Eve Johnson Houghton claimed the 3.35 Hungerford Stakes at Newbury today with her four-year-old colt, Jumby. Despite placing in the Wokingham at Ascot and the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket, Jumby was sent off at 9-1, which would prove to be a remarkable price.
Market leaders, Pogo, Tiber Flow, and Chindit, all failed to fire in the feature race of today’s meeting. Drawn in the low numbers, all three of them struggled to stay on terms in the early part of the race.
Drawn in stall six, William Buick’s mount was able to run towards the centre right of the track where the faster ground has been all day on the straight track. Timing his run to perfection, he hit the front with a furlong left to run and won going away.
This win brought up Johnson Houghton’s tenth win in 63 runs (last 30 days), which she followed up with win number eleven in the next.
Dubai Poet finished second ahead of 22-1 Wings of War in third.
Jumby looks likely to head north for the Sky Bet City of York Stakes next Saturday to take on the likes of Alcohol Free and Sense Of Duty.