Tag Archive for: Goodwood Festival

Holland recollects fan favourite Trigger firing home in Goodwood Cup

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This year marks the 25th anniversary of Double Trigger’s third Goodwood Cup win – and the man on board that afternoon, Darryll Holland, remembers it as one of his favourites in the saddle.

Few horses in the modern era had a following as large as Mark Johnston’s chestnut, who built up an amazing record.

From winning on his debut at Redcar by 10 lengths, he went on to win the Sagaro Stakes twice, the Henry II Stakes twice, the Doncaster Cup three times and the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

By the time Holland’s association with him began, Trigger’s star was on the wane. Well beaten in the Sagaro and Henry II Stakes when going for a third win in both, he was sent off an unconsidered 25-1 shot for the 1998 Gold Cup.

Holland was riding freelance at the time and picking up a lot of rides for Johnston as something of second string, with Jason Weaver required elsewhere. Weaver himself had enjoyed some great days on Double Trigger, but later in his career connections felt a change of jockey now and again just perked him up.

Michael Roberts took over from Weaver to win Trigger his second Goodwood Cup in 1997, but when it appeared the now seven-year-old had grown tired of him, up stepped Holland.

It was so famously nearly the perfect start for the combination too, beaten just a neck by Kayf Tara in the Gold Cup before their popular Goodwood success.

“Teaming up with Double Trigger was just unreal because he’d lost his way a bit,” said Holland.

“Jason Weaver had been brilliant on him, but I’d just started to ride for Mark and everything I was getting on at the time seemed to win. Jason was going to the bigger meetings where it was harder to win and I was picking up the spares and having loads of winners.

“Mark and Ron Huggins (owner) decided Trigger needed a change of hands, so I got on him in the Gold Cup when Frankie (Dettori) collared me right on the line, but he ran a great race.

Kayf Tara got up late to deny Darryll Holland a dream first ride on Double Trigger at Ascot
Kayf Tara got up late to deny Darryll Holland a dream first ride on Double Trigger at Ascot (Michael Stephens/PA)

“At Goodwood he was going for his third win in the race. I didn’t normally hear the crowd in a race, but that day I did. It was unbelievable and the scenes coming back in – I’ll never forget that.

“There were a few reasons he was so popular – like Stradivarius he was flashy with his big white face and white socks, but he had this never-say-die attitude where he could get headed but come back and win. The crowds love that.

“We went on to win his third Doncaster Cup after, he was just unbelievable. At Donny it was never in doubt, I felt, but at Goodwood we got passed and I ended up in about sixth place and I was thinking we had a mountain to climb, but he kept persevering. We were a good combination that day.

“Looking back, that was one of those races that I’ll never ever forget.”

Double Trigger even had a train named in his honour, unveiled by the late John McCririck
Double Trigger even had a train named in his honour, unveiled by the late John McCririck (Michael Stephens/PA)

The most famous horses in history have all had something different about them, and Trigger certainly fell into that category.

“He was a character all right. When you get on a horse like him, on a big stage, it instils something in you. It gives you that extra push. Horses like him don’t come along often, I knew he was on for his third Goodwood Cup and that was a huge achievement,” said Holland, now making his name in the training ranks.

“I thought he could have had one more year given the way his last three races had gone with me, but he went off to stud.”

Five years later Holland was to partner another popular old character to a famous Goodwood victory, The Tatling in the King George Stakes.

Trained by the veteran Milton Bradley, who sadly died earlier this year, The Tatling was just beginning to make a name for himself as a sprinter and had won a Listed race at Sandown earlier in the month.

He was already with his third trainer though, and it is unusual for a six-year-old to find as much improvement as he did under Bradley.

However, his breakthrough Group success should never really have happened. Bradley wanted to run him in the Stewards’ Cup, the big handicap, but due to an administrative error he was forced into the then Group Three, over a furlong shorter.

“What I remember about that race was that I wore a jockey cam, so the footage of the race was shown on TV and it was surreal,” said Holland.

“I was riding him right out the back and I just weaved through horses, passing nearly the whole field, so everyone got the chance to see what it was like for a jockey.

“That was one of his most impressive victories with me as they went really quick. He loved Goodwood as he liked passing horses and they went very quick that day. Once he passed one, he passed the whole field.

“That win gave him a big confidence boost as he was second in the Nunthorpe next time. He was a bit of a character, you had to get on him on the track, you’d have to give him his head as if you took a hold he’d fly-leap down to the start.

