George Boughey: Young trainer already eyeing Group One winner after Oscula's landmark success at Deauville
George Boughey, 29, enjoyed first Group-race winner on Tuesday with Oscula winning the Prix Six Perfections at Deauville; Boughey has two 'nice chances' in week two of the Racing League at Doncaster; watch Racing League Live on Sky Sports Racing on Thursday at 5pm
Wednesday 4 August 2021 13:33, UK
George Boughey is already plotting his way to the very top after enjoying a first Group-race victory with Oscula at Deauville on Tuesday.
At just 29-years-old, and in only his third year as a licence holder, the young trainer has already amassed 80 winners from just over 400 runners.
Having enjoyed a first Listed success with Mystery Angel in the Pretty Polly Stakes in May this year, Boughey took his fledgling career to new heights with victory in the Prix Six Perfections in France.
Reflecting on the win, Boughey told Sky Sports Racing: "It was a great day. She's a very tough filly and has been busy this year but she keeps improving. She's a credit to herself and got a very special ride from Ryan Moore.
"Our aim this year was to have more winners than last year and try and have a Stakes winner. When Mystery Angel won at Newmarket we achieved that and the next aim, naturally, was to try and have a Group winner.
"To have it with a filly for Nick Bradley [Oscula's owner] was very special. He's been a huge supporter of the yard.
"It's a monkey off the back and now we've got to get to the top with a Group One winner."
Oscula looks set to "have her passport out again" as Boughey targets a return to France in search of soft ground.
The two-year-old filly appeared to handle the slower conditions at Deauville and at Royal Ascot - when third in the Albany Stakes - but was well beaten on faster ground at Newmarket in July.
"She's in the Prix du Calvados back at Deauville at the end of the month," Boughey said.
"She's travelled well and takes her racing very well. She could be going back to France later in the year. There's the Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc day, which is often run on slow ground.
"She likes soft ground. It was pretty clear in the Duchess of Cambridge at Newmarket that she didn't go on the very fast ground.
"Her pedigree suggests she might get 10 furlongs next year so she's an exciting filly who probably will have her passport out again."
Asked if Oscula could be a Classic contender next year, Boughey replied: "That's a long way ahead.
"She's developed incredibly well and is from a family of horses who get better with age so if we mind her correctly this year then she might be a filly who we can look forward to in the spring for sure."
Boughey: Two nice chances for Racing League week two
Boughey heads to Doncaster on Thursday, where he has two "nice chances" for week two of the Racing League.
Boughey's Racehorse Lotto team sit third in the table on 63 points after William Knight's Pearl Beach won the last on week one at Newcastle.
Knight's horse was only selected after winning a coin-toss with Boughey, whose intended runner Khatm now heads to Doncaster.
"It'll be great to see the Racing League on turf for the first time," Boughey said. "I sadly wasn't at Newcastle the other day, but we're looking forward to it tomorrow. We go there with nice chances.
"Air to Air was favourite for the Britannia, which didn't really work out for him. He lost a shoe jumping out of the stalls and Jamie Spencer [his jockey] said he just never really travelled.
"I hope we see a different horse and we've saved him for the Racing League. There were a number of opportunities before, but the prize-money is fantastic and he goes there with a really good chance.
"Khatm is a horse who takes a lot of work to get fit. He never really got into his stride until he'd run a few times in the winter and then racked up a big sequence of wins.
"He's had his break, come back and ran with credit at Newmarket on his first start on turf.
"He's taken a huge step forward and went to Chelmsford for a racecourse gallop. Ben Curtis kindly rode him there for me and was delighted.
"We lost the toss of a coin last week and William Knight's horse won the race, so that worked out well. Fortunately, James Ferguson has let me run Khatm this week. He's about 20-1 but hopefully he might out-run his odds."
