Flat racing HQ stepped into the autumn spotlight last week, as Newmarket staged the 2026 Cambridgeshire Meeting. Days 1 and 2 supplied plenty of entertainment, but the fireworks duly arrived on the sizzling Saturday card. Just one Irish runner showed up for the title handicap, but that was all that was needed as Adrian McGuinness made off with the prize. Irish eyes were also smiling following the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes, as the Aidan O’Brien-trained Sun Goddess once again suggested she may be something a little out of the ordinary.
Earlier in the week, sad news emerged regarding a star that fell firmly into the extraordinary category. Successful 22 times at the highest level during a glittering career, Hurricane Fly passed away at 22.
A Right Royal Result For Ado McGuinness
| Pos | Horse | SP | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Pierre Royal | 33/1 | Adrian McGuinness | Mikey Sheehy |
| 2nd | Crest Of Fire | 25/1 | Jack Channon | Tom Marquand |
| 3rd | Altareq | 100/1 | Jim Goldie | Lauren Young |
| 4th | Gavriel | 4/1 F | John & Thady Gosden | Robert Havlin |
Heading into the 2026 edition of the Cambridgeshire Handicap, the home team had successfully swatted the Irish challenge aside every year since 1999. With 26 of the 27-runner field hailing from a British yard, that barren run for the Emerald Isle looked set to extend for another year. However, it only takes one horse to win a race, and in Pierre Royal, Dublin handler Ado McGuinness had the ace in the pack.
In a market dominated by the John and Thady Gosden-trained Gavriel and the well-supported Bourbon Blues and Hand Of God, Pierre Royal flew in under the radar. That said, the four-year-old son of Kingman wasn’t without his supporters. Four weeks after finishing third as favourite in the Irish Cambridgeshire, he opened up as an unconsidered 66/1 shot. Those odds were steadily nibbled at throughout the day, with Mikey Sheehy’s mount starting at 33/1.
In a wide-open contest, Pierre Royal emerged as a big threat inside the final furlong. While he looked to have the beating of Gavriel, who was drawn away from the main action, Crest Of Fire appeared to have stolen a march on the McGuinness runner. However, everything changed in the dying strides. With Crest Of Fire running out of steam, a resolute Pierre Royal stuck his neck out when it mattered to score by a short head.
This result added to the Cambridgeshire’s growing reputation as one of Britain’s most unfathomable handicaps. The past 10 years alone have witnessed winners at 20/1, 25/1, 40/1 (twice), 50/1, and now 33/1. That said, the result may not have come as a shock to everyone, with Ado McGuinness stating in the aftermath, “I think some of the boys may have had a few quid on.”
Goddess Glorious in Cheveley Park Stakes
| Pos | Horse | SP | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Sun Goddess | 5/6 F | Aidan O’Brien | Ryan Moore |
| 2nd | Libertango | 13/2 | George Boughey | Billy Loughnane |
| 3rd | Alwaysanangel | 15/2 | Joseph Patrick O’Brien | William Buick |
The Group 1 duo of the Middle Park Stakes and Cheveley Park Stakes lit up the first half of the Cambridgeshire card. Both run over the six-furlong trip, the juvenile events have a habit of falling to a future star. Whether that turns out to be the case for the 2026 Middle Park Stakes remains to be seen, with the Clive Cox-trained Orthodox scrambling home in what looked a sub-par renewal. The Cheveley Park Stakes was a different story altogether, with the winner positively oozing superstar quality.
With Prix Morny and Duchess of Cambridge Stakes winner Senorita Bonita and Albany and Lowther Stakes heroine Libertango in the line-up, the British challenge was strong. However, the Simon and Ed Crisford and George Boughey fillies faced a sizeable threat from Ireland. Towering over her rivals in the parade ring, Aidan O’Brien’s Sun Goddess arrived on the back of a Group 1 win in the Moyglare Stud Stakes. While looking unstoppable at times, she finished second to Libertango in the Albany, who in turn lost out to Senorita Bonita in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes. With three blossoming reputations on the line, this had the makings of the juvenile contest of the season.
Heading into the closing stages, the much-anticipated three-way clash was on the cards. Senorita Bonita was the first to hit the front as she moved past the pace-setting Snowing and Moonrise. Libertango quickly latched onto her, but Sun Goddess was the first off the bridle into the dip. The complexion of the race changed in an instant. Having launched her challenge, Senorita Bonita found disappointingly little, handing the initiative to Libertango. However, Sun Goddess had now found her giant stride and was eating up the ground with ease. Taking the lead with 100 yards to go, she forged a length clear by the line, setting a new course record in the process.
Now a three-time Group 1 winner over six furlongs and seven furlongs, and on a range of going, Sun Goddess confirmed her status as the queen of the juvenile fillies’ division. Available to back at 3/1 for the 2027 1,000 Guineas on the morning of the race, she was as short as 6/4 following her latest outstanding display.
Farewell to an All-Time Great as Hurricane Fly Passes Away
In the midst of the late-season flat highlights, Tuesday 22 September gave fans reason to pause and remember one of the greatest hurdlers of this, or any other, era. Eleven years after heading into a well-earned retirement, Hurricane Fly passed away at the age of 22. Incredibly, during a stellar seven-year National Hunt career, he picked up a Grade 1 success for every one of those 22 years, setting a National Hunt record that stands to this day.
While consistently absent from the Aintree Grand National Festival, Hurricane Fly graced every other major National Hunt stage. Highlights on a long list of accomplishments included five Irish Champion Hurdles, four December Festival Hurdles, and three Morgiana Hurdles. In Britain, he won his first Champion Hurdle in 2011 and raised the roof when returning to reclaim his crown in 2013.
While relatively small for a top-class hurdler, anything Hurricane Fly lacked in size he made up for with heart, class, and almost unparalleled reliability at his obstacles – in 32 outings over hurdles, he never fell, nor did he ever look like falling. Following the sad news of his death, his regular rider Ruby Walsh was among those to pay tribute, stating, “He had speed, class, he stayed, and was, in my eyes, for a little horse, the perfect horse.”
