Tag Archive for: King George Qatar Stakes

Owner Paul Teasdale revels in emotional Big Evs win in King George

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The heart-warming Big Evs story continued at Goodwood on Friday afternoon, as Mick Appleby’s star sprinter darted to a super victory in the King George Qatar Stakes.

A rapid juvenile who flew home to land the Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot on his second start last year, the colt then encountered totally different going at a damp Goodwood this time 12 months ago.

Soft ground could not stop him from landing the Molecomb, and although he was not able to serve it up to the older sprinters in the Nunthorpe he bounced straight back to form in the Flying Childers at Doncaster next time out.

A trip to Santa Anita resulted in an unforgettable success in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, and he silenced the usual questions good juveniles face about their ability at three when winning the Westow Stakes at York on his debut this year.

At Royal Ascot he held his own in the King Charles III Stakes, but missed out to the Australian raider Asfoora, who prevailed by a length with Regional behind her and Big Evs a further half-length back in third.

At Goodwood the Australians were back to claim more prize-money, but fan favourite Big Evs was the 13-8 market leader on good to firm ground with Tom Marquand on board.

In a contest that was perhaps slightly undersold by its Group Two status, Appleby’s colt blazed along, but faced a late challenge as Asfoora loomed up beside him in the final half-furlong.

In a neck and neck battle to the line it was Big Evs who just had the upper hand, doing connections proud once again in claiming victory by just a short head.

For Paul Teasdale, who owns the horse with his wife Rachael, the win was another chapter in an emotional story as Big Evs is named after a cherished late friend in Paul Evans.

“It means so much to us,” said Teasdale, who on Wednesday won this year’s Molecomb with the Appleby-trained Big Mojo.

Tom Marquand returns victorious aboard Big Evs
Tom Marquand returns victorious aboard Big Evs (PA)

“He’s amazing. He means everything to me. Because of who he is named after it’s always an emotional day, it’s quite tough now with the level of expectation.

“He’s fantastic. The good thing about him is he can take the early speed and then he can stay there, he can cruise at that speed.

“He can always finish as well, even when Asfoora came up to him, who is a great horse, we were pretty confident about getting across the line first.”

There will be more to come, and although the colt is set to bow out at the end of the season there is still a top-level campaign to be enjoyed as he makes his way back to the Breeders’ Cup in November.

“I think he’s quicker than he was last year, I think he’s got Breeders’ Cup written all over him,” said Teasdale.

“He’s going to the Nunthorpe and then we’ll go the Abbaye if the ground is right, then the Breeders’ Cup.”



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All eyes on York for round three of Big Evs and Asfoora

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Henry Dwyer is relishing a York rubber match after his Royal Ascot heroine Asfoora went down valiantly to Big Evs in a pulsating renewal of the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood.

The Australian raider got the better of Mick Appleby’s Breeders’ Cup champion at Royal Ascot in the King Charles III Stakes, but with Big Evs getting first run on the lighting-fast Goodwood sprint surface the six-year-old was unable to reel in her rival, going down by a short head.

With both Big Evs and Asfoora on course for another showdown in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes later this month, the Ballarat-based trainer is looking forward to settling the rivalry on the Knavesmire.

Dwyer said: “I’m incredibly proud. She’s done a great job. It’s frustrating to come here and run so well and not actually win, but incredibly pleased that she’s run as well as she has, knowing that she’s come through the two runs well and we’ve got a horse to forward with.

“It went as well as we possibly could have hoped. We got a bump at the 300 (metre) pole which cost us, but it will be great to head for the Nunthorpe now.

“I just think the Nunthorpe is going to be great, back to weight-for-age for her. We’ve lost the battle, but we might win the war later on.

“It was always going to be problematic this race to start with, let alone getting an extra 2lb for winning at Ascot. I’m not making excuses, the other horse is a really good colt, and he’s got that ability to roll forward and control his own destiny, whereas we had to be back, we couldn’t go the early speed and that told late – we just got a bit of interference.”

Asfoora was a winner at Royal Ascot
Asfoora was a winner at Royal Ascot (David Davies/PA)

Despite the defeat, the performance was further vindication of Dwyer’s decision to campaign his star sprinter in Europe this summer and as well as a trip to York later this month, Asfoora’s stay at host Amy Murphy’s Newmarket base could be extended well into the autumn.

He added: “There’s so many options and that’s why we’re here. There were no options for us in Australia to be fair, but here we’ve got six or seven options, we’re not going to run in all of them, but we’ll pick and choose our path.

“Straight to York in three weeks, that’ll be absolutely perfect for her, and then we’ve got the option of the Flying Five at the Curragh and the Abbaye and America potentially. We could even go back to Australia for a race there. We’re just enjoying the experience.”

George Boughey’s ever-consistent Believing – who has become a regular at the business end of these top sprinting contests – was in the mix once again in third.

Believing winning at the Curragh last month
Believing winning at the Curragh last month (Niall Carson/PA)

Having won at the Curragh recently, Boughey has always had his eye on a return to Ireland for the Flying Five Stakes in mid-September.

However, he could now be persuaded to roll the dice with the Highclere Thoroughbreds-owned filly and is another with the Nunthorpe as a possibility.

Boughey said: “She’s just showing her tenacity every time, really. I was a bit worried after a couple of furlongs that she was out of her ground on the fastest five that you run at this grade, but she’s still learning to sprint at this distance, I think.

“She’s carried a penalty there today and probably didn’t have the easiest of runs, all options are open for her.

