Havana Hurricane Wins Windsor Castle For Emotional Johnson Houghton

“I'm missing my dad, he'd have been proud,” was Eve Johnson Houghton's reflection after greeting her second Windsor Castle winner, just weeks after her late father Fulke had died at the age of 84. “He'd be the first person I'd ring.”

On a day when Ballydoyle and Godolphin stood tall again, Royal Ascot proved it still has the potential to throw up the odd surprise for the little man and they don't come much smaller than the bargain 9,000gns Tattersalls Somerville graduate Havana Hurricane. Taking his owners to Epsom for Derby day, he was second in the Woodcote before stepping up to follow in the steps of the stable's Chipotle who took this in 2021.

Emerging from the pack under Charles Bishop to dominate the closing stages, the son of Havana Gold forged ahead of Dickensian (Pinatubo) to emotional scenes. “I said to the owners, win lose or draw, he cost you 9,000 guineas. You have made more than that already and you're here to play,” Johnson Houghton said. “We have had a great day, but I think Havana Hurricane is pretty special. He won really easily. The horse is pretty laid-back, pretty easy, but my staff do a great job and they've done a great job with him.”

HAVANA HURRICANE WINS THE WINDSOR CASTLE STAKES! #ROYALASCOT pic.twitter.com/c9e327oFDF

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 18, 2025

Havana Hurricane is the only foal out of a granddaughter of Shy Princess (Irish River), the G1 Prix Morny runner-up responsible for Nureyev's Diffident who had his finest hour at this track in 1996 when winning the G2 Diadem Stakes as part of Frankie's Magnificent Seven. This is the family of the G1 St James's Palace Stakes-winning sire Zafeen.

WINDSOR CASTLE STAKES-Listed, £110,000, Royal Ascot, 6-18, 2yo, 5fT, 1:00.06, g/f.
1–HAVANA HURRICANE (GB), 131, c, 2, by Havana Gold (Ire)
1st Dam: Spitfire Limited (GB), by Excelebration (Ire)
2nd Dam: First Bloom, by Fusaichi Pegasus
3rd Dam: Shy Princess, by Irish River (Fr)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. (9,000gns Ylg '24 TATSOM). O-J Allison & T Cartwright; B-Lady Cobham; T-Eve Johnson Houghton; J-Charles Bishop. £62,381. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $129,883.
2–Dickensian (GB), 131, c, 2, Pinatubo (Ire)–Yourtimeisnow (GB), by Charm Spirit (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum; T-Kevin Ryan. £23,650.
(DH) 3–Azizam (GB), 131, c, 2, Havana Grey (GB)–Mimram (GB), by Kheleyf.
1ST BLACK TYPE. (€46,000 Wlg '23 GOFNOF; £46,000 Ylg '24 GOFFUK; 115,000gns RNA 2yo '25 TATBRE). O-Black Type/Harrell/Adkisson/Atkinson; B-Whitsbury Manor Stud; T-Karl Burke. £11,836.
(DH) 3–Rogue Legend (GB), 131, c, 2, Havana Grey (GB)–Blue Crest (Fr), by Verglas (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE. (55,000gns Ylg '24 TATOCT). O-Resolute Racing; B-Llety Farms; T-Paddy Twomey. £11,836.
Margins: 1HF, HF, DHT. Odds: 7.00, 20.00, 7.00 & 4.00.
Also Ran: Kamakameleon (GB), Nuevo Slovo (Ire), Utmost Respect (Ire), Old Is Gold (Ire), Shaman Champion (Ire), Wyle Cop, Tough Critic, Better And Better (Ire), Sovereign Spell (Ire), Gaga Mate (Ire), Gorey Gold (Ire), Rogue Supremacy (GB), Jan Steen (GB), Ardisia (Ire), First Approach (Ire), Oasis Diamond (GB), Call Me By My Name (GB), Logi Bear (Ire), Beach Partee (GB). Scratched: Kansas (Ire).