Glorious Goodwood Day 2 – Field of Gold is No Frankel

Tara Madgwick - Thursday July 31

The second day of the Glorious Goodwood meeting was supposed to be the one where charismatic grey three year-old Field of Gold smashed his elders to win the Group I Sussex Stakes (1m), but that didn’t happen and instead we saw the longest priced G1 winner in British history.

Sent off at 150-1, the Ralph Beckett trained Showcasing gelding Qirat was put into the race as a pacemaker for hot favourite Field of Gold with both horses carrying the famous Juddmonte silks.

As it happened Coolmore had also put a pacemaker in for their entry Henri Matisse and that horse Serengeti at one stage took over from Qirat, but as he compounded to eventually finish last, Qirat kept going to the disbelief of onlookers.

Advertisement

Qirat won by a neck over top class triple G1 winning four year-old stallion Rosallion with Wootton Bassett colt Henri Matisse a late closing third ahead of a lacklustre Field of Gold in fourth ahead of the OTI owned Docklands and Ciaron Maher trained Carl Spackler.

Winning rider Richard Kingscote followed instructions to the letter.

“Qirat has always threatened to be a good horse, I've just never managed to get it out of him until today. He was here to set the pace and go 12-second furlongs from the front,” said Ralph Beckett.

“That's what he was here to do and the longer he lasted, the better it was for everyone concerned with him. That was the idea. Having watched the clock, I think he achieved that, and the last thing I said to Richard Kingscote before he got on him was, 'Keep going on this fellow. He isn't going to stop and he could run really well here’.”

A homebred for Juddmonte, Qirat has the overall record of four wins and five placings from 12 starts with this victory his first in a stakes race with his previous form largely in handicap events.

His previous run before going to Goodwood was a 27th of 30 at Royal Ascot in the Royal Hunt Cup Handicap (1m).

Qirat does not lack for pedigree being the half-brother to last year’s Group I Arc de Triomphe winner Bluestocking and is the second G1 winner among four winners from Group I winning Dansili mare Emulous.

Pedigree

He is the fifth Group I winner and 74th stakes-winner for Showcasing, who shuttled to New Zealand earlier in his stud career and now stands at Whitsbury Manor Stud at a fee of £35,000.

The meek performance of Field of Gold left his co-trainer John Gosden deflated.

“We got left back a long way, that's life, and the pacemaker goes and wins it. If you let them have those fractions they'll do it, Field of Gold ran on but didn't seem well balanced on the track. It's a different kind of track than he's run on and he just got a little imbalanced coming out of the dip into the bend but I'm not making any excuses,” he said.

“He ran a huge race in the Guineas and was flying at the finish. He was not flying at the finish here so it was very different. We'll have to see why [he wasn't at his best]. He's having a normal blow and we'll have a good look.

“He didn't seem comfortable and William (Buick) said as soon as he asked him, the engine wasn't there, simple as that. And if not, he'd have run on and probably been with Rosallion in second or right up there but he didn't fire today.”

Advertisment
More Reading...
Juvenile Trial Watch – Caulfield
Three barrier trials at Caulfield on Thursday morning produced heat winners for first season sires Wild Ruler and Profiteer with the quickest winner being Free Flying, the half-sister by Snitzel to brilliant Group winning mare Learning to Fly.
One to Watch – