Hot Streak books Royal Ascot ticket with terrific Temple Stakes success

Hot Streak looks a contender for top sprinting honours judged on his dominant display to land the Temple Stakes, and is now the 5/1 co-favourite with Coral for the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Trainer Kevin Ryan hailed the colt as “the best I’ve trained” after he put in a breathtaking performance to land the Group 2 contest at Haydock in the hands of teenage riding sensation Oisin Murphy.

The son of Iffraaj had some top quality form as a juvenile, and had shaped really well on his seasonal reappearance when a close-up third behind Sole Power in the Palace House Stakes at Newmarket.

With Sole Power withdrawn on account of the soft ground at Haydock, Hot Streak was sent off the 9/4 favourite and delivered a devastating performance.

After slighly missing the break, the three-year-old showed plenty of early zip to take up the running in a matter of strides and cruised along at the heads of affairs in the 5f contest.

Hot Streak then quickly put the race to bed with an instant turn of foot when popped the question by 18-year-old Murphy a furlong from home, and only had to be pushed out to score with far more in hand than the winning margin of 1/2 a length suggests.

Coral immediately cut him from 10/1 into 8s for the Group King’s Stand Stakes at the Royal meeting, but that price was quickly snapped up and he is now the 5/1 co-favourite with South African sprinter Shea Shea and the Edward Lynam trained Sole Power.

Sole Power won the race 12 months ago by a neck from Shea Shea, but Hot Streak is the new kid on the block who looks capable of serving it up to the established sprinting stars judged on the manner of his Haydock success.
His trainer certainly believes he is up to the task, and is adament that there is plenty more improvement to come.

He said: “He’s an awesome horse. He’s the best I’ve trained, without a shadow of a doubt. We know there’s more improvement from him and it’s on to Royal Ascot now.

“I would imagine it will be the King’s Stand but we’ll talk to Sheikh Fahad (owner), David Redvers (racing manager) and see what they want to do. He’s just one of those real good horses that can cope with everything – a special horse.”