Robin Hood Stakes result: Oolong Poobong brews up Listed success at Nottingham

Oolong Poobong brewed up a first Listed success in the Robin Hood Stakes at Nottingham on Wednesday, holding off Ebt’s Guard by a neck in the 2.16pm. Callum Rodriguez rode the 7/1 shot for Ed Bethell, who is enjoying a purple patch with four winners from his last six runners.

The daughter of Make Believe was racing on soft ground for the first time and relished it. Rodriguez had her prominent on the inner throughout, and after taking it up over two furlongs out, she showed plenty of grit to hold on when pressed. Kevin Philippart de Foy’s Mr Swivell was a length further back in third.

This was a deserved step up into black-type company for Clarendon Thoroughbred Racing’s four-year-old. She landed a fillies’ handicap at Thirsk in September before going down by a small margin when fourth in the Listed Guisborough Stakes at Redcar, and she has now gone one better to get her head in front at this level. Bethell’s string is flying at the moment too, with Edmond Halley, Rogue Constelation and Talismans Time all scoring in the past five days.

Ebt’s Guard the bridesmaid once more

If there is a more consistent horse in training than Ebt’s Guard, he is hard to find. William Muir and Chris Grassick’s five-year-old travelled strongly into contention under Lewis Edmunds and looked the likeliest winner over two furlongs out, but he could not quite get past the filly. It was his eighth top-four finish of the season and his fifth in a row, with placings in the Celebration Mile, the Balmoral Handicap and the Shergar Cup Mile along the way, but without a win.

He was also runner-up in this race 12 months ago, and he has now gone 15 runs without a win since landing the Shergar Cup Mile at Ascot in August 2025. That winning thread has proved maddeningly elusive, but on this evidence, it can surely only be a matter of time.

Favourite Centigrade disappoints

The market got it badly wrong with Centigrade, who was sent off the 13/8 favourite for Ralph Beckett but trailed home last of the eight runners. Hector Crouch reported that the colt jumped awkwardly from the stalls and was slowly into stride as a result, before running too free, and he weakened tamely from over a furlong out.

A race that has thrown up Group winners

The Robin Hood Stakes has proved a useful stepping stone in recent years. David Loughnane’s Sparks Fly won it in 2024 before going on to land the Group 3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom in June, while Karl Burke’s Ice Max, who won the race 12 months ago, was already a Group 2 winner, having taken the Celebration Mile at Goodwood in 2024.

Whether Oolong Poobong can follow in their footsteps remains to be seen, but she has been on an upward curve since the summer, and with her stamina and ability to handle cut in the ground now proven, there could be more black type to come for Bethell’s filly next year.

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