Juan Bermudez stormed to a first career victory after winning the EBF Future Stayers Novice Stayers Stakes race at Newmarket Racecourse on Wednesday.

The Bermudian-owned thoroughbred, a 115,000 guineas purchase at Tattersalls last year, was sent off at 40-1 and finished strongly to win the eight-furlong Flat Class 2 race ahead of The Gadget Man at 8-1 and Walk Of Stars at 11-4.

It was a vast improvement from the two-year-old colt, ridden by Andrea Atzeni, having struggled to an eighth-place finish in a maiden career outing, when ridden by Daniel Muscutt in a Class 4, eight furlong EBF Novice Stakes race at Salisbury on September 30.

Trained by Andrew Balding out of the Park House Stables near Newbury, Berkshire, Juan Bermudez is owned by The Bermuda Salman Morris Partnership, a new syndicate partnership that includes Bermuda Thoroughbred Racing.

“What a fantastic start for The Bermuda Salman Morris Partnership with this fine two-year old,” said Simon Scupham, founder and principal of BTR — a breeding strategy and horse acquisitions company — that also owns Spirit of Bermuda, Skymax and Sargasso Sea.

“He beat a classy, well-bred and well thought of field of potential stars in the middle-distance ranks. This leaves us with much to look forward to.”

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