prominent racers can be suited, might be ideal. I think he prefers the running rail on his right than his left and that could just suit, but it could just come too soon, so I wouldn’t hang my hat on it.”