Owners will be in the enviable position of cheering home both Spycatcher and Believing in the Group 1 Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes on Saturday.
Most of the 20 shareholders in each horse will be at Ascot for a thrilling climax to the British Flat season – some travelling from as far afield as the United States and the Middle East.
Harry Herbert, Chairman of Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, says: “It’s wonderful to have one runner at such a high-profile fixture but to have two makes it even more exciting for our share owners.
“Both horses have been trained all season with this race in mind and we aim to give our share owners an unforgettable experience, whatever the result.”
Spycatcher, a Group 3 winner in France in July, has already proven his Group 1 credentials, missing out on victory in the Maurice De Gheest at Deauville in August by an agonising short-head.
“He was unlucky that day,” recalls Harry. “His head was in front just before the line and again a stride after it, but he missed out by a fraction of an inch.
“Seven furlongs in the Park Stakes at Doncaster stretched him last time but a stiff six in testing ground is perfect for him and his trainer Karl Burke is very happy with his preparation.”
The five-year-old was almost retired last year after suffering a setback but after seeking a second veterinary opinion Highclere decided to keep him in training – and what an inspired decision that proved to be. Also taking her chance in the Champions Sprint is the George Boughey-trained Believing, whose first foray into Group 1 company last month confirmed her participation at Ascot.
“She ran a brilliant race to be third in the Sprint Trophy at Haydock Park,” adds Harry. “If she’d been drawn closer to the first two she might even have won but we were naturally delighted with her performance.
“She won a Listed race at Pontefract the time before and George has been very bullish about her chances. She certainly has her sire Mehmas’s will to win and like Spycatcher enjoys soft ground. We’ll just have to see if, as a three-year-old filly, she copes with the conditions as well as him if it gets really testing.”
Believing’s shareholders are no stranger to success as some of them are also involved in Highclere’s Classic winner Cachet, also trained in Newmarket by Boughey.
“There is a huge amount of excitement among our share owners as you can imagine,” adds Harry. “We’re in constant contact with them all, sending videos and photographs of the horses. Getting to know them over the course of the year is one of the joys of the job and we hope they have one hell of a day.”
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