“You had to give him a long rein and he’d carry his head on the floor – it was one of them, you were in the unknown for the first 200 yards and then he’d just hack down.

“We went on to win the King’s Stand the next year, 2004, yet I remember Hayley Turner winning on him years later (2011). Milton tried to retire him once, but he just wasn’t happy in a field so he had to bring him back. He even won two races at 14. Incredible.”

Superior success set Fahey on path to glory

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Richard Fahey is now among the leading trainers in the country – but 25 years ago he was still trying to make his way in his new career.

A jump jockey in his youth, Fahey at the time was a dual-purpose trainer based at Butterwick, near Malton and began training in 1993.

It took a while for him to make an impact, though, and he looked a long way from his current base at Musley Bank from where he trains around 200 horses, and sent out a then record-equalling 235 winners in 2015.

Nowadays he is known for the exploits of Group One winners like Ribchester, Perfect Power, The Platinum Queen and current stallion sensation Wootton Bassett.

But 25 years ago all his eggs were in the Superior Premium basket.

Richard Fahey is now well established among the training elite but it was different back in 1998
Richard Fahey is now well established among the training elite but it was different back in 1998 (Julian Herbert/PA)

A useful two-year-old without making a significant impact, he won a Listed race first time out at three at Haydock before missing most of the summer. He came back to be third in the Ayr Gold Cup at 33-1, hinting that he loved the hustle and bustle of a big sprint handicap.

He failed to make much of an impact in the first half of 1998 before massively outrunning his 40-1 odds when third to Selhurstpark Flyer in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot, just the second time he had been ridden by a young 5lb claimer by the name of Robert Winston.

Winston kept the ride when he won next time out, before Kieren Fallon stepped in for another win at Haydock.

Goodwood came next where he was reunited with Winston, and sent off 14-1 in a 29-runner Stewards’ Cup, he came home a length and a half clear of Ansellman.

“It seems a long time ago, we also had the third that year with Eastern Purple I remember,” said Fahey.

Superior Premium got the better of Ansellman in the Stewards' Cup
Superior Premium got the better of Ansellman in the Stewards’ Cup (Neill Munns/PA)

“What I can remember is there was a false rail and it rained a lot, so if you weren’t drawn anywhere near the far side there was a favourable strip of ground.

“I think the first three were all drawn very high (which are low numbers now following a change in 2011), so that obviously helped but Superior Premium was obviously a very talented horse, he went on to win the Cork And Orrery at Ascot (now the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes).

“Another way you could look at it was if he’d got beaten at Goodwood, I was probably a bad trainer!

“He was only 3lb higher at Goodwood than he was at Ascot and he won twice in between. That might have been because I was only a small trainer at the time. You certainly wouldn’t have got handicapping like that maybe 10 years ago, but I do feel in the last couple of years they are being a kinder.

“There was a time if you won a race you would get hit hard, but they seem to have settled down a bit.

“He was a really good winner for us, obviously our first major one and definitely the first highlight of my career. He wasn’t just a flash in the pan, he carried on doing it for a good few years and he was the Saturday horse all trainers need and he helped me a lot.

“We even took him over to Sweden to win a Listed race, to Taby, which has closed down now and whether it was broken I don’t know, but he broke the track record there.”

Garswood (red) won the Lennox Stakes at Goodwood for Richard Fahey
Garswood (red) won the Lennox Stakes at Goodwood for Richard Fahey (Mike Egerton/PA)

Despite the distance from his Malton base, Fahey has enjoyed plenty of other good winners on the Sussex Downs.

“Lady Bear was a talented mare, she won the Golden Mile for us there, we’ve had some good winners there,” said Fahey.

“The Platinum Queen won for us there last year, Garswood won the Lennox (2013), it’s a specialist’s track and it’s very nice to have winners. I think you need a horse with pace, that seems to help with the undulations.”

They have not all been good memories, however. Arguably the best horse Fahey has trained to date has been multiple Group One winner Ribchester.

However, he had two attempts at winning the Sussex Stakes and came up just short twice.

“We took him as a three-year-old after he had won the Jersey and he was third, beaten a neck and a short head (by The Gurkha and Galileo Gold),” said Fahey.

“Then when we went the following year, the weather was atrocious. They had had a load of rain, but it was also blowing a gale if I remember.

