Popular veteran Hamish won the St Simon Stakes at Newbury | report and replay

There were suggestions that the nine-year-old was on the downgrade - despite winning three listed races this season - having disappointed as favourite at Ascot last time.

Hamish was easy to back in the morning but with the testing underfoot conditions in his favour, late support saw him sent off at 7/2 and proved justified.

Patiently ridden by Tom Marquand through the early exchanges of the mile and a half Group 3, Hamish moved onto the heels of the leaders with three furlongs to run as the race really began to develop.

Military Academy still had the lead at that stage, narrowly from Sea Scout and Revoir but Sea Scout soon took over with Mount Atlas making his move towards the inside of the track and Ancient Wisdom (3/1 joint-favourite) on the stands' side.

Hamish was following the latter through and Marquand unleashed his mount inside the final quarter of a mile and the old-timer didn't disappoint, galloping on strongly to win by two and a half lengths.

Sea Scout kept on for third, some four and a half lengths behind Ancient Wisdom.

Hamish was winning the St Simon Stakes for the second time (when held at Newmarket in 2023) while his trainer and jockey were completing a double on the card.

'I love him to bits'

Marquand told Sky Sports Racing: "He's just a stable star, to be doing that at nine years old is incredible and time and time again he shows what Somerville Lodge can do. There will be big training performances in bigger races but I don't think many more so that summarise the attention and level of care that goes into the horses at the yard than Hamish does, he's everything that they do and he shows it perfectly and there's a reason he's so sweet and still racing so well at this age.

"I was on the best horse in the race. I've had a bit of practice on Hamish now and a couple of times I've got away with it but just landed there a bit soon, almost landed there too slowly, you have to arrive quite fast and that's what gets him sailing on by and gives him a bit of confidence. I had a plan in my head and everything worked perfectly."

Hamish is the apple of Maureen Haggas's eye and she added: "Lovely ride. Tom knows him really well now. The horse has got a bit lazier as he's got older and you have to encourage him a bit; I suppose when you're as old as him, you're entitled to be a bit laid back.

"I don't think he's had his ground all year, he needs it really soft and I thought, today, he had his ground and he's felt really good at home all year so there was no reason not to run him. It's great, he is an absolute legend and I love him to bits.

"I only got on him as a three-year-old as he was being so naughty, he wouldn't go anywhere, he would cross the Bury Road and stop. In those days I could ride quite well. I got him going and I stuck with him because I liked him. The fact that he's got a lot of ability helps but he's just the most lovely ride, he's light on his feet and athletic; he's a really athletic horse to ride and he's fun to ride, I love riding him.

"He's felt really good all year. I know he got beat last time but he behaved appallingly and ended up in a heap on the ground, it was just a disaster the whole thing so we put a line through that. Today went much smoother and it went well.

"Why shouldn't he come back? He's enjoying it, he likes training every day, he enjoys it. When he finishes racing he won't stand in a field, he'll learn to do something else and I'll keep him but I think he's still got another year in him."

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