Qatar Goodwood Festival kicks off with top-quality racing
TRUESHAN lands Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup Stakes
JDG
Photo credits: Toby Adamson/Dominic James
Qatar Goodwood Festival is a world-famous five-day festival and one of the highlights of the flat racing season. Held on the world’s most beautiful racecourse, the Festival features class racing, with several black type races bearing the name of Qatar. The Qatar-sponsored annual Festival kicked off on Tuesday, 27 July and will continue up to the finale on Saturday, 31 July. Day 1 featured eight races on the beautiful racecourse which was built in 1802 and the most important of them was the Gr1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup Stakes. Qatari presence was represented by the Embassy of the State of Qatar in the UK. Mr JassimMoftah J.M. Al Moftah, Acting Deputy Ambassador of Qatar to the UK, was present and presented the trophies to the winners.
Excitement was the word to describe the races of Day 1, especially as things retuned back to normal with large numbers of racegoers present at Sussex Downs in spite of the heavy rains, which had its impact as several horses were declared non-runners in several races. STRADIVARIUS, who was bidding for a historical straight victory in the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup Stakes, was declared non-runner.
TRUESHAN GETS HIS GROUP ONE IN STYLE
The progressive five-year-old TRUESHAN(Planteur x Shao Line) carried the colours of his owner the Singula Partnership to success in the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup Stakes(Group One) at Goodwood on Tuesday 27th of July.
Trained by Alan King, Trueshan outstayed his seven rivals to take the two-mile, group one contest under the saddle of Hollie Doyle, who was in a roll as she emerged victorious in three races.
Trueshan was slightly keen through the first couple of furlongs but soon found cover behind race leader Nayef Road(Galileo). Going only a steady gallop, the positions remained unchanged throughout the first half of the contest. On the downhill run for home(around six furlongs out), Trueshan followed through Nayef Road as the pair slipped the field. Nayef Road acted as the perfect leader for the winner and once straightened up for home, Trueshan was allowed stride on and always looked in command inside the final two furlongs. A brief challenge from outsider Away He Goes(Fahrr) helped Trueshan to dig deep and he went on to win by three and a half lengths at the line. Sir Ron Priestley(Australia) threatened to get involved on the turn for home and held on gamely for third.
Winning trainer Alan King said after the race: “That was extremely special and the horse hugely deserves it. We have been looking forward to running him for a while and once the rain came, it was always going to help. When John(Gosden) said that he wasn’t going to run Stradivarius the nerves started to creep in, I haven’t been that nervous for a long time. He was a little keen there but he would have been a lot worse if we didn’t decide to run him the last day. A lot of people thought we were mad for running him with so much weight at Newcastle, but he needed to race and thankfully it has all worked out today”
Bred by Didier Stud, Trueshan’s success marks a first group one for his sire Planteur(Danehill Dancer) who stands at Chapel Stud. His dam, Shao Line(General Holme) was a dual winner in France and has produced four winners with Trueshan being her most successful.
ANGEL BLEU and KINROSS win the two Gr 2 contests
The eight-race card included two Group 2 races. ANGEL BLEU (Dark Angel) in the colours of Marc Chan won the Unibet Vintage Stakes, a Group 2 for 2YOs over seven furlongs for trainer Ralph Beckett and jockey Frankie Dettori. Al Shaqab Racing’s Lusail was declared non-runner just before the race due to the heavy ground.
The other Group 2 event was the Unibet Lennox Stakes, for 3YO+ over seven furlongs as well. Again, success was associated with the silks of Marc Chan through the Ralph Beckett-ridden and Rossa Ryan-ridden KINROSS (Kingman). Al Shaqab Racing’s TORO STRIKE (Toronado) was in the fray and did well, especially in the early and middle stages and finished sixth.
The penultimate race was the Unibet Fillies’ Handicap, a Class 3 event for three-year-old and older rated 0-95 over a mile. The eventual winner was Shadwell Estate Company Ltd’s ANGHAM (Frankel) for trainer Richard Hannon and jockey Jim Crowley. Al Shaqab Racing’s Zwelela (Toronado) gave the winner a lot to think about in the last strides and finished runner-up for the winning trainer and under jockey Rossa Ryan.
Top Gr 1 racing on Day 2
All eyes are being drawn to second day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival as thrilling racing will continue with some of the world’s top runners on display. The main features of Day 2 will bear the name of Qatar. All Arabian racing fans worldwide will be looking forward to the Qatar International Stakes (Gr 1 PA) to see the legends “Ebraz” and “Tayf” along with the up and coming “Lady princess” facing each other for top honours. The other feature event will be the Qatar Sussex Stakes, a Group 1 for thoroughbreds, where Al Shaqab Racing will be represented by the Duhail.
* “mdmar” news site for horse racing and equestrian
The “Midmar” website for horse and equestrian races is keen to cover and follow all competitions related to horses, from show jumping, Horseracing, speed and endurance races, and purebred Arabian horse beauty shows, which belong to the Arab Gulf countries at home and abroad in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
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