Newmarket honours shared with dead-heat
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Thu 25 Jun 2026
Not only was it unusual to see morning racing on the July course at Newmarket, the feature Empress Fillies’ Stakes ended in a dead-heat as the judge was unable to split Havana Sprite and Glorious Game.
With the start time of the fixture brought forward because of the heatwave, Hugo Palmer’s Glorious Game went into the Listed contest on the back of just one run, a win at Windsor, while James Tate’s Havana Sprite (100-30) was having the fourth start of her career.
It was Charlie Johnston’s 70-rated The Can Can Queen who put the pace to the race and on meeting the rising ground she was proving tough to pass.
Glorious Game (7-4 favourite) had been under pressure for some time, but was finding for Oisin Murphy and while Havana Sprite (100-30) hit the front looking sure to prevail, Glorious Game battled back to join her right on the line.
Tate said: “She’s actually my first horse for Valmont (owners) so to win a Listed race for them is fantastic.
“She travelled so well on the step up to six furlongs, Hector (Crouch) gave her a great ride and we certainly don’t mind sharing the spoils.
“I was half-watching by other runner (Beauty Box) who hadn’t run very well and I was just pleased she was in the shake-up. To be honest I thought she’d just held on, but then you start to doubt yourself. When it takes that long the dead-heat always comes in.
“I think a quick six is her ideal so while it would be a big step up, something like the Lowther, a flat, quick six at York, would suit her. I’m sure a stiff five would be fine or there’s a few fillies’ Group Threes in France as the tracks are flat over there.”
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