Glorious Goodwood: Day Four Review & Day Five Preview
The mercury was touching 30°c and the track was lightning fast. There was a high fire warning in place, not because of the weather, but because of a thoroughbred who was about to burn up the turf…..
King George Qatar Stakes (Group 2, 5f)
How do we get a match race between Battaash and Nature Strip? That’s my question!
The previous track record for 5f at Goodwood was 56.20s. The horse that set that previous mark casually smashed that today when he went 55.52s along this straight one-kilometre burn. All while carrying 9st 7lbs (60.3kg).
Battaash (Dark Angel) is brilliantly fast and is a joy to watch. There really is nothing in this country that can keep up with him.
As I said yesterday, it’s a struggle to get anyone to lead him into the race. He was taken a slight hold of early when Ken Colt (Kendargent), Ornate (Bahamian County) and Glass Slippers (Dream Ahead) all had a crack on the front end. But as their rev-counters were on maximum, the 6yo son of Dark Angel was in first gear. He went to the front, and screamed to the line from there.
The fact he is only relatively lightly raced with this being his 22nd start, he still has a few years left in him yet you’d imagine. He looks to be getting better with age, no longer throwing in those odd disappointments like he used to.
This made it an historic fourth straight King George Qatar Stakes, who knows how many more he has in him?
He may now head to the Breeders Cup meeting after the Nunthorpe at York, it would be brilliant to see him compete in America.
His record now stands at 22 starts for 12 wins with three Group 1’s, five Group 2’s and one Group 3. He’s now collected over £1.5million in prizemoney.
It is a real pleasure to have three high quality 6yo’s in Enable, Stradavarius and Battaash in training. In an era where horses are retired young, we all need to saviour the older ones whilst they’re around.
Battaash vs Nature Strip in a match race on neutral ground. Who wouldn’t want to see that?!
Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes (Group 3 3yo, 1m)
This was a race full of controversy. It will keep open the very topical can of worms that exists on both sides of the world.
There was a mini-drama as they gates flew open, as Silvestre De Sousa aboard Mystery Power (No Nay Never) found his mount rearing up badly. He was essentially out of the race from there.
But it was what occurred at the business end of the contest that draws most attention.
My Oberon (Dubawi) was down on the rail with the favourite Khaalosy (Dubawi) who was only battling.
Having come into the race beautifully down the dip, Tilsit (First Defence) loomed up looking to be the easy winner.
It was a “mess” said Ryan Moore. Photo: Sporting Life
But the horse dipped in badly after jockey Ryan Moore gave him one with the stick and cut off Tom Marquand on My Oberon, who had to stop riding after he was cannoned into the rail. Moore stopped as well, almost facing backwards to look at the carnage he and his mount had created. The horse was laying in prior to springing sideways and so there was a valid argument that Ryan Moore had time to correct the situation.
Tilsit kicked again and drew out the winner.
We were given access on television to the enquiry and heard evidence from both hoops. Marquand felt he was just ready to get going and lost all momentum, the only thing Moore could say was that it was “a mess”.
The placings were unchanged and the first past the post in Tilsit stayed the winner.
The rules are of course the same in principle in every jurisdiction bar the US and Canada, but it is how they are applied that differs.
In the UK, an overturn of the result is very rarely seen. The perception is that they protect the punter and make a judgement on the best horse winning, regardless of the seriousness of the interference.
In New Zealand and Australia, jurisdictions I know well, I am 99% sure that the result would’ve been switched.
I agree with the approach here in some respects, but disagree in others. I get the feeling that sometimes jockeys push the limits to the edge, in the knowledge that they will pick up the win and a relatively small holiday (if at all).
The wash up to this is that Moore received a five day suspension for careless riding, something he probably won’t contest. We have seen however that for longer suspensions, the jockeys often contest. The initial suspension is handed out by the stewards at the British Horse Racing Authority (BHA), but there is an option for a jockey to take this further to an independent enquiry. This is a very legally driven process and plays out in courtroom fashion, it has a history of favouring the riders.
There is the distinction between careless and dangerous riding. That being mistake vs intent. But there is a public perception of the sport to take into account. Thankfully it didn’t, but this incident had the very real potential to cause the kind of harm to a horse and rider that the Australian incident involving Hugh Bowman did.
Coupled with team tactics, this is a debate that will rage on for the foreseeable. As with anything there are valid points on both sides, BUT horse and rider safety must be kept as the number one priority.
Regardless of all of that, the best horse won on the day. If he sorts out his racing manners he looks extremely promising.
This was Tilsit’s first try on turf today, coming off the back of an outstanding 19-length win on the all-weather the start prior. He cruised into it today, and as I said above, would’ve cleared out an easy victor had he stayed straight.
