Harbour Watch's Santry heads for Royal Ascot

Harbour Watch's Brocklesby Stakes winner Santry maintained his unbeaten record with an impressive victory in the 5f British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes at York's Dante meeting on Wednesday. The well-backed two-year-old colt tanked through the race before powering clear late on, all under a 6lb penalty.

Trained by Declan Carroll for owners Ray Flegg, John Bousfield and Steve Ryan, Santry is now likely to target the five-furlong Gr. 2 Norfolk Stakes or Listed Windsor Castle Stakes, or he could be stepped up to six furlongs for the Gr. 2 Coventry Stakes.

Trainer Declan Caroll said: "Santry is the best two-year-old I've worked with. He is a good horse. The plan was always to wait for this race and he won't run again before Ascot now. There were a lot of horses that hadn't run and you don't know what he's beaten but he's carried his penalty and he can only win, can't he?"

Santry was bred at Peter Molony's Rathmore Stud in Co Limerick and was purchased by Declan Carroll for €24,000 from the Goffs Sportsman's sale. Carroll knows the family well as he also trains the colt's half-sister Pull The Plug.

This makes for two victories so far this week for progeny by second-season sire Harbour Watch, with Evening Hilllanding the mile maiden at Chepstow, going one better than on his debut seven months earlier.

Evening Hill was bought for 18,000 guineas as a yearling and already looks a bargain. He only needed to be pushed out late on at the Welsh track to win by three lengths from the runner-up, with the rest of the field strung out behind.

The victory brought back memories of Harbour Watch himself as not only is Evening Hill trained by Richard Hughes, who rode the unbeaten Harbour Watch in two of his three races, including the Gr. 2 Richmond Stakes, but he also carries the same orange and black colours of Robin Heffer.

See the video here courtesy of TDN http://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/race-replays/3/70082/