Jumby (9-4 favourite) ran out a fine winner of the Sky Bet John Of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock Park on Saturday afternoon.
Eve Johnson Houghton’s five-year-old, under Charlie Bishop, stormed home down the outside to win the Group Three feature at the Merseyside track by thghgh lengths. Jumby, who had not won since his excellent victory in the Group Two BetVictor Hungerford Stakes at Newbury last August, enjoyed the rattling quick ground and the return to seven furlongs at Haydock to bounce back from a couple of lacklustre efforts in the six-furlong Abernant Stakes at Newmarket and the Group One Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes, at Newbury last time. Bishop had Jumby near the back of the field for much of the race as Australian raider The Astrologist cut out the running. But two furlongs from home Jumby moved out to the outside to begin his challenge and when he got into his stride he flew for home and everything scored by a length-and-a-half from The Astrologist (3-1) with El Caballo (11-4) a short head further adrift in third.
Jumby could now head to Royal Ascot for another crack at the six-furlong Wokingham Handicap – a race he was third in last season and he was cut to 14-1 from 20-1 by Paddy Power with to go a couple of places better on June 24. Further on the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket over seven furlongs is a possibility. But having landed another Group race trianer Johnson Houghton is looking at some top races for the rest of the year including trying to stretch out to a mile at the Breeders' Cup in the autumn.
