Hugo Palmer gained his first Classic winner when Covert Love stormed home in the Irish Oaks – a race historically dominated by runners from Europe’s big bloodstock empires. The Newmarket-based trainer, in only his fifth season with a licence, heralds from a different kind of empire, Huntley & Palmer, the company that used to be the world’s biggest biscuit manufacturer.
Four horses from the powerful Coolmore syndicate trailed in behind Covert Love, a 7-1 shot, at The Curragh. This hobnobbing by the filly earned her owners, the humble Fomo Syndicate, £182,000.
Palmer, 34, said: “I’m to be married next Saturday so this is the last time I can ever say this is the best day of my life.
“I’m terrified I’ll wake up and find myself still in my bed in Newmarket. I couldn’t be more excited. Aidan O’Brien’s horse [Together Forever] went off like a scalded cat and I loved the way Pat took our filly back and made his own running and let that one go as a hare.
“There’s still time to put her in the St Leger. We might wait and see what the weather does in August and maybe think about the Yorkshire Oaks. We paid €40,000 to come here as a supplementary entry. At that point that was every penny she had won in prize money. She’s a lightly raced young filly. I genuinely believe her biggest days, if they get any bigger than this, could well be ahead of her.”
Pat Smullen brought the daughter of Azamour to head Together Forever a furlong from home and won by a length and three-quarters. Covert Love was taking her winning run to four. The runner-up was Jack Naylor, with the 15-8 favourite, Curvy, third.
Smullen said: “We were very confident the filly would stay. All credit to Hugo, this filly was in serious form. Her stamina was unbelievable. There’s more improvement in her. It’s great to win a Classic here on your home track.”
Another Curragh prize crossed the Irish Sea when the Lambourn trainer William Muir lifted the Invincible Spirit Sapphire Stakes with Stepper Point, also ridden by Smullen. The 6-1 winner, a seasoned sprinter, had been out of luck since winning the Flying Five over course and distance last September, but hit back with a neck call over the favourite, Mecca’s Angel.
Smullen said: “All he had to do was come back to his old form of last year and he’d be very competitive. The ground is drying out rapidly. I thought we’d put it up to the favourite as he might not enjoy conditions and it worked out.”
At Newbury, Tony Hamilton celebrated the biggest pay packet of his career after steering Lathom to glory in the Weatherbys Super Sprint.
Despite giving weight away to all of his rivals, the 28-1 shot made amends for his below-par effort in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot to lead home a one-two for trainer Richard Fahey, who struck in this same race in 2013 with Peniaphobia. This time around the well-supported favourite Excessable motored into the lead inside the final two furlongs but could not sustain his effort and was passed late on by the eventual winner down the centre of the track.
Although Mr Lupton finished with a flourish down the stands rails, he could not quite get on terms as his stablemate held on to victory by a neck, with Field Of Vision a further nose back in third.
Fahey saddled eight horses in the race and also secured fourth spot with David’s Duchess. Hamilton said: “I’ve had a couple of Group race winners but, in terms of prize money, this is the biggest race I have ever won.”
Earlier on the Newbury card, the Roger Varian-trained Intilaaq confirmed he remains a colt of great potential after bouncing back from his disappointing effort in the 2000 Guineas with a stylish success in the JLT Stakes.
