Tag Archive for: Goodwood

Rossa Ryan joins 1,000 winner club at Goodwood

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Rossa Ryan secured a major milestone when riding the 1,000th winner of his career on Lopeo at Goodwood.

Riding for David Menuisier, Lopeo (4-1) stayed pn powerfully in testing conditions to win the British EBF Peter Willett Future Stayers’ Maiden Stakes.

Career highlights for Ryan include last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe win on Bluestocking and a July Cup success on Shaquille.

“I wasn’t aware of 1,000 career winners but I was aware I was approaching 1,000 in Britain as I’ve a friend who is always on about it, so I’ve a few more to go for that. It’s great to get it,” Ryan told Racing TV.

“I’ve had a lot of good support from good people and I’ve a fantastic agent (Steve Croft) behind me, I think I’ve ridden 850 winners under him so I owe it all to him.

“I had an unbelievable grounding with Richard Hannon which helped me get the Amo job and that evolved on to Ralph (Beckett), it’s been a good journey. So far, so good.

“I have a lot of support, most of the time I can leave the races at the races. This year has been great, it hasn’t been as good as last year but I think I took last year for granted given what Bluestocking did.

“It’s something I have to learn to adapt to but I think I’m coping all right with it.”

Ancient Egypt continues progression at Goodwood

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Charlie Johnston believes Ancient Egypt “could be the real deal” after he remained unbeaten at Goodwood on Sunday.

The Frankel colt cost 1,100,000 guineas as a yearling and after impressing on debut at Beverley last month, looked to face some useful opposition as he attempted to carry a penalty to success in the British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes on the Sussex Downs.

Sent off 11-4 in the hands of Rowan Scott, he produced a professional display, racing prominently and knuckling down well in the closing stages to not only repel his rivals but suggest a bright future lies ahead.

Johnston is already dreaming of what the Amo Racing-owned colt could achieve when reaching his peak next season, but for the meantime could allow Ancient Egypt to continue climbing the pyramid in Newmarket’s Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes on September 27.

“It’s a bit of an overused phrase, but it’s never easy to give away a penalty in novice race,” said the Middleham trainer.

“I felt he needed more experience before he went up in grade and he’s a bit of a playboy, as you saw in the stalls he had a bit of a go and also while saddling, so mentally he’s still quite immature.

“I think there is a lot of improvement still to come and he’s a very exciting horse for next year in particular.

Charlie Johnston (left) with Ancient Egypt and other connections after victory at Goodwood
Charlie Johnston (left) with Ancient Egypt and other connections after victory at Goodwood (Steven Paston/PA)

“He’s well-entered and all of our eyes will probably turn to the Royal Lodge next which looks an obvious place to go. But we’ll need to be confident it is the right thing for the horse and we’ll see how he comes out of this and progresses at home.

“I would be very keen not to over-face him too much this year with a view to next year because I do think he could be the real deal, but if we think he is ready he could reappear in the Royal Lodge.”

Earlier on the card, Tribal Chief (15-2) booked his ticket to Newmarket’s bet365 Cambridgeshire on the same afternoon as the Royal Lodge after notching a welcome local success for David Menuisier in the Virgin Bet A Good Bet Handicap.

Celebration time for back-to-form Jonquil

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Colin Keane delivered Jonquil at the perfect moment to return to winning ways in the Virgin Bet Celebration Mile at Goodwood.

Winner of the Greenham Stakes on his seasonal return, the career of Andrew Balding’s talented colt has somewhat stalled since finishing second in the French 2,000 Guineas earlier in the summer.

After suffering defeats at Royal Ascot over six furlongs and at this venue over seven in the Lennox Stakes, the son of Lope De Vega relished this second try at a mile on the Sussex Downs.

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With Keane showing patience, the 3-1 chance was nursed into contention by Juddmonte’s retained rider, before battling past Ralph Beckett’s course winner Saqqara Sands late on for a neck success.

Barry Mahon, Juddmonte’s European racing manager, said: “It’s a huge result and credit to Andrew and the team down at Kingsclere.

“He was nearly a Classic winner but for the barest of margins and obviously we then made an error of judgement dropping him back to six furlongs and it’s just taken us a little while to get him back on track.

“He’s firmly back on track today and the great thing was Colin felt he could maybe get a little bit further, which opens a few more avenues.

Jonquil with Colin Keane (left) after winning at Goodwood
Jonquil with Colin Keane (left) after winning at Goodwood (Steven Paston/PA)

“We’ll have to look at the programme book and see what’s available, but he’s definitely a horse you who you wouldn’t shy away from another furlong.

