Newmarket trainer George Boughey continues positive season with first HQ winner

George Boughey’s memorable 2020 campaign continued at last week’s Cambridgeshire Meeting thanks to Mystery Angel.

The two-year-old recorded a one-a-half-length victory in the British Stallion Studs EBF “Jersey Lily” Fillies’ Nursery Handicap at the Rowley Mile, which in turn provided the Hamilton Road-based trainer with his first ever Newmarket winner.

Boughey, who set up his operation last year, said: “We’ve had winners at a lot of big tracks already and that has been fantastic.

“The likes of Newbury, Haydock, Windsor – they were all great victories but to be training in Newmarket, which is a very prestigious place on our doorstep, this win means a lot.

“It is also a great result for the owners during a very tough time for everyone. It was a pretty big pot that has paid for the horse, which is great.

“Hopefully it is the first of many for us at Newmarket.”

Mystery Angel’s win made it 24 for the season for Boughey, who is currently working at an impressive 27 per cent strike rate.

Such form has even surprised the trainer, but he is determined to maintain the standards that have got the yard to this point.

“It has been a strange time but we have been able to work pretty normally,” he added.

“The horses have been training like normal and it has been my job to try to pick out the races they can win.

“I didn’t expect the season to go as well as it has, so it’s credit to everyone that has helped me.

“We have a small team but everyone plays such a big role. The people that help to buy the horses, vets, farriers, the lads and my head lad – I couldn’t have done this without all of these types of people.

“The big challenge is to keep bringing in the right type of people to keep it going.

“I know it’s not feasible to think we will be up in the high 20s every single year, but it is about keeping those standards high and being the best we can be.”