Havana Hurricane unleashed a furious rally from the back to capture the Windsor Castle Stakes
- Turf Diario
- Jun 19
- 2 min read
The son of Havana Gold erased his Epsom defeat with a lethal late rush over 1000 meters, delivering revenge for the Chipotle team

BERKSHIRE, Inglaterra (Special for Turf Diario).- Three years after Chipotle surprised at this very venue, Eve Johnson Houghton and Charlie Bishop repeated the winning formula with another son of Havana Gold: Havana Hurricane, who unleashed his fury in the final strides to capture the Windsor Castle Stakes (L-1000m, turf), one of the two listed events for two-year-olds at Royal Ascot.
After finishing second to Cathal (No Nay Never) in the Woodcote Stakes (L) at Epsom, the colt found the ideal stage over the uphill 1000 meters, closing powerfully from the back to win by 1 1/2 lengths over the outsider Dickensian(Mehmas). A dead heat for third place came between Azizam (Blue Point) and the favorite Rogue Legend (Showcasing), a length and a half behind.
“I told the owners that, win or lose, they had already gotten back the 9,000 guineas they paid for him. Today was a day to enjoy, but I truly believe this colt is something special,” said a moved Johnson Houghton. “He won very comfortably, and he’s quite a calm horse day to day. Tom Clemmit takes care of him and does a fantastic job.”
The trainer did not hide her happiness over her jockey’s vindication: “Charlie received unfair criticism for his ride at Epsom, but today he gave him a perfect ride. He waited just the right amount and was very patient. I couldn’t be prouder of him.”
Bishop, who notched his third Royal Ascot win with this, explained: “He didn’t stay the 1200 meters at Epsom, so I was very confident coming into today—even if that sounds strange to say at a place like this. I always thought he was the best in the bunch, and here he had the perfect race: a demanding five-furlong trip, strong pace, and luck at the right moment.”
He added: “Eve is a fantastic trainer. She trusts me, gives me freedom to ride on instinct. She does the hard work; I just have to guide the horse. It’s a privilege to work with her. This win is for Fulke Johnson Houghton, who was incredible with all of us. This one’s for him.”
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