'Let’s hope the luck’s with us' - Jane Chapple-Hyam warms up for Group 1 Champions Day bid with another winner

Jane Chapple-Hyam will go into Champions Day at Ascot on a winning streak after Habrdi got off the mark at the fourth attempt in the 6f novice under Hollie Doyle.

Chapple-Hyam, who also had an 18-1 winner at Newcastle on Tuesday, will be represented by Mill Stream in the Group 1 Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes on Saturday.

Habrdi was Chapple-Hyam’s last runner before that top-level Ascot contest, and the son of Calyx improved on his stable debut, when he was 17th in a £150,000 event at Newmarket.

“He was unlucky in the sales race,” said Chapple-Hyam. “I thought he was going to run a big race there but unfortunately he was the first to load and it seemed like he was in there for ten minutes.

“It was slow loading with such a big field of two-year-olds. He fell asleep at the start and just blew his chance, hence why I ran him back quick and he went and did the job.”

Habrdi was beaten on his two starts for George Boughey before being moved by owner Ahmad Alotaibi to Chapple-Hyam. The trainer added: “He’s a nice horse. When they’ve been running on that testing ground, you don’t want to back them up too quick. If there’s something in three weeks time we could have a crack.”

Habrdi’s stablemate Mill Stream is another who relishes testing conditions, and the three-year-old is a general 8-1 third-favourite behind Kinross and Vadream for the Champions Sprint.

“Mill Stream won his Listed race and his Group 3 at Deauville on soft going, so we know he handles it,” said Chapple-Hyam. “Obviously in a big sprint race you need some luck in running – let’s hope the luck’s with us.”

Success on Habrdi was the middle leg of a treble for Doyle, who helped the Stuart Kittow-trained Gherkin justify 100-30 favouritism in the 6f handicap before landing the 5½f handicap on Archie Watson's Fifty Year Storm.

Moore magic

The Gary Moore-trained pair Decisive Call and Magic Memories recorded their first successes in the second division of the 1m2f handicap and the mile handicap respectively. Both were ridden by Tom Queally.

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