Hope Queen is Sandown Star for Karl Burke

Hope Queen finished with a flourish to secure top honours in the European Bloodstock News EBF Star Stakes at Sandown.

A clear-cut winner on her Beverley debut a month ago, Karl Burke’s Night Of Thunder filly was a 15-2 shot stepping up to Listed class in the hands of Clifford Lee.

The Charlie Johnston-trained Jennifer Jane proved a tough nut to crack in front, but having initially thrown down her challenge against the far rail, Hope Queen was angled out inside the last of seven furlongs and picked up well to find a gap between horses and get up to score by a neck.

Lee told Racing TV: “I always knew I was going to there at some point. I was kind of locked up in behind horses wondering which was going to fade away and which one was going to keep going, but once I got a clear run I always knew she was going to gallop to the line.

“She’s definitely not shy, even though she’s a filly she’s quite bullish in that way.

“After her first win at Beverley we knew she’d be a nice filly and it’s nice to get a Listed win today.

“Off that run today I’d nearly stick at seven furlongs or go to a mile in these better grade races. She galloped to line nicely and handled the ground very well.”

Publish is the new favourite for next year’s 2000 Guineas with Coral after adding his name to an illustrious roll of honour in the Martin Densham & Peter Deal Memorial British EBF Maiden Stakes.

Subsequent Guineas heroes Kameko (2009) and Ruling Court (2024) both made a winning debut in this race in recent years, while Nostrum (2022) and Arabian Crown also struck gold before going on to bigger and better things.

John and Thady Gosden’s Publish looked a winner in waiting when coming from an unpromising position to finish second to Pacifica Pier three weeks ago and went one better as the 4-7 favourite under James Doyle, leading for much of the way and seeing off his chief market rival Catullus by a length and a quarter.

“He obviously ran a nice race here first time out, he took a step forward for that, the second (Catullus) has got solid form and he won well,” said Thady Gosden.

“He’s always looked a nice type, he’s by Kingman and has a great attitude. He’s got plenty of stature to him and hopefully he’s a horse that will keep on progressing.

“We’ll see (where we go next), he’s done lots of growing, he’s a big boy now and we’ll see how he comes out of the race, but he might want a bit of time to develop.”

Coral make the Juddmonte-owned Publish their 8-1 market leader from 20-1 for next year’s 2000 Guineas, but Paddy Power and bet365 offer more generous odds of 16-1.

The Juddmonte silks were in the winner’s enclosure for a second time on the afternoon after Andrew Balding’s Tarriance (5-2) denied Pendragon a four-timer in the George Lindon-Travers Memorial Handicap.

Andrew Balding’s Tarriance was making his handicap debut having won once and placed twice in three outings in maiden and novice company and the son of Frankel showed a willing attitude to beat 5-4 favourite Pendragon by half a length.

Winning jockey Oisin Murphy said: “He showed a very good attitude, we obviously went very steady.

“We got racing early, from the bottom of the straight, and I tried not to press ‘go’ and ask him too soon, but I liked his attitude and he’s progressive.”