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| Staff Writer |
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Havana Hurricane is being aimed at Royal Ascot following his encouraging performance when finishing second in the Woodcote Stakes. The Havana Gold colt, trained by Eve Johnson Houghton, demonstrated his class despite missing the break at Epsom.
The promising youngster had previously scored on debut at Goodwood, establishing his credentials before tackling Group company. His Woodcote effort saw him finish just a length and a half behind Godolphin's Maximized, a performance that has opened up exciting possibilities.
Johnson Houghton is considering both the Windsor Castle Stakes and Norfolk Stakes as potential targets for her charge. "He's great, he's been very well and is such a laid-back horse," the trainer explained. "He could go for the Windsor Castle or the Norfolk, he'll be entered in both."
The handler believes Havana Hurricane's natural speed will prove decisive at Ascot, despite his tendency to be slowly away. "He's got bags of pace, clearly, even when he does give the rest of them a head start! A stiff five at Ascot has got to really suit him."
The US$12,000 purchase also holds an entry for the Weatherbys Super Sprint Stakes at Newbury, where his modest purchase price would ensure a light weight allocation.