“It probably wasn’t the strongest-run mile and going a better pace he may even get the mile better, but he’s a talented colt and it will be exciting to work out where we go next.

“It most definitely has to be the aim to get him back in Group One company before the end of the year, he was a nose away from being a Classic winner so we’ll be working towards Group Ones. He’s won a Group Two now so the next logical step would be to go Group One.”

Precise moment comes with Prestige Stakes victory

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Precise proved well named as she enhanced her reputation by taking perfect aim at the Virgin Bet Prestige Fillies’ Stakes at Goodwood.

Off the mark at the second attempt at Cork earlier this month, Aidan O’Brien’s youngster was sent off 5-2 second-favourite on this raiding mission in the hands of Wayne Lordan.

Never far away from the pace, the daughter of Starspangledbanner fought her way to the front with a furlong to run and showed a tremendous attitude to repel the persistent challenge of Sir Mark Prescott’s 13-8 market leader Moon Target, scoring by three-quarters of a length.

It was O’Brien’s first win in the Group Three event, a race that serves as a ‘win and you’re in’ for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf at Del Mar in November. Paddy Power make her 25-1 from 40s for next year’s 1000 Guineas.

Lordan said: “She’s a very professional filly, she ran over six furlongs at Fairyhouse the first day and learned plenty and then stepped up to seven furlongs and won her maiden quite well.

“We always thought she could win her maiden at six and then go up in trip, but as it happened she won her maiden at seven. She has pace and what you like about her is when I get down into her she gets seven quite well.

“She looked comfortable and when I hit the front about a furlong out she pricked one ear so she was hanging on to a little bit which is always a nice sign as it shows she wasn’t doing the full limit, so that was good.”

Precise in action at Goodwood
Precise in action at Goodwood (Steven Paston/PA)

On possible future plans, he added: “I’ll leave running plans to them (Aidan and the owners), they’ve been at it years and do it very well, I’m happy to just turn up when I’m asked to.

“She’s a filly with pace, but like I say, we always thought seven would be a nice trip for her and today she travelled good. She hit the line well enough where you would think going up another furlong would be an option as well.”

Moon Target went into the race with a lofty reputation after impressing at both Newmarket and Yarmouth so far this summer.

However, she never quite looked at ease on the track and was unable to join the Heath House master’s Red Camellia on the roll of honour, instead joining the handler’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine Alpinista on the list of those beaten in this race when well fancied.

Moon Target lost her unbeaten record
Moon Target lost her unbeaten record (Steven Paston/PA)

“I thought there was a lot to be disappointed about because I hoped she would win,” Prescott told ITV Racing.

“She’s a long-striding filly and I just felt little bits and pieces went wrong, I still thought she would beat Aidan’s filly a furlong out but she kept on going very well.

“I always thought early on she was a firm ground filly and I’m maybe wrong, but she’s got a very long action so perhaps Goodwood doesn’t suit her as much as Newmarket and Yarmouth and perhaps it’s more that than the ground, that’s just my theory.

“She will run in the Fillies’ Mile probably and hope she can do better there. I was disappointed she was beat, but she probably ran OK.”

Diamond Necklace among high-class Prestige entry

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Aidan O’Brien’s Diamond Necklace is among 19 entries for Sunday’s Virgin Bet Prestige Fillies’ Stakes at Goodwood.

The daughter of St Mark’s Basilica is a half-sister to Magic Wand and Chicquita and made a winning debut at the Curragh when beating better-fancied stablemate Minerva.

O’Brien has also entered Beautify, the only horse to beat Nunthorpe-bound Lady Iman this season, and Precise.

Sir Mark Prescott’s Moon Target, the Owen Burrows-trained Touleen and George Boughey’s Awaken, second to Venetian Sun in the Albany, are other top-class prospects entered.

As is David Menuisier’s Inis Mor, who created a favourable impression when winning on her debut at Newmarket, although she does have another option.

“She’s entered at Newmarket on Friday as well as the Prestige. We need to decide whether to run her with a penalty or in the Group Three,” said Menuisier.

“It wasn’t really a surprise how well she won, she had been working well in the morning. I don’t know about the strength of the race, but she’d always worked well.

“She can only improve when she goes up in trip when you see her pedigree.

“The aim is to run her in the Arqana race, the Criterium d’Automne, on the day before the Arc.”

