Double Rush
It was difficult not to be taken with the performance that Double Rush put up in the opening six-furlong handicap at Newmarket on Wednesday. Smartly away and prominent from early, he eased away from his field on the run into the Dip, and he careered away when Oisin Murphy asked him to pick up. The visuals of the performance were impressive, the winning time was good, and he did best of the prominent racers and of the high-drawn horses. The two horses who filled the places behind him were 11th and eighth after they had gone two furlongs, and he was fastest of all through each of the final two furlongs, and that was after leading from early. He was over half a second faster than the next fastest from the two-furlong marker to the winning line.
A dual winner for Charlie Hills over six furlongs around this time last year, the Blue Point colt went down by just three parts of a length in a good six-furlong handicap at Hamilton, the Scottish Stewards Cup, in July off a mark of 90. Well supported for this, his seasonal debut and his first run for Andrew Balding, he put up a career-best by some way off the same mark of 90. The handicapper raised him by 13lb to a mark of 103, but he has the potential to be even better than that. He would be of interest in another handicap off that type of mark, but he will also be of interest if and when he steps into listed of Group company. He holds an entry in a heritage handicap at Newmarket on Guineas weekend, in which he would get to race under just a 5lb penalty, he would be 8lb well-in, and his chance in that would be obvious, and would be reflected in the market. More Thunder, winner of this race last year, went on to win that heritage handicap under that 5lb penalty, before going on to finish second in the Wokingham, win the Bunbury Cup and then win the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes. It wouldn't be surprising to see Double Rush in Group company soon too. There is no telling how high he could go.
Newmarket, 15th April 2026
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