“I was on my way to the stewards’ room to tell them he was a non-runner, but on my way there someone rang me to tell me Aidan O’Brien had taken Churchill out and they were joint-favourites.

“It wasn’t really the soft ground I was particularly worried about, it was just the general conditions – there was inches of water in the parade ring and a strong wind blowing them all over.

“Here Comes When beat him and I remember going into the toilets after the race, taking my shoes off and wringing out my socks into the sink, that’s how wet it was.”

Roving Reports: Goodwood

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So I left you in the Premier Inn at Guildford, just off the A3, having a shower after finishing off at Sandown earlier that night, writes David Massey. I'm cursing the fact we are so far from the track but the room, replete with walk-in shower and a proper desk to work at, is pacifying me somewhat. I sleep like a log, knowing the next three days are going to be busy.

For all it's an hour drive to Goodwood it's a pleasant one, taking in a few picturesque village greens as we wind our way to the track. Working in the Lennox Enclosure as we are for the week, the trick is to park on the side of the road by the four furlong pole, which not only ensures a quick getaway post-racing, but an easy enough spot to wheel the gear back every night.

The Enclosure itself has changed since we were last here. The covered bar, right at the far end by the 2f pole, is no longer a covered bar but an open one. Wait a minute! Where's Squinty McGinty and his band? A regular feature of that bar, Squinty and co would bang out all your old singalong favourites before finishing every night with the same exacta - The Fields Of Athenry underneath, and Delilah on top to round things off. Ah, there he is. They've moved Squinty up a bit, he's now got his own patch in the middle ground. No Squinty, no Goodwood, although as we pass by, I hear the familiar refrains of Sweet Caroline, which he's added to his repertoire since the last time we were here. No-one can accuse Squinty of not giving his audience what they want, that's for sure.

So where to bet, then? It's a strange enclosure to bet in, with the bookmakers in one very long line, and the picnic car park thrown in. My good mate Tony, from his excellent pitch, takes the picnic car park and will tick along nicely in there for the week, but we have a decision to make.

The aforementioned covered bar used to be a great area to bet in front of. Not only because of the band, but the clue is in the name - covered. If it rained, punters would pile in by the dozen, nipping out only to have a bet, and the eight or so books that stood in front of the bar would cop the lot. Is the new open-air bar going to be as popular? We decide not, and bet near the furlong pole, right up the other end of the ring.

It's the Magnolia Cup today, and I've done my homework on the race. Basically, there are three with some sort of chance, as long as their riders are competent, and the rest, to varying extents, are going to struggle. For this race only, I'm in charge of the book, so it's all on my shoulders whether we win or not. One bloke clearly hasn't done his homework and has £50 on one that turns out to be a 41-rated 1m6f horse. This, remember, is over 5 and a half furlongs. Still, it's good for the book...

The race is run and I've got it right. Dark Shot wins and we've won well. I've personally won well too. I'll let you into a little secret here - these charity races, if you're not too greedy, often pay some wacky dividends on the Tote. I made Dark Shot a 7-4 chance to win this, but he's paid 13-2 on the Tote and 5-2 a place! Don't tell everyone though, okay....?

We're betting next to Robert Perry and his wife Jane, for the whole week as it turns out. They're lovely people and a good laugh. As I've said before, if you've good neighbours, it does make the week go a lot smoother. Jane provides the sweets for the first two days and I return the favour on the Saturday with two large bags of Haribo. But back to the Thursday...

There's a loud group of lads behind us that isn't helping my mood, but we get betting on the first. The Thursday is always a quiet day, so we aren't expecting fireworks, and that's just as well because we don't get any. Business is very quiet and the highlight of the afternoon is me turning around to see one of the loud lads throwing his guts up on the grass. Half an hour later, five security men will escort him off the track, shouting as he's carried away.

Three favourites on the bounce in Royal Scotsman, New London and Nashwa ensure it won't be a winning day and just as we get level, the well-backed joint favourite Sparkling Beauty takes the last. Thank goodness for the Magnolia Cup!

Friday sees a game of Musical Bookies as everyone moves position to try and find that elusive spot where you can take plenty of money and bet well. Bookmakers, should they find such a unicorn spot, play their cards very close to their chest when questioned. "How was it yesterday?" is a familiar refrain this morning, and the answer you'll usually get it "it was okay, nothing better than that." No-one's going to tell you if they hit the jackpot for fear of someone elbowing them out of their position. Those that bet in front of the open bar said business was moderate, but then, as was pointed out to me by the ever-shrewd Daren Wentworth, "you don't see any of them moving today, do you?"

