Racing Review: Recapping the weekend's action including a horse for your notebook

In his latest Racing Review column, Races Now’s Harry Fowler looks back on the weekend’s action as the Flat season prepares to move into one of its biggest weeks of the year at York.

Harry assesses Coppull’s Hungerford Stakes success, Wine Dark Sea’s surprise Geoffrey Freer victory and the key talking points from Newbury, before turning his attention to the Group 1 action in France. He also picks out his latest eye-catcher to add to your notebooks.

Weekend Racing Review - August 18th 2026

Coppull takes advantage in intriguing Hungerford

The weekend leading into the Ebor Festival at York was another relatively quiet one, which is perhaps to be expected with one of the biggest weeks of the season just around the corner.

The feature meeting on Saturday came at Newbury, where they hosted an intriguing renewal of the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes.

We had horses stepping up to seven furlongs, unexposed types and others with something to prove, but it was one of those tackling the trip for the first time, Coppull, who came out on top.

I do think there was something in the positioning that benefited Coppull. Despite being drawn on the inside, he was one of three runners to switch away from the main group towards the far-side rail. Those three eventually finished first, third and fourth.

Prince Of India, who finished second, has run a mighty race in the circumstances. With just over a furlong remaining he was positioned more towards the stands' side, before finishing strongly while drifting across towards those in front of him on the far side.

Never So Brave was disappointing once again, although it was subsequently reported that he had been struck into on his left fore. You would have to be pretty faithful to keep following him from here.

Interestingly, the Hungerford was run 0.41 seconds slower than the seven-furlong handicap immediately beforehand.

Addison Grey, the winner of that contest, is one who had been knocking on the door and the step up to seven furlongs appears to have been the key. He looks like one to keep onside.

The other horse to note from that race is third-placed Scoville.

Everyone expected him, dropping back in trip, to do what he has done throughout the season and attempt to make the running. He went off at an SP of 5/2 and I am 99% sure he wouldn't have been that short if everyone had known the tactics that were going to be used!

I think you'd be disappointed if you backed him, but that's just racing.

Looking ahead to a possible return to a mile, however, I actually thought it was a really positive run. They dropped him in dead last, he settled nicely and finished well to take third.

I expect him to get his head in front again soon.

Wine Dark Sea springs Geoffrey Freer surprise

The other Group race at Newbury was the Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes.

With Trawlerman drifting in the Lonsdale Cup market, we lost Mount Atlas due to the ground, but I am sure we will see him at York on Friday.

That left us with five runners and Wine Dark Sea was smashed into 7/2 before the off.

He went straight to the front and made all – and I must admit, as someone who backed him like a good thing last time at Newmarket when he finished fifth in a handicap off 89, I wasn't best pleased!

In truth, the race looked very weak.

Dubai Honour found the ground a little quick and I'm not convinced he particularly showed that he stays the trip either.

Tabletalk is a horse who tends to run well and find his way into the places, Rebel Rocker looks to have an inflated mark from a weak Derby, while Gamrai likes to lead and had no chance of doing so once taking on the winner.

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America Queen puts rivals to the sword

Onto Sunday, where Pontefract hosted the Listed Flying Fillies' Stakes over six furlongs.

America Queen was the short-priced favourite and did it in style, winning by four lengths.

She had finished a good fourth in Group 3 company at York beforehand and I expect her to be back at that level before long, where she should be very competitive again.

I must say, I thought it was a shame to see Royal Fixation put in another disappointing run.

She just doesn't look like she has trained on. She was one I backed a few times last season and was a fan of, so it is disappointing to see.

Rayif back to his best in France

The race of the weekend came over in France, with Deauville staging the Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois over a mile.

Rayif, for that man Francis-Henri Graffard, was the winner, bouncing back to the form that saw him win the French 2,000 Guineas following his Prix Jean Prat disappointment. The Prix du Moulin at Longchamp now looks the logical next destination.

Zeus Olympios was back in second and could perhaps be considered a little unlucky. His rider dropped his whip at around the furlong pole and, when you're eventually beaten by just a neck, that feels pretty significant.

Precise was well backed and finished third. I would love to see her stepped up to ten furlongs now, although it is a shame connections already have a superstar filly operating over that trip.

More Thunder is the final one to note and he disappointed again, managing only fifth and failing to reproduce the level of his seconds in either the Lockinge or Queen Anne.

Fowler’s eye-catcher of the week – New Bond Street

We finish this week's Racing Review with my latest horse to add to the trackers.

I have to give an honourable mention to Quicken Away, who caught the eye on debut at Newbury on Friday. The Andrew Balding-trained colt was a little slow away before finishing strongly to get within a neck of King High. He was fairly obvious, though, and will surely be a short price next time.

Instead, we head across to Ireland for this week's selection – New Bond Street.

I thought it was quite a remarkable run from her to finish third at the Curragh.

She was slowly away from the stalls and, in a five-furlong race, it is incredibly difficult to make up the ground lost at the start. The way she managed to do so was particularly eye-catching.

The nature of that performance suggests she could be worth stepping back up to six furlongs, but equally, I think she is more than capable of winning races over the minimum trip if breaking on terms.

Either way, New Bond Street is one I'll be keeping a close eye on going forward.

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