‘Unbelievable’ says Burke as 40-1 debutant Holloway Boy heads 66,000-1 tricast

Holloway Boy won on debut at Royal Ascot

Edward Whitaker

Saturday: Chesham Stakes, Royal Ascot

Holloway Boy achieved a remarkable feat to win at Royal Ascot on his racecourse debut in the Chesham Stakes, with 2023 Derby favourite Alfred Munnings disappointing.

The son of Ulysses was third from last approaching the two-furlong pole but jockey Danny Tudhope switched him out as he surged to the line to win by a length. He becomes the first debutant to win at the Royal meeting since Shamikh took this race in 1996.

The Karl Burke-trained runner, sent off a 40-1 chance, held off 80-1 shot Pearling Path with 33-1 Lakota Sioux in third. The tricast paid out 66,000-1.

It gives the Yorkshire trainer a second winner of the week following Dramatised’s impressive Queen Mary victory.

Burke said: “Unbelievable. The truth is we were going to go to Musselburgh for the Sunday Series but he pulled a little muscle so we didn’t go then the owner rang me up. He said he was supposed to have a box but was let down and wanted to get some tickets.

A delighted Karl Burke after Holloway Boy’s shock Chesham win

Edward Whitaker

“I entered the horse and thought ‘I’m not going to run him’ but I thought sod it, we’ll run him, give him a nice day out. 

“It was superb by Danny, we were always going to ride him that way. He rides this track fantastically. We thought he was a nice horse but I didn’t quite think he was that good. He’s only had a quiet blow, he hasn’t had a hard race.”

The win was a fourth at this year’s Royal Ascot for Danny Tudhope and now moves him one behind Ryan Moore at the top of the leading jockeys’ leaderboard.

He said: “That’s a bit of a surprise to be honest. He’s a fine big specimen of a horse and Karl said just give him a nice day out. We liked him but we didn’t think he’d do that. I’d say he’s very good, he’s a proper big animal and I’m pretty sure he’ll improve for it.”

Alfred Munnings, sent off 11-8, finished sixth for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore. He drifted to 40-1 (from 16-1) for next year’s Derby.

Read this next:

Holloway Boy’s 40-1 debut win may have been amazing – but it’s been done before

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FIRST PUBLISHED 2:49PM, JUN 18 2022