“Ryan Moore was pretty insistent that she went to the Nunthorpe, but the Flying Five has always been the plan. There’s enough time for her to do both. She will govern whether we do that, if she’s all right it would be no surprise – it’s only 12 days ago that she won the Group Two in Ireland.

“She takes her racing so well – I think she was the only horse at the start without a drop of sweat on her. She’s still upwardly mobile. Credit to Billy (Loughnane, jockey) not giving up – I think she’s still learning really to sprint at that level.”



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Top sprinters set to clash once more at Goodwood on Friday

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Royal Ascot rivals Asfoora, Big Evs and Believing are set for a mouthwatering Goodwood rematch after featuring among 15 confirmations for Friday’s King George Qatar Stakes.

Australian raider Asfoora took top honours in the King Charles III Stakes last month, with Big Evs picking up a bronze medal for third and Believing back in fourth.

However, having seen their charge lead until the closing stages, connections of Big Evs will be eyeing revenge at this sharper track, where he won last year’s Molecomb Stakes.

Mick Appleby said: “He’s in good order, we’re really pleased with him and he’s all set for Goodwood.

“It’ll be a tough race, but I can say that he’s in very good form.

“When he won there last year, it had gone pretty soft, but I think he’s better on quicker ground.

“He’s turned out to be pretty versatile, but quicker is probably better for him.”

Big Evs and Asfoora have been kept back for this Group Two contest, but Believing backed up at Royal Ascot with fourth place in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes and then claimed a Sapphire Stakes success at the Curragh, where Makarova was third.

Temple Stakes winner Kerdos was fifth in the King Charles III Stakes and is also set to renew rivalry with those in front of him.

Commonwealth Cup third and July Cup sixth Jasour is set to drop down to the minimum trip after being supplemented, with Clive Cox’s three-year-old having taken a keen hold early on in both of those six-furlong Group One events.

Ralph Beckett’s Starlust could also represent the Classic generation after landing the Listed-class City Walls Stakes ahead of Rogue Lightning at York last time out.

Last season’s Nunthorpe hero Live In The Dream will have a change of jockey, with Jason Hart replacing Sean Kirrane on Adam West’s speedster.

Ponntos is a possible raider for Czech Republic trainer Miroslav Nieslanik, with the six-year-old completing a hat-trick on the continent when making all in Group Two company at Chantilly on his most recent outing.



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Quinn backing Highfield Princess to regain winning thread

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John Quinn is confident ground conditions will not be a problem for his triple Group One-winning mare Highfield Princess when she bids to get back to winning ways in the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood on Friday.

Expertly handled by the North Yorkshire-based Quinn, she has had a fairytale career, rising through the grades from a 57-rated handicapper to win three top-class sprints last summer. She was also narrowly beaten at the Breeders’ Cup in Keeneland.

A half-length runner-up on her York reappearance, she was then turned out twice in four days at Royal Ascot, narrowly beaten in the King’s Stand and placed again in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.

She drops back a furlong now, with Quinn optimistic she can make the most of what appears a gilt-edged opportunity.

“We’re happy with her,” said the Malton-based trainer. “Who knows what the ground will be like on Friday, but the ground will be fine – she has won on soft ground before.

“She is in good form and we’re very hopeful. I’m not worried about the draw – it is other horses I worry about!

“You wouldn’t know where they’ll be racing come Friday, but straight line, she’ll be fine.”

Karl Burke saddles both Silky Wilkie, who was runner-up to the reopposing Nymphadora in York’s City Walls, and White Lavender, a short-neck runner-up in the Prix de l’Abbaye at ParisLongchamp in October.

Burke said: “It is a bit of a punt with Silky Wilkie. He has done nothing but surprise us and impress us all the way through his career, really.

Silky Wilkie keeps surprising Karl Burke
Silky Wilkie keeps surprising Karl Burke (Steve Welsh/PA)

“We never expected him to get to these heights, but he deserves his chance now in these black type races.

“It is certainly a big step up for him, but he won’t mind the ground, he’ll like the track and with the ground being so soft, it might not suit some of the others. The draw in stall seven is good.”

White Lavender returned to France to take a Group Three in May, but was a little too keen on her last run in the Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh.

Burke added: “White Lavender is obviously a high-class sprinter and she’s proven herself in the Abbaye.

“She disappointed herself in Ireland, but she ended up making the running, which wasn’t the plan with her – she has to have a bit of cover and come late.

“Maybe I sent her to Ireland a bit too fresh and she took off with Chris Hayes, and she never finishes her races when she runs like that.

“You can put a line through that run. She seems in good form and she’ll love the ground.”

Charlie Hills has won this race five times in the last six seasons, four times with Battaash (2017-2020) and last season with Khaadem.

He saddles both the hat-trick-seeking Equality, who landed the Coral Charge at Sandown when last seen, and Equilateral, who was a decent fifth to Bradsell in the Group One King’s Stand at Royal Ascot on his last run.

Makarova was a length and a half behind Equality at Sandown and Ed Walker, whose string is in fine form, feels the four-year-old Acclamation filly has plenty to offer now that she is becoming accustomed to running over the minimum trip.

Makarova/Sandown)
Makarova is getting to grips with sprinting (Simon Milham/PA)

He said: “I’m actually super-excited about this race – she is bouncing. Since dropping back to five (furlongs) she has improved. She is really learning to be a five-furlong sprinter now.

“Last time she really jumped and travelled, where in her previous couple of runs over five, she had slightly been outpaced.

“Prior to Sandown, I would have been a bit worried that this race might have had a bit too much early speed for her, but I think she showed at Sandown she’s got bags of boot.

“She won’t mind the ground at all, but drawn in four isn’t great. That won’t help. It is not ideal.”



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