Night Raider crowned in Palace House at Newmarket Night Raider appeared to come of age on the Rowley Mile with an impressive victory in the HKJC World Pool Palace House Stakes. The Karl Burke-trained son of Dark Angel is owned by Wathnan Racing and has always been well regarded, but his last win came in 2024 and he was gelded over the winter. The procedure seemed to have done him the world of good as he handled the preliminaries at Newmarket calmly, and after breaking neatly from the stalls he dashed to a half-length victory at 9-1, with the market leader, last year’s winner Rumstar, half a length behind him. “We tried to turn him into a miler, but he was just too keen, too free and too fractious,” said Burke. “Gelding him has really made a man of him – in a perverse sort of way! He’s 10 kilos lighter than he was last year and he looked tremendous in the paddock. “I knew if he jumped quick and got in a lovely rhythm he’d handle the undulations and he did. “He was fractious in the stalls last year as a full horse and I think gelding him has calmed him down. “He’s been working really nicely, he does a lot of his work on his own as he’s a horse you don’t need to buzz up and work him with other horses. That was a great result, Richard Brown from Wathan will be delighted because he’s had huge faith in him.” Burke added: “I would think we’d go to Ascot (King Charles III Stakes), he is in the York race (Minster Stakes) but it might come too quick. “I think he will stay six (furlongs) and it will be interesting to see what James (Doyle) says, but I wouldn’t have thought we’d turn him round that quick.” Also looking ahead to the Royal meeting is Jonathan Portman after 7-2 favourite Rumstar narrowly failed to defend his Palace House crown. Portman said: “He’s run a blinder and every bit as well as when he won it. It was a shame he had to come over and he had a good spot on the far side, but I’m very proud of him. “It’s lovely to see him back and running a big race and yes it’s gutting he didn’t win but he loves this track. He loves a stiff five furlongs and an easy five is a bit sharp for him, while six furlongs is not ideal. “We’ll look towards Ascot now and see, there’s very few options and the owners don’t like travelling which limits things a little. But I’m very proud to have him and he’s a special horse.” A lack of match fitness was put forward as the reason for Australian speedster Asfoora’s disappointing performance. Lemos De Souza, who is temporarily overseeing the training of the Royal Ascot and Nunthorpe winner for Henry Dwyer, is expecting the popular overseas visitor to peak in her next outing. Souza said: “Oisin (Murphy) said she blew up and as we’ve seen before she takes a couple of races to get fully fit. “I think over an easy five furlongs she could have got a place, but here is a stiff five and if you are not 100 per cent fit it will catch you out. “I personally think the easier the five furlongs it is the better she is, but she does need to be fit. On form she was the best horse in the race, but she needed to be fit to run to her true form. “Hopefully we can roll into Haydock (Temple Stakes) now which will be right up her street and I think she will show her best there.”
