Trainer Jim Boyle making plans for striking Newbury maiden winner Into The Sky

The son of leading first-season sire Starman was sent off an unconsidered 80/1 chance under Kieran Shoemark in the Home-Start West Berkshire Maiden Stakes on Thursday but defied the market to produce a sparkling all-the-way win.

Having raced keenly at the head of affairs, Into The Sky kept pouring it on from halfway and ultimately ran out a seven and a half length winner from 4/1 shot Dark Shore, who had run in a couple of maidens already. There was another two lengths back to Law Court in third, who himself came eight and a half lengths clear of Charlie Appleby's 6/4 favourite, Leone Alato, back in fourth.

Speaking on this week's Luck On Sunday programme on Racing TV, Boyle admitted he was slightly taken aback by the result and has already received plenty of interest for the colt.

He said: "We've always known this was the nicest two-year-old we've had in a long, long time - probably ever. So we knew he was a nice horse, but we didn't know quite how nice he was.

"But we've only had five two-year-olds this year so quite quickly it got to the stage that he had no other two-year-olds to work with, so he had been working with older horses. You've got to remember as well that this horse had never stepped foot on turf since being out in a field as a yearling.

"The ground at Newbury has been so firm all summer, and he's only ever worked on the all-weather. We did take him for a barrier trial and that did make a huge difference to him. It was four or five weeks ago, he wasn't ready for a run but we gave a nice little outing and it was a great education.

"He's a really imposing, beautiful horse and one we always thought was next year's horse. We thought we would treat him fairly tenderly this year and actually he's ended up being a bit more forward than I thought. So I got going with him this summer, I just had to back off him for a couple of weeks but got going with him again and he's taken everything we've thrown at him in his stride."

Visual impression 'backed up by the data'

Timeform were suitably impressed by the winning performance, giving Into The Sky a rating of 107p which effectively puts him on a par with Aidan O'Brien's well-touted Albert Einstein, winner of the Marble Hill Stakes at the Curragh earlier in the season. It's the highest rating Timeform have awarded to a debutant this season.

Boyle said: "People who are experts in times and sectionals tell me that what he did on Thursday was absolutely out of this world, it was an incredible time. You can see that visually but it's backed up by the data.

"It's hugely exciting for us to have a horse like him and out of five-two-year-olds, to unearth this one is pretty special."

In terms of the short-term future, Boyle is very much hoping to fend off the many offers he's received since the impressive debut win and would like to return to Newbury for his next assignment.

"The first key is to try and keep him in the yard," the trainer said. "The phone has been red-hot and we're working on ways to achieve that.

"We'd be foolish not to have a look at the Mill Reef. He's a horse who shows fantastic speed and back to Newbury for a six-furlong Group 2 would be extremely exciting. He's come out of the race really well, we've got three weeks until then so that's very much on the radar.

"And then I wouldn't worry to much if we didn't run him again this season after that, but we'll just have to see and take it step by step."

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