It’s a great weekend of action for the juvenile division, the feature of which will be Saturday’s Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.
The action got underway at Newmarket with success for trainer Johnathan Portman in the 1:50 at on the Rowley Mile, as Rumstar pulled off a convincing win off an SP of 9-1.
This had the look of a tasty encounter on paper with the favourite, Prince of Pillo as short as 6-4 before the race. Crispy Cat was the obvious challenger at 5-1. However, whilst Prince of Pillo contested the lead, Crispy Cat found the pace a little too strong.
Never out of it, Rumstar, ridden by the effervescent Rob Hornby, collared Prince of Pillo and the fast improving Maylandsea in the final 100 yards.
Portman has experienced two previous successes in the Cornwallis and is finishing the flat season strongly. Rumstar, winning for owner Vincent Ward. Rumstar, sired by Havana Grey, out of Stellarta, raised his game when landing a 16-runner 6f nursery at the big Goodwood meeting in July. A subsequent fourth of 10 in a Kempton Group 3 was no backward step but this was a big step forward overt 5f here.
Rob Hornby explained that Portman was extremely confident about Rumstar’s chances. He’d already told Hornby that “We’re gonna win the Cornwallis.”
Talking about Rumstar, Hornby was full of praise, “He’s improved all the way through the year. I was even thinking he might be too relaxed. He’s effective over further so he had no problems when he hit the rising ground.