The weather wasn’t the only thing blistering hot at Windsor during a recent Monday evening’s racing — our Starspangledbanner colt got off the mark in red-hot style, storming to victory in the EBF Maiden Stakes for 3yo+ over 1m at the end of June.

Antipodes has always been a horse that caught my eye — he has such presence and a very athletic way of going. Roger Varian, who trains him, has done a phenomenal job. The colt needed time as a two-year-old to fill out and strengthen into his impressive frame, and he has certainly been worth the wait.

I arrived at Windsor with quiet anticipation, as he had finished a very encouraging second in his last race at the track. He showed a blistering turn of foot in the closing stages, cruising through only to be denied by a head on the line. Could this be the night he finally got his head in front?

We were lucky to have a fantastic box overlooking the idyllic Windsor course, with plenty of refreshments and ice being consumed — I’m sure due to the temperature, not the nerves…! We had three runners that day, so the atmosphere was wonderful, with owners from all three syndicates meeting and chatting through the excitement and hopes for their horses. A fantastic social occasion — and so much of what having a horse with Highclere is all about.

The time drew near, and the owners headed down the leafy shade of the parade ring to see Antipodes. He kept us on our toes as he was last into the ring, but it was certainly a case of saving the best for last, as he was by far the most attractive and impressive animal there! Jockey Ray Dawson came and found us in the paddock — reassuring, as he had ridden Antipodes on both of his previous starts. Ray explained the plan: to keep him close to the pace, but not to make the running.

We watched him mount and quietly go down to post, knowing there was nothing more to be done but to watch and wait. Tension was building, and the chit-chat of conversation dwindled as we made our way to various ‘lucky spots’ in the grandstand to watch the race. We were rewarded with a fantastic display of class and horsemanship as Ray rode what Harry later called a “perfect race on him” — high praise indeed!

Antipodes had to work hard to beat one of the joint favourites, Headmaster (trained by William Haggas), and held on bravely to win by a neck — to the delight of his owners! The £40,000 prize fund had attracted a hot field, which made his victory all the more impressive.

There were tears and celebrations in the winner’s enclosure — for some owners, this was their first foray into racehorse ownership with Highclere. What a result!

Roger was thrilled with the performance, commenting:

“I am delighted with his performance. I love the way this horse has progressed through each of his three starts. This was a competitive event, and I thought he was not only the winner but the horse to take out of the race. I think his best days are ahead of him, and I am very hopeful that this horse can really run into something over the second half of this year.

This horse excites me. I am thrilled with how he has developed physically — the range he stands over and the elasticity of his action — I think his best days are very much ahead of him.”

What a glowing review — bring on the rest of the season!