Return to Goodwood possible for Seagulls Eleven

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Hugo Palmer will monitor the Celebration Mile at Goodwood as he plots a route for Seagulls Eleven.

The son of Galileo Gold, who is owned by a group of current and former Brighton football players, finally broke his Group-race duck when landing the Thoroughbred Stakes on the Sussex Downs.

He could be heading back to Goodwood over course and distance, while a trip to Doncaster is also on option before a likely run overseas.

Palmer said: “He had some fairly tough assignments last year and as a result, despite the fact he was the 10th highest rated two-year-old in Europe, he only actually won a maiden so it’s lovely for him to be a Group winner.

“He got a couple of fairly nasty knocks as well. Henri Matisse crashed into him fairly hard in the National Stakes and he was crashed into from behind in the Breeders’ Cup.

“I think as a result when he just got very fractionally short of room in the Guineas, he just panicked and kind of pulled himself up, so we’ve worked hard with his confidence, both at home and in races.

“I thought he ran a really good race in the Jersey despite being drawn on the wrong side but on his side he was just a long neck, half a length second.

“And then he was obviously very good in the Henry Cecil Stakes (at Newmarket) and we were delighted when Charlie Appleby took his horse (Opera Ballo) out so we didn’t have to try to reverse form with him.

Qatar Goodwood Festival – King George Day – Goodwood Racecourse
Seagulls Eleven on his way to Goodwood glory (Andrew Matthews/PA)

“We’ve put him in the Park Stakes at Doncaster and we’ll keep an eye on the Celebration Mile and see how many are likely to stay in that.

“We might supplement him in that over course and distance. He would have been a horse for what used to be the Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury, but that’s gone and he’d have had a penalty in that. We’d love to potentially travel him.

“We were thinking about a $1million race at Kentucky Downs which is quite up and down, which is un-American and quite Goodwood-esque, I believe, not that I’ve been there.

“We potentially might be invited to the Golden Eagle which is worth A$10million and it’s a lot of money to pass up. So we’ll just have to see. He’s come out of the race super.”

Evanesco is Goodwood Eyecatcher following narrow defeat

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It is surely only a matter of time before Evanesco opens his account judged on a promising second run at Goodwood on Saturday.

Ultimately well beaten when fifth on his Haydock debut a month ago, Charlie Johnston’s charge was a 14-1 shot for his next assignment in what looked a strong contest on the Sussex Downs.

The Too Darn Hot colt clearly learnt plenty from that initial effort as he was travelling best of all entering the final furlong before being run down by Aidan O’Brien’s odds-on favourite Isaac Newton. It will be a surprise if Evanesco does not make it third time lucky in maiden company next time.

Two Tribes secures big-race double in Stewards’ Cup

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Two Tribes bagged his second major prize in the space of a week with victory in the Coral Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood.

Richard Spencer’s charge was a 25-1 winner of the International Handicap at Ascot last Saturday and was turned out swiftly under 6lb penalty for the £250,000 on the final day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

With David Egan again in the saddle, 11-2 shot Two Tribes was up with the pace from the start in the group that raced closest to the stands’ rail and took over the lead from last year’s winner Get It entering the final two furlongs.

His stablemate Run Boy Run looked the biggest threat over on the far side of the track entering the closing stages, but Two Tribes kept up the gallop and was well on top as he passed the post with just over two lengths in hand.

Strike Red and Jakajaro chased him home in second and third respectively, with Run Boy Run fourth and another Spencer runner in Twilight Calls fifth.

“I thought all three of them had really good chances leading into it, but Two Tribes is in great form and when you get a sprinter in this sort of form they’re hard to beat,” the trainer told Racing TV.

“Two runs in seven days is hard for any horse, but at this level it’s even harder. They’re not small fields, they’re 28-runner races and the tempo is hard.

“It’s crazy how far he’s won today, I didn’t expect him to do that in a million years, but it’s great.

“We’ve got no immediate plans, we’ll just have to see what the handicapper does – I think he’s probably going to give him a fair whack for that today. We’ll let the dust settle and see where we go.”

Two Tribes (black cap) winning the Stewards' Cup
Two Tribes (black cap) winning the Stewards’ Cup (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Phil Cunningham, who owns all three Spencer-trained runners, said: “It all happened quite quickly. Having three runners in a race like this is a dream but it’s quite difficult to try to follow them when it’s a short trip and a big field.

