Glorious Goodwood

The field for Tuesday's G2 World Pool Lennox S. at Goodwood was reduced by a third after three of the nine original nominees were withdrawn, but nonetheless produced a thrilling finish in which Marc Chan's 2021 winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}--Ceilidh House {GB}, by Selkirk) defeated G1 Poule d'Essai de Poulains runner-up Isaac Shelby (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) to become the third dual winner of the seven-furlong contest. Last term's G1 Prix de la Foret and G1 British Champions Sprint hero was swiftly into stride...

Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah's Haatem (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}--Hard Walnut {Ire}, by Cape Cross {Ire}) was the most experienced of nine contenders lining up for Tuesday's G2 Nicholson Gin Vintage S. at Goodwood and paid a handsome compliment to his G2 Superlative S. conqueror City Of Troy (Justify) with a game success in the seven-furlong test. The March-foaled bay becomes the first stakes winner for freshman sire Phoenix Of Spain (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire) and a first winner of the contest for Richard Hannon, whose father Richard senior...

John and Thady Gosden will be well-represented at the upcoming Qatar Goodwood Festival from Aug. 1-5, with a host of stars set to start at the meeting including Group 1 winners Courage Mon Ami (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}). At present, the father-son team has both G1 Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami and G2 Queen's Vase victor Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), both unbeaten, in the G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup on Tuesday. Both horses race in the colours of the Emir...

   A look back at the winners of Goodwood's King George S. illustrates how sprint lines permeate all areas of the breed, from fellow sprinters to Derby winners. The win of Khaadem (Ire) in the G2 King George S. at the Qatar 'Glorious' Goodwood Festival has further enhanced the great record in the race of his trainer Charlie Hills, who has now saddled the winner in five of the past six years. Hills has, of course, been helped by having had the mighty Battaash (Ire) under his care, that great...

Goodwood's trio of Group 1 races all went the way of owner-breeders, results that are both pleasing to see for the people who invest so much thought and money into the sport over generations, and which also highlight how hard it can be for prospective owners to get into horses at the top level. This season, ten European Classics have been won by homebreds, with two of those, Sammarco (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Mangoustine (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}), having been offered for sale by their breeders but bought back. Only...

Despite all the top-level contests being done at the Qatar Goodwood Festival, Friday's action at the Sussex venue is almost as compelling with the G2 King George Qatar S. the fast and frenzied feature. Now that Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is in a deserved retirement, one of Britain's fastest five-furlong sprints is looking for a new ruler but at present he is not instantly recognisable in the void left by Shadwell's super-charged performer. Perhaps the best to hope for is an engaging spectacle as the July 2 G3 Sandown...

After the wins of Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) on the first two days of the Qatar Goodwood Festival, it is up to Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) to maintain the stranglehold of the favourites in the meeting's premier contests on Thursday. Looking a standout in the feature G1 Qatar Nassau S., Imad Al Sagar's G1 Prix de Diane heroine gets nine pounds from the older fillies and mares in a race which has been won by the Classic generation in seven of the last...

GOODWOOD, UK--The banner on Trundle Hill overlooking Goodwood read, 'Thank You Stradivarius'. Inside the racecourse the message was repeated on branded flags, readied to wave him on his way. But it would seem that Stradivarius is not for retiring. And hurrah to that.  It is almost poetic, in a bloodstock kinda way, that two of the best horses of the modern era, Derby-winning half-brothers no less, should feature in an epic battle between their two sons for a race that was so much more than just the Goodwood Cup.  For...

Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) are set to renew their rivalry in Tuesday's G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup after a field of nine were confirmed on Sunday. While Moyglare Stud, Coolmore and Westerberg's G1 Gold Cup winner and Bjorn Nielsen's four-times Goodwood Cup hero are set fair for the two-mile contest, Alan King will be watching the weather again for Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) and Mick and Janice Mariscotti's impressive Listed Esher S. winner Coltrane (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) is another notable in the list....

Aidan O'Brien is readying a strong squad for Goodwood, which will be spearheaded by Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Order Of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}). Kyprios is a warm order to build on his G1 Gold Cup triumph at Royal Ascot when he lines out in the G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup while Order Of Australia is on course to run in the G1 Qatar Sussex S. O'Brien said, "We are happy with Kyprios and the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup has always been the plan since Ascot. "The plan is...

   With Goodwood Saturday centred around the Stewards Cup for the sprinters, the G2 Qatar Lillie Langtry S. is the sole black-type contest on the closing card but it features one of Europe's best in Wonderful Tonight (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}). Christopher Wright's G1 Prix de Royallieu, G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. and G2 Hardwicke S. heroine was forced to miss last Saturday's G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. due to the fast surface and despite the ground drying out all the time here,  she...

Shadwell's Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) began his impressive ascent to the top of the sprinting tree in the 2017 edition of the G2 King George Qatar S. and in all his return Goodwood visits he has been unflinching and unbeatable. He returns to the race he has made his own in search of a glorious five-timer on Friday and after Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) was forced out of a similar bid on Tuesday the onus is firmly on him. Immaculate last term with his three starts culminating...