Business is immediately better, with the long-distance handicap going to the almost unbacked Master Milliner. Yesterday was all two-fifty each-ways, today it's tenners and twenties with the odd £100 bet thrown in. A German guy, who I will come to know as Roland, starts betting with us, and I get chatting to him. He tells me he loves British racing and comes for all the festivals: Ascot, Goodwood, Cheltenham. He loves his football too, supporting Borussia Dortmund II, who he informs me play in Germany's third division. As a Derby supporter, I can only sympathise with him.

It's a good job Roland has a sense of humour as I massively put my foot in it. We are talking about how the price of racing admission has increased over the past few years and I remark how things seem to be going back to the old days "what with strikes, increasing prices, wars across Europe..." and before I realise what I've said Roland laughs and says "yes, but this time, we didn't start them!" I want the ground to open up, I'm so embarrassed. Thankfully Roland isn't and is roaring with laughter. Mainly at my red face, I think. It doesn't put him off us, thankfully, he bets with us for the next two days and as with all loyal customers, I make sure he's well looked after.

The biggest problem we are having, as we bet, is the phone signal. A lot of the bets we are taking today are card bets, but the signal and wifi is so awful at this end of the track that transactions, which normally take about 20 seconds, can take a minute or more and even then, some are failing to go through. We change to a different signal but it's no better. Do we junk the cards and just take cash, or push on? We persevere with it and thankfully things do get better, but for a big track such as this, you'd think a better signal might be a given.

The results are blindingly good. Orbaan wining the Golden Mile is almost a skinner. Khaadem and Rumstar are equally good and only a £200 bet on Caius Chorister in the last takes the shine off things.

Squinty throws a curveball by ending, not with Delilah, but Sweet Caroline, and the 1.01 money buyers have even done it in leaving the track. It's not been a good day for favourite backers, that's for sure.

Saturday and the sun is out. So are the punters, and business ramps up another notch. Although I would say, the money is smaller. This is a bit more of a family day, and there are queues to get on. I have my only cash bet of the week on The Foxes each-way in the first, as the 15-2 next door looks too big, and am delighted when it pounces on the odds-on Classic late. That pays for the Haribo.

I nearly cop the lot when Dark Shot is only narrowly beaten in the Consolation Stewards, and the lady who asked me for a tip beforehand ("you bookies always know what's going to win, don't you?" - I informed her that if I did, I wouldn't be standing here getting me arms burnt trying to earn a few quid, I'd be out there backing it) is delighted when she picks up just over £60 having backed it each-way after my advice. Unlike previous similar encounters, there is no marriage proposal at this point, but I do get a kiss. I love my job at times.

Trawlerman ought to be called Trollerman, as I've fancied it strongly the last two runs and given up on it today. The public haven't though, and a £100ew bet on him is a bit of a kicking. Sea La Rosa isn't much better in the Lillie Langtry, a huge roar going up around me as she hits the front in the latter stages, and the payout queue is a long one.

Two doors down from us, the bookmaker's light board has packed up, and that means that Jane next door, and myself, are suddenly a lot busier as we pick their business up. There's never a good time for the equipment to fail, but right before the Stewards Cup, the best betting race all week, is a proper kick in the teeth. It doesn't work properly again all afternoon and that's basically game over for them.

Commanche Falls is popular enough with the small money brigade, plenty of fivers and tenners, but it is a winning race. I feel for one bloke though - he had five £5 ew bets on the race and backed the first four out of them. I ask if he had the forecast or the tricast as an aside, and sadly he didn't. Good darts, sir, but that's an opportunity missed.

I'm A Gambler is a bad result. You may ask why an 18 chance would be no good, but the reasoning is simple - it was Number 1 on the racecard and therefore at the top of the light board. Punters just making a lucky pick often look towards the top of the board rather than the bottom. That's human nature, isn't it? You work from top to bottom. So those at the top take much more money than those at the bottom with the pinstickers.

We can't get them off Ajero in the last, and punters go home on a winning favourite. Which is how it should be. Squinty gives Delilah one last outing, and we pack the gear away. The early finish means I'll be back in Nottingham for nine. Now that, my friends, is the best result of the day. On to the Ebor...

- DM