“It’s an amazing day. Honestly, after he won last Saturday, we weren’t going to run him today. Richard said we were going to keep him at seven furlongs but we had a change of plan on Wednesday and obviously I’m delighted that we have.

“It was a team decision but when you have a horse that’s qualified to run in a race like this, at a festival, with the prize money on offer, I think you’ve got to take your chance.

“Every next big win is probably the best one. We’ve been very lucky to have some lovely winners in the past, but you always chase the next one. Saturday winners and festival winners are what we do this for.

“Richard has done an amazing job. I thought he was brave trying to saddle three on his own but we got it done and we’ve got lots to look forward to with the group of horses that we have got, which are gradually creeping up in quality.”

Waardah steps up to take Lillie Langtry honours

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A step up in distance and class proved to be no barrier to success for the improving Waardah in the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes at Goodwood.

The Owen Burrows-trained filly impressed when landing a 10-furlong Listed event at this venue in early June, but she faced another half a mile and better opposition in this Group Two contest.

Ridden by Callum Rodriguez, Waardah was a well supported 7-2 chance at the off and after travelling smoothly into contention early in the home straight, she was coaxed to the front heading inside the final two furlongs.

Her stamina was given a thorough examination, with the the gallant Danielle refusing to go down without a fight, but Waardah saw her off and passed the post three-quarters of a length in front.

Rodriguez, who was one of five jockeys involved in a dramatic emergency landing on Thursday after the light aircraft in which they were travelling to Goodwood suffered what was thought to have been an engine problem, told ITV Racing: “It was a messy start to the week, but we made sure that we were on four wheels today!

“I’m very pleased to get that one off my back. She is a rapidly improving filly and has a nice way of racing. It was a very good performance.”

Waardah and Callum Rodriguez return to the Goodwood winner's enclosure
Waardah and Callum Rodriguez return to the Goodwood winner’s enclosure (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Burrows told Racing TV: “I thought she handled it all very well. Callum said she switched off great and in hindsight he said he probably got there a bit soon, but we’re still learning about her because she’s inexperienced.

“I thought she was very honest when the second horse came to her, I thought she was possibly going to get outstayed, but in the last half a furlong she was going away again.

“I felt she’d come forward from her last run here, her work at home had been very good, we thought we’d roll the dice and thankfully it’s come off.

“She’d have no trouble going back to a mile and a half and she’s an exciting filly. She’s in the Yorkshire Oaks, I think it is important she gets a bit of juice in the ground. We’ll see how she comes out of this, but Ascot in October (Champions Day) would suit her.”

Thady Gosden, joint trainer of runner-up Danielle, was delighted with her effort on what was her seasonal bow.

He said: “She is a very genuine filly who gives her all. That was a pleasing race first time back. The winner is a nice filly. Stepping up in trip has benefited her.

“We have been avoiding quicker ground with her but after the rain we had on Thursday, it suited her even though it was drying.

“The Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster would be a natural step with her.”

Sam Hawkens books Australian ticket with Summer strike

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William Haggas is planning a trip to Australia with Sam Hawkens after the progressive four-year-old justified 4-1 favouritism in the Coral Summer Handicap at Goodwood.

On a hat-trick following wins at Newcastle and Hamilton, Tom Marquand’s mount was good value for the winning margin of half a length over Dancing In Paris, with Aeronautic a neck further behind in third.

Haggas was completing a quick-fire double after landing the opening Glorious Stakes with admirable veteran Al Aasy.

Of Sam Hawkens, he told Racing TV: “I was pleased with him, he’s really improved this year. Sam, our son, bought him last summer online, we didn’t really like him much when he came and he ran two pretty ordinary races.

“We gelded him over the winter and he’s taken a bit of time, but the horse has really thrived and is obviously in good form and on good terms with himself as he went to Newcastle and won and went to Hamilton and won and he’s come for a big race today and won.

“He’ll go to Australia I think. We’ve booked a place in quarantine on September 5 and the race is on October 18, so I think we’ll go now.”

Al Aasy’s rider Jim Crowley completed a double of his own in the Whispering Angel Handicap aboard the John and Thady Gosden-trained Mudbir.

A 4-1 shot having won two of his three previous starts this season, the three-year-old moved to the front entering the last half-furlong and while Dance In The Storm then swooped with what looked like a winning challenge, Mudbir found more to win in a photo finish by a short head.

The stewards did hold an enquiry after the first two came close together in the heat of battle, but the placings remained unaltered.

Crowley, riding his 100th Goodwood winner, said: “This is my local track and it’s always been very lucky for me over the years. It’s been lucky again today.

