Young gelding to carry hopes for Eve Johnson Houghton at Newbury
Eve Johnson Houghton will send Flying Pirate to Newbury for Friday’s Haynes Hanson & Clark Conditions Stakes believing the Blackbeard colt can be competitive if equipment measures remain effective. The juvenile, now gelded, has shown plenty of raw ability in a short career and has responded well to the fitting of cheekpieces.
Early promise and handling issues
Flying Pirate began his career on a winning note, breaking his maiden in the same Salisbury novice in which Zavateri had succeeded the previous year. That early promise has, at times, been accompanied by behavioural quirks. Connections took the decision to geld the colt because his temperament had been making him difficult to manage on race-days.
On more than one occasion Flying Pirate caused concern by resisting being mounted at the racecourse. The addition of cheekpieces has been used not primarily to aid concentration during races, but to prevent the youngster from seeing the jockey as they mount, which has resulted in smoother pre-parade routines and allowed riders to get him away from the stalls without incident.
Haydock success and Newbury target
His most recent start saw him triumph at Haydock by a wide margin, a performance that underlined the colt’s natural speed and ability. That victory, by eight lengths, provided Johnson Houghton with encouragement that the gelding can become more tractable and competitive if current management strategies are maintained.
Having missed a planned Newbury engagement earlier in his campaign, Flying Pirate returns to the same course for the Haynes Hanson & Clark, a race with a notable roll-call of past winners. The contest represents both a test of the colt’s progression and an opportunity to measure him against some well-regarded peers.
Key rivals
- Apulia Bay– trained by Simon and Ed Crisford and a straightforward winner at Nottingham, the colt is one of the main dangers in the line-up.
- Bin Jahwar– a Ghaiyyath colt trained by Charlie Appleby. He is held in high regard within his camp, carries entries for end-of-season two-year-old features including the Royal Lodge and the Futurity Stakes, and has been noted in ante-post markets for next season’s classics.
- Impasto– an Andrew Balding-trained colt who was runner-up on his Ascot debut and is also engaged in the Futurity at Doncaster, representing another strong contender for the Newbury conditions contest.
Thinking ahead
For Johnson Houghton, the immediate objective is pragmatic: manage Flying Pirate’s temperament while allowing his natural ability to develop. If cheekpieces continue to prevent pre-race problems and the gelding keeps improving, Friday’s race will be a useful indicator of where he stands among his generation.
The Haynes Hanson & Clark has a history of producing horses that go on to greater things, and the presence of several promising juveniles ensures the Newbury renewal will provide a meaningful mid-summer exam for the season’s up-and-comers.
This article may have been prepared in whole or in part with the assistance of artificial intelligence.