The Juddmonte owned colt has an outstanding pedigree, the dam Multilingual (Dansili) is a full sister to Group 3 winner Remote and a half-sister to the brilliant Kingman. The third dam Zenda (Zamindar) was a French 1000 Guineas winner and a half-sister to the brilliant racehorse and now sire Oasis Dream.
Sort his manners out and he could be special.
L'Ormarins Queen's Plate Glorious Stakes (Group 3 4yo+, 1m 4f)
It was a day of mixed fortunes for trainer William Haggas and jockey Tom Marquand. They had picked up a Group 3 with One Master, had been subject to interference in a Group 2 with My Oberan, but they finished the feature racing in style today with their hardy stayer Pablo Escobar (Galileo).
As I’d mentioned yesterday, the seven runners assembled in this years renewal were all experienced thoroughbreds and would provide a good contest. Like winners of the past, this is typical of this race.
There was a good tempo on courtesy of another Mark Johnston front-runner in Communique (Casamento), ensuring it would be a good staying test to the line.
A horse that you could call "‘well exposed’ the 4yo gelding Pablo Escobar had only won two races coming into this, one of those was a Listed contest. He has however consistently competed at a high level, having finished previously in behind Group 1 winners Japan (Galileo), Antony Van Dyck (Galileo) and Lord North (Dubawi) in the past.
He would notch up his third victory today in very good fashion, finishing in front of some very experienced campaigners.
William Haggas is another brilliant trainer, he is on fire at present. With 56 wins since the resumption of racing, he sits only behind Mark Johnston and John Gosden in that regard - this was his 31st winner in July.
Highlighted yesterday, Tom Marquand is on an equally hot run of form, he is now closing in on Oisin Murphy at the top of the jockeys premiership.
The final day sees a strong card of races, with some very competitive handicaps being staged. One of the most famous in the country will be run, the Stewards Cup over 6f and it will feature 28 runners.
There is the solitary Group race taking place, let’s have a look at it…….
Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes (Group 2 Fillies & Mares 3yo+, 1m 6f)
A recent addition to the festival, this event was originally established in 2003 and has a great story to accompany the race.
In 2003 it was rated at Listed level and was named the Gladness Stakes, after the successful racehorse who recorded a Goodwood Cup victory in 1958.
It was promoted to Group 3 status and renamed the year after. It was named after Lillie Langtry, a British actress who was a mistress of King Edward VII. The actress owned Merman, who was the winner of the 1899 running of the Goodwood Cup. However being a woman she wasn’t allowed to have a horse registered in her name, she got around that by using Mr Jersey after her place of birth which was Jersey, one of the British Channel Islands.
It was promoted to Group 2 level in 2018.
The most successful winner of this was Simple Verse (Duke Of Marmalade) who won as a 3yo in 2015. She went on to become the first filly to win the St Leger since the wonderful User Friendly (Slip Anchor) in 1992. It was not a straightforward victory however, as she was demoted to second place following an inquiry after the race, only to have that decision overturned by appeal some 11 days later! She then went on to record victory against older rivals in the Group 1 British Champions Series Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot on her way to becoming Cartier Champion Stayer of that year.
This year only four runners are assembled, but there is quality in this small field which includes last years quinella.
Enbihaar (Redoute’s Choice) is very talented and the deserved favourite. Having won this last year, she is a triple Group 2 winner and was third in the Group 1 Qatar Prix de Royallieu at Longchamp in a hot field in her final start of 2019. Returning with a satisfactory fourth in a Group 2 at Newmarket, she is primed for this event. A €500,000 yearling purchase at Arqana Deuaville August Yearling Sale of 2016, her dam is a full sister to US and French Group 3 winner Cox Orange and a half sister to Group 1 winning Amonita (Anaaba).
Pushing her hard will be last years runner-up Manuela De Vega (Lope De Vega). Equally talented herself, she comes off the back of two victories this season at Group 2 and 3 level. In the first of those she beat Fanny Logan (Sea The Stars) who was a subsequent Royal Ascot Group 2 winner. She is a full sister to Italian Group 2 winner Hero Look and Listed winner Isabel De Urbina.
It wouldn’t feel right not to have a very well bred Coolmore runner, and Snow (Galileo) fulfils that brief. She has recorded two wins (including a Group 2) from six starts. Running OK last time when fifth in the Irish Oaks, three starts back she was a 1/2-length runner-up to One Voice (Poet’s Voice) who pushed Fancy Blue (Deep Impact) hard in yesterday’s Nassau. A £1.2million yearling purchase, she is out of 2yo Group 1 winning mare Chelsea Rose (Desert King). This makes her a full sister to triple Group 1 winning mare Kew Gardens - a St Leger winner who when last time seen on a racetrack ended the three-year unbeaten streak of Stradavarius at Ascot.
A small field to round off the Group action of the festival, but one worth looking forward to.