“I hope Mudbir continues to progress, he’s a lovely horse and still very green. He had to be very brave to go through a gap – he got a smack across the face as he went through.

“When he hit the front, he was still a bit green, but I always felt he was holding the second.”

Aidan O’Brien’s Isaac Newton toughed out victory in the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes.

Beaten a nose when second to stablemate New Zealand on his Curragh debut two weeks ago, the Camelot colt was an 8-13 favourite to go one better under Ryan Moore and while odds-on backers were made to sweat, he got rolling late to deny Evanesco by a neck.

Moore said: “He ran a lovely race, he had a very good run the first day at the Curragh and the third horse (Action) just won at Galway, so the form looked fairly good.

“I suppose seven furlongs on this track was probably not ideal for him, but he did everything right and got into a nice rhythm and stayed going well.

“He showed a good attitude and he’ll continue to improve from race to race.”

The Coral Golden Rewards Shaker Handicap brought the five-day Qatar Goodwood Festival to a close and it was Andrew Balding’s 11-8 market leader Gladius who sent favourite backers home happy with a hard-fought success over Whip Cracker in the hands of William Buick.

“He’s had to do it the hard way, he was posted a little bit wide, but William has done a lovely job,” said Balding.

“He’s a lovely horse, he doesn’t show a huge amount at home so each time we’ve run him it’s been a pleasant surprise and hopefully he can keep going because he keeps improving.

“He’s won a handicap today off 94 and we’ll probably go for another handicap in my opinion, but we need to discuss that with his partners.”

Al Aasy defends Glorious Stakes title in style

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Al Aasy came from last to first to successfully defend his Coral Glorious Stakes crown at Goodwood.

The William Haggas-trained eight-year-old claimed the fifth of his seven Group Three victories to date in this race 12 months ago before going on to land the Geoffrey Freer at Newbury in August and the Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown on his first start of this season in April.

Despite coming up short in two subsequent outings, most recently finishing seventh in the Hardwicke at Royal Ascot, Al Aasy was a 13-8 favourite on his return to the Sussex Downs and after being settled at the rear of the five-strong field for much of the way, he picked up well when asked to go about his business by Jim Crowley to run down his rivals and pull three lengths clear of Meydaan at the line.

Haggas told Racing TV: “He’s terrific, isn’t he? He’s a fabulous horse. He’s pretty reliable in this grade when things set up like that.

“They didn’t go very fast today and he usually likes a stronger pace and they slow down a bit, but they picked up well up the straight and he still found a gear. He actually ran on strongly today as usually he wins by half a length or a neck.

“He’s been called some names in the past and I wish people would respect him for what he is. He’s a very talented horse, he just needs to be ridden like that – you need to wait and wait and wait.

“I haven’t put him a Group One race and we think at eight years old this is probably his level, Listed and Group Three races and maybe the odd Group Two are fine for him. He’s a useful horse.

“He’s a very strong traveller, so you can imagine at home when we don’t get them off the bridle he looks like Nijinsky every time! He catches the eye every morning, so he’s been a joy for us.”

National assignment on the radar for Vintage hero Zavateri

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A trip to Ireland for the Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes could be next on the agenda for Zavateri following his hard-fought success at Goodwood on Tuesday.

Following a successful debut at Salisbury in early June, the Without Parole colt sprang something of a surprise when landing Newmarket’s July Stakes last month, but proved that victory was no fluke when bagging a second Group Two success in the Vintage Stakes on the Sussex Downs.

Trainer Eve Johnson Houghton will now look to test her star juvenile at Group One level, potentially at the Curragh on September 14.

“He’s come out of Goodwood great,” said the Blewbury-based trainer.

“He is unbelievable because he thought he’d won his race, he’d switched off and then good old Morris Dancer came for him and you could see him flick his ears, change his legs and almost say ‘oh for goodness sake, come on then!’.

“We’ll look at the Dewhurst but that’s quite a long way off, he’s in the National Stakes too so that would be quite a nice start for him with the timing – National and then Dewhurst.

“He’s fantastic, I’m so proud of him. It’s very, very exciting.”

Goodwood Eyecatcher Shaman one to remember

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Shaman Champion looks up to winning a similar event after coming up just short in the Hawes & Curtis Nursery Handicap at Goodwood.

Ridden with patience by Oisin Murphy, Richard Hughes’ youngster came with a winning run in the closing stages but could not get past a very game winner with plenty of experience to his name.

