By Ben Cleminson
NO BRITISH-trained horse has ever won the Group One Chairman’s Sprint Prize (Sunday, 7.50am), but that isn’t stopping trainer George Boughey and owners Highclere having a crack at the £2.2 million pot with four-year-old filly Believing.
The daughter of Mehmas finished a close third in the Haydock Sprint Cup last September following a Group Three success at Chantilly earlier in the season.
Boughey has had great success since saddling his first runner in 2019, culminating in Cachet landing the 1000 Guineas in 2022, also for Highclere.
France has been a happy hunting ground for the 32-year-old and he landed a second Group One last summer when Via Sistina won the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh.
“International travel is what we want to do,” said Boughey. “It’s more lucrative than racing in the UK and Believing is a filly who’ll be on her travels this year.
“We’ve got plans to go to the Breeders’ Cup at the end of the year and hopefully she can take the step up to the top level.”
Boughey has been in Hong Kong since Tuesday and has been delighted with how his filly has dealt with the travel.
“She didn’t lose much weight on the way over and has put it all back on,” he said. “She’s been eating and drinking well. It ticks every box at the moment, I’m very happy with the way she’s training.
“This has been the plan for a while. We wanted to run her round a bend twice – here and at the Breeders’ Cup.”
Some may say it’s a brave decision to head over to Hong Kong to take on top sprinters like California Spangle and Victor The Winner, but Boughey is confident Believing has the tools to do that.
“She’s a filly who’s going to run at the top level for the rest of her career. She’s Group One placed and we need to try to make her the best pedigree we can.
“The prize money is a major factor and also, for Highclere, they’re a syndicate of people who enjoy their racing. It’s the most fantastic experience for them and also for myself.”
Harry Bentley takes the ride and he couldn’t be in much better form following a double at Happy Valley on Wednesday, bringing up his 30 winner of the season, which is already his most successful campaign since coming out to the city three years ago.
“I’ve been here three years now and this season has been my best so far numerically despite two months on the sidelines and two and a bit months left of the season,” said Bentley.
“I’ve had 30 winners and things are going good. I’m getting nice support from various yards and I’m pleased with the trajectory I’m on.”
Bentley partnered Believing in a turf gallop on Thursday and was happy with how she has adapted to Hong Kong.
“She felt very good,” he said. “It was more to get her used to the environment, we did an easy gallop and nothing too strenuous, it was just to give her a little bit of a leg stretch and me to have a bit of a feel of her.
“I was very happy with how she felt and she looks really, really well in her coat.”
A total of 18 members of the Highclere syndicate are in Hong Kong to see their heroine and hopefully she can make a bit of history on Sunday morning.
