G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup

Maybe the fact that it is so demanding means that it can only be a once-a-year thing, but Lady Blyth's Quickthorn (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}--Daffydowndilly {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) is a joy to behold when he delivers his runaway train impression and Goodwood's gathering had a full two miles to appreciate it again on Tuesday as he turned the G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup into a one-horse show. As he had last August when issuing a 14-length beating to Coltrane (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) in York's G2 Lonsdale Cup over this...

While the 2023 English summer staggers on in dour misery, Britain looks to the Qatar Goodwood Festival which in terms of the weather is a far cry from its prior "Glorious Goodwood" standing but in terms of thoroughbred quality is up there with any of its counterparts. This week, we get to see the Royal Ascot heroes Courage Mon Ami (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) and the likes of Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) and Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}), to name a few. If the rain...

Tuesday's G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup was every bit as engaging from start to finish as it had promised to be, with ultimately Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) winning out ahead of Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in a pulsating finale. Sent forward by Ryan Moore from the break to provide his two big rivals with their target racing in third overall, Ballydoyle's June 16 G1 Gold Cup hero was the first to commit up the straight with his initial task seeing off last year's title-holder Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire})...

Now that Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) has managed to establish unquestionable dominance over the older stayers, the popular chestnut has a feat of magnitude to pull off on Tuesday if he is to secure a record fourth renewal of the G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup. That involves surrendering a 15-pound weight-for-age advantage to a G1 Irish Derby winner in Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}), who like Bjorn Nielsen's star did three years ago comes here looking to exploit that anomaly. Weeks before Stradivarius upstaged Big Orange (GB) (Duke of...