Homebred Hellfire Bay books Royal Ascot ticket

Zoustar filly Hellfire Bay, out of our dual Stakes-winning sprinter Wind Fire, booked her ticket for Royal Ascot when smoothly winning a Kempton fillies’ maiden on Wednesday evening.

Qatar Racing's Hellfire Bay – who was named as part of a social media competition – had shown plenty of promise on her debut at Goodwood on May 27 and duly improved to justify favouritism at Kempton 11 days on.

She was much sharper away at the Sunbury-on-Thames track and overcame racing wide to win by 1¼ lengths from promising newcomer Kinako Mochi. It looked a deep race with the third and fourth having shown ability on their respective debuts too.

Seven lengths behind Hellfire Bay was Oops, who had finished 2¼ lengths behind Albany favourite Jabaara on debut.

Winning jockey Oisin Murphy describes Zoustar filly Hellfire Bay as “as beautiful a racehorse as you’ve ever seen [with a] great temperament.” The Gosden stable won the Albany with Newfangled in 2012.

Hellfire Bay was conceived, born and raised at Tweenhills and has always been well liked on the farm. Her dam Wind Fire was an unlucky third in the Gr.2 Norfolk Stakes against colts and has already produced Norfolk Stakes runner Air Force Jet and US Gr.1 runner Lady Clementine.

Hellfire Bay is also a full sister to US winner Moonstrike, which means Wind Fire has produced four winners from four foals. Wind Fire’s current yearling filly was sold as a foal for 110,000gns to John Deer’s Oakgrove Stud. She has a colt foal by Kingman.