Humidity back to winning ways with Group 3 breakthrough

He has been off the track for a little over a year but three-year-old Humidity ensured that the patience showed by his team was well rewarded by his taking victory in the G3 Darley Stakes at Newmarket.

It was on the Rowley Mile that the striking chestnut has last been seen the previous September when he finished just a length behind Bow Echo to take second in the G2 Royal Lodge Stakes. We all know what the great Bow Echo went on to achieve with his three Group 1 wins earlier this year, and though Humidity’s Derby hopes were dashed while he recuperated, he has now signalled that he remains an exciting prospect for an international winter campaign and beyond.

And let’s face it, he was exciting right from the start, when winning on debut at two in May at Newbury before emulating his full-brother Holloway Boy by winning the Listed Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot.

It’s great to see him back and contributing to the trainers’ title race for Andrew Balding, who is currently in pole position to be champion trainer in Britain for the first time.

Humidity wasn’t the only one to swell the prize-money haul for Andrew over the weekend either. The game Flora Of Bermuda was beaten only a neck by her stable-mate Never So Brave in the G2 Challenge Stakes in a season which has already brought another two Group 3 wins and a Listed victory for this loveable grey mare. 

Another Wathnan Racing grey, the hugely progressive Silver Lake, was also just denied by a stable-mate when beaten a head in the Group 3 Pride Stakes on her first attempt in Pattern company. She too has been a model of success this season, winning four consecutive races at Salisbury, Goodwood, York and Doncaster. It surely won’t be long before she adds Stakes glory to her burgeoning résumé.