The Waco Kid showcased his talent with an impressive wire-to-wire victory in the Group Three Tattersalls Stakes at Newmarket.
Jockey Oisin Murphy quickly seized the inside rail at the start of the seven-furlong race, comfortably setting the pace. Trained by Hugo Palmer, the juvenile maintained a safe distance from his five competitors. As they approached the halfway mark, Hamad Al Jehani’s Diego Ventura and the favoured Monumental, representing Aidan O’Brien, began to close in.
Despite their efforts to catch up in the final two furlongs, The Waco Kid found another gear and surged ahead, winning by two and a quarter lengths. This victory marked Diego Ventura’s first defeat, while Monumental secured third place.
Palmer remarked, "He exemplifies the qualities of his sire, Mehmas, who is becoming a standout like Kodiac. They are tough and adaptable to any ground. This has to be his career-best; he’s consistently improved with every start. Although he’s not the biggest horse, we’ve maximised his two-year-old season, and I’m thrilled."
Looking ahead, Palmer noted, "He probably deserves a step-up in grade, but I may have mismanaged his entries. We might consider the Group One Criterium International in France, but we’ll see. He’s also slated for the horses in training sale at the end of the month, where he could be a star lot."
Murphy shared, "Hugo felt it was a great opportunity today and suggested I take advantage of the rail. I’m delighted with the result. He improved with this race and training."
Al Jehani expressed satisfaction with Diego Ventura’s performance in his first stakes race. "I was pleased with his effort, especially moving up in class. He handled the seven furlongs well and showed he could compete at this level. We’ll assess how he is in a couple of days and plan from there."