Hollywoood Treasure takes starring role at Newbury

Kevin Philippart de Foy secured his biggest success since being installed as principle trainer for Amo Racing when Hollywood Treasure came out on top in a blockbuster finish to the Sequoia Hair & Spirit St Hugh’s Stakes at Newbury.

An impressive winner at Wolverhampton on debut for Amo’s previous Freemason Lodge incumbent Raphael Freire, the daughter of Gregorian was sent off 16-1 to double her tally in the Listed event, with fellow Amo-owned contender and Queen Mary runner-up Flowerhead the even-money favourite.

Rowan Scott was aboard the perceived Amo second string and while both runners in the silks of Kia Joorabchian’s racing organisation were involved at the finish, it was Hollywood Treasure who finished strongest to edge out Eve Johnson Houghton’s Palmeira by a neck, with Flowerhead a further head adrift in third.

Philippart de Foy was thrilled to see the filly continue her progress and said: “I’m delighted and Raphael did a brilliant job with the filly at the beginning of the season and then I’ve taken over and kept on doing the good work he started.

“She showed a lot of ability first time out and she showed the turn of foot once again there. I’m delighted for connections and obviously it’s great to win a good race like this for Amo Racing.

“It’s always easier when you have good ammunition and we inherited a great bunch of horses. This is the level we want to be targeting and the kind of races we want to be winning, so it’s a good start and hopefully we can keep building on this.”

On future plans, Philippart de Foy added: “Hopefully she will have a bright future and we don’t have a huge amount of options between now and the end of the year.

“I want to keep her over five furlongs and she will need some decent ground. We will have to sit down and see what there is and it could all depend on ground conditions over the next couple of months.”