Boughey eyes sustained progress after flying start to campaign

Molly Hunter
May 10, 2021 3:57 pm

Mystery Angel and Navello among Newmarket trainer’s winners.

George Boughey has enjoyed a memorable year so far and is intent on sustaining his progress throughout the summer.

The trainer’s Newmarket base at Saffron House Stables is currently operating at a 26 per cent strike – with last year’s total of 26 winners already comfortably surpassed.

Mystery Angel provided Boughey, previously assistant to Hugo Palmer, with his first Stakes success this month when taking the Listed Pretty Polly at Newmarket’s Guineas meeting.

The filly is set for Wednesday’s Group Three Musidora Stakes at York, in which Roger Varian’s Teona is expected to head the market.

Mystery Angel, ridden by Ben Curtis, wins the Betfair Pretty Polly Stakes during 1000 Guineas Day — Mystery Angel, ridden by Ben Curtis, wins the Betfair Pretty Polly Stakes (Mike Egerton/PA)

Boughey said: “She was impressive at Newmarket, and I don’t see why she shouldn’t have a very good chance on Wednesday.

“Obviously Roger Varian’s horse will go in as favourite and will probably be hard to beat, but she’s a filly who is progressing and she can make a very good account of herself.

“She was placed at Newmarket as a two-year-old over 10 furlongs (in the Group Three Zetland Stakes), and I’m sure she’s up to this class.”

Also flying the flag for the stable is the promising juvenile Navello, who completed his hat-trick when winning the Lily Agnes Stakes at Chester by six lengths last week.

The colt’s next target is the Listed National Stakes at Sandown.

“He’ll head to the National Stakes,” said Boughey.

Navello, ridden by Nicola Currie, on his way to winning the ICM Stellar Sports Lily Agnes Conditions Stakes during City Day of the Boodles May Festival 2021 at Chester Racecourse — Navello won the ICM Stellar Sports Lily Agnes Conditions Stakes at Chester (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

“He’s bounced out of his run and he’s improving pretty quickly at the moment.

“He’s a versatile horse ground-wise, so I wouldn’t really be worried about what the ground is – we’ll just crack on.

“He’s a two-year-old who takes his racing incredibly well. I could run him again this week if I wanted to, and he just bounces out of each run – he is a joy to train really.”

The successes of both Mystery Angel and Navello have helped Boughey to 30 winners this term, with both of his pre-season goals already accomplished.

“We’ve had 30 winners already, and my target was to have more winners than we had last year – so we’re well through that already,” he said.

NAVELLO bolts up in the Lily Agnes @ChesterRaces under @NicolaCurrie22 – well done to owner/breeders Evelyn Ýates and Fiona Carmichael pic.twitter.com/TnvsNXm4mz
— George Boughey Racing (@gbougheyracing) May 5, 2021

“We’ve had a Stakes winner, which was my only other target, so we’ve just got to keep trying to get the best out of the horses we’ve got.

“We’ve been well supported over the winter. We had plenty of winners last year, but they weren’t superstars, so it’s really nice to have some horses that are winning on ITV and in the bigger types of races.”

Boughey is also keen to see those supporters able to return to the racecourse as coronavirus restrictions begin to ease.

“That’s the next step – we need to get the owners back,” he said.

“They are back, but only in a certain form. We see them over the rail – but they are putting a lot of money into this sport, and we need to see them rewarded for that.”