With his own extra experience now under his belt, it would be no surprise to see Shaman Champion in the winner’s enclosure as the season progresses.

Fox too smart in Bentinck contest

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Fox Legacy looks to be a horse on his way up after a runaway success in the Regent Seven Seas Cruises Bentinck Conditions Stakes at Goodwood.

Trained by Andrew Balding this season after the retirement of Sir Michael Stoute at the end of last term, the four-year-old has won two valuable handicaps already in 2025.

He was ridden by Oisin Murphy as an 11-4 chance for this step up in calibre, and proved himself more than up to the task with an easy five-and-a-half-length triumph.

Anna-Lisa Balding, wife of Andrew, said: “He’s a lovely horse, he’s done nothing but improve.

“It was lovely to see him go on that ground today, he has got that action so we were sure he would do, but until they do it you never know.

“He’s done it really well, I don’t think I’ve enjoyed watching a race more and the jockey was very complimentary when he got off.”

Kyle Of Lochalsh cantered away with the Coral Goodwood Handicap for Hughie Morrison in another wide-margin win for Murphy.

The five-year-old was fourth in the contest last year and returned on the same mark to start a 5-1 shot.

He made light work of the staying contest against 11 rivals, navigating a flag start to enjoy an easy passage throughout the two-and-a-half-mile trip ahead of a nine-and-half-length victory.

Charlie Harris, assistant to Morrison, said: “We’ve been waiting and waiting for the cut in the ground and what also helped today is that they went a decent pace.

“Now there are lots of good options, especially in France, where we will look at races like the Prix Royal-Oak.

“He didn’t win until he was three and is quite lightly raced for a five-year-old.”

Murphy also struck gold on Seagulls Eleven in the Thoroughbred Stakes to make it a treble on the day.

The Hawes & Curtis Nursery Handicap then went the way of Hugo Palmer’s Ardisia, who struck at 20-1 under David Probert to defeat 9-4 favourite Shaman Champion.

Push The Limit obliged favourite backers in the closing Coral Pipped At The Post Winners Handicap, triumphing for Ralph Beckett and Hector Crouch as a 5-2 chance.

Davison eager for Nunthorpe challenge with She’s Quality

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Jack Davison has the Nunthorpe in his sights for She’s Quality after another sprint near-miss in the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood.

The filly arrived on the South Downs having been second in three consecutive starts this season, all of which were Group events on British soil over five furlongs.

She was a 9-1 shot under James Ryan and just fell short once again, missing out by only a neck as Jm Jungle prevailed.

“She’s a super filly, that’s four seconds at the highest level,” said Davison.

“Hopefully it’ll all come good in the Nunthorpe, 37 millimetres of rain probably didn’t help her but I’m very proud of her.

“I think she’s by far the best the sprinter in Ireland, it’s a pleasure to have her. It’s a pleasure to bring her over here to compete against the best the UK has to offer.

“She’s only four, she’s improving. I like my horses to be ridden with cover and to come from slightly off the pace, she’s learning all that now.

“It’s a step in the right direction, she was right up there with the best horses in the world and we’re looking forward to the Nunthorpe.”

Behind She’s Quality in third was Harry Eustace’s Time For Sandals, winner of the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot when last seen before stepping down to five furlongs at Goodwood.

“Today was to see how competitive she could be under those conditions, under a penalty and back to five furlongs,” said Eustace.

“It’s a sharp track and she certainly looked at home. Over five you need everything to go right and she just couldn’t quite get herself into the gap that she needed to.

“She had another go at them, which is pretty unusual, so I’m very happy.

“My gut feeling watching that was Haydock (for the Sprint Cup), she’s looked more at home over six and really travelled.

“We’ll let the dust settle, I don’t think she’ll go to York. She’s a three-year-old filly and I’m just very keen to mind her.

“It’s all about having a healthy horse next year and if we upset that by being greedy this year that would really annoy me, we’ll try not to do that.”

Henry Dwyer’s Australian sprint star Asfoora was out of the money in seventh, with her trainer saying: “Similar to Ascot (fifth in the King Charles III Stakes), she’s run good without being great.

“I just feel there have been things against her both times and we haven’t had the rub of the green. We’re gearing up towards a good run at York, but just not having the right luck at the moment.

“She probably peaked there around 100 metres out, which we thought she would fitness wise. I’m happy enough, but she just needs to keep taking those steps which I’m confident she will.

“It will be on to York now, assuming she pulls up well.”