Tuco Salamanca continues to take Pompey team on exciting venture

Pompey Ventures racing manager Owen Haly says the syndicate has gone “from zero to a hundred” in its three years – but is hoping flagship horse Tuco Salamanca can take them to the next level with a first Group-race win.

The rapidly-improving four-year-old sprinter, trained at Marlborough by Ollie Sangster, produced his finest run yet to land the Shergar Cup Dash over the minimum trip at Ascot under a hands and heels ride from Hong Kong ace Jerry Chau.

Now Haly is looking to leave handicaps behind with an audacious crack at the Group One Flying Five at the Curragh in September or the Champions Sprint over six furlongs back at Ascot on British Champions Day.

Tuco Salamanca was picked up as an unraced two-year-old with the syndicate going to £35,000 to get him, but they have had success with horses in training picks and yearlings who are sent to Rochestown Lodge Stud for pre-training and breaking.

“The syndicate came from a dinner at the July Sales when we had a curry in 2023. We underbid on two horses in that sale and we went and bought a yearling, Bob Mali, who went and won his first three,” said Haly.

“Fresh from that we went and bought Oliver Show (for 30,000 guineas) and Media Shooter (for 27,000 guineas). The first was beaten a nose in the Lincoln and has since taken his owners to Bahrain and Royal Ascot, while Media Shooter won three.

“We have around 16 horses at the moment. A lot of them with Ollie Sangster, but also with George Boughey, Jennie Candlish and we have had a first two-year-old with Eve Johnson Houghton, Ardad Steve, who won a novice at Lingfield.

“We also have one jumper with Willie Mullins who has yet to run – a big four-year-old called Kingmaker who we got from Andrew Balding. He is going to improve with time and age.”

Tuco Salamanca is clearly the apple of Haly’s eye, but he had positive words for French Affair, an ex-Richard Hannon-trained three-year-old picked up at Tattersalls in July for 55,000 guineas and already the winner of handicaps at Goodwood and Redcar on his first two starts for Candlish.

“French Affair is improving at a rate of knots. We only bought him 31 days prior to his win at Redcar and he seems to have really thrived for the drop in trip. Jennie Candlish is a new trainer for us, but she has done an excellent job.

“He could run in the Bold Lad Handicap at the Curragh and could be aimed at the Ayr Gold Cup, even if it is most likely he would end up in the Silver or Bronze races,” said Haly.

That was the original plan for Tuco Salamanca until his Shergar Cup run on Saturday, but now the dream is of following the well-trodden path from big sprint handicaps to the top of the speedsters’ tree.

“He is much more mature physically this year and just seems to be improving at a rate of knots. Initially we were working back from the Ayr Gold Cup at the end of the season, but after Saturday… Jerry Chau didn’t even need to use his stick,” said the proud syndicate boss.

“I think Pattern-class races are on the horizon now. He has a real snappy turn of foot, we have made no secret we always thought he was a Group horse and we have just campaigned to pick up as many wins for the syndicate as possible.”