Jessica Harrington hoping its Hotazhell at Doncaster

PA Sport Reporters
October 23, 2024 12:38 pm

Beresford winner arguably brings strongest form to final domestic Group One of the year.

Jessica Harrington is excited about the prospects of Hotazhell in the William Hill Futurity Trophy at Doncaster on Saturday.

The Too Darn Hot colt has won three of his five juvenile starts thus far, must recently claiming Group Two honours in the Beresford Stakes at the Curragh.

Having already proven his stamina over a mile and with soft ground not expected to be a problem, Harrington is hopeful Hotazhell can sign off for the year with a Group One victory on Town Moor.

Jessica Harrington with Hotazhell (Brian Lawless/PA)

“Everything is looking all right, he came out of his last race very well, he’s had plenty of time and we’re happy with him,” she told Sky Sports Racing.

“I was delighted with him (in the Beresford Stakes). He got a bit of hassle from the (Aidan) O’Brien horses, but he didn’t turn a hair getting bumped coming down the hill. When he turned into the straight it looked for a second that he was slow to pick up, but when he did pick up he stayed on very strongly.

“He’s been very good to us. He was unlucky not to win the first time, he got trapped on the rail at Leopardstown and couldn’t get out, but in a way it probably was a great thing as it taught him to relax and his head has been very good ever since.”

🏆 Hotazhell lands the Gr.2 Beresford Stakes at @curraghrace for @Jessica_Racing.
He was a #TattsCraven Breeze Up buy by Silverton Hill for 200,000gns from @Lackendarra_stb, who bought him at #TattsOctober Book 2 for 70,000gns from @BlueDiamondStd.pic.twitter.com/L52yUZVGdz
— Tattersalls (@Tattersalls1766) September 28, 2024

She added: “He wears a red hood in the parade ring and going down to the start, but that’s just to keep him relaxed. I think he’d probably be all right without it now, but it’s a big day on Saturday at Doncaster and there’ll be a fair buzz going on, so I think we’ll keep it on him.

“It’s a big, wide, galloping track. He’s won at the Curragh and I think he’ll be fine. I think the ground will be grand for him as it’s going to be soft.

“I think he probably will stay a mile and a quarter at three, but we’ll start him off over a mile. He’s got an entry in the English and the Irish Guineas and it will just depend how he is in the spring.”