Acquitted one to look forward to for Palmer

Plenty to like about Newbury success.

Hugo Palmer can look forward to next year with Acquitted after the juvenile made it two wins from three starts in his short career at Newbury.

A winner on the all-weather on his debut, Palmer had then stepped him up in grade for the Haynes, Hanson & Clark Conditions Stakes where he finished fourth.

Carrying a 6lb penalty in the second division of the Join Hot To Trot For 2020 Novice Stakes, the Night Of Thunder colt travelled strongly in the testing conditions and always looked the likely winner.

Kieran Shoemark put the race to bed over a furlong out and despite Waleydd closing to within a head, the winner was possibly value for more.

“I’m very pleased, it’s always hard to give a penalty away, particularly in that ground,” said Palmer of the 5-1 scorer.

“Kieran Shoemark was very complimentary about him afterwards and just felt his class saw him through. He handled the ground rather than relished it, but he felt he was always going to win.

“This was a nice way to finish the season, when I’m sure he’ll stay 10 furlongs or maybe even further.

“We’ll see what the handicapper does and how he winters. Off the top of my head there’s a smart handicap at Sandown that Jack Hobbs won that might suit.

“He’s a horse we’ve always liked and we can look forward to next year with him.”

Alan King had planned to send Trueshan juvenile hurdling, but landing a £75,000 prize at Newmarket last time out forced a rethink and he followed up in the £50,000 British European Breeders’ Fund Conditions Stakes.

Next year’s Ebor at York has already been mentioned as a target.

James Doyle appeared to have matters under control on the odds-on favourite Hamish, but William Buick had just saved enough on Trueshan (2-1), who won by a neck.

Other notable performances on the card came from Roger Charlton’s newcomer Dancing Harry (16-1) under Jason Watson in the first division of Acquitted’s race, and Hughie Morrison’s With Respect (22-1), who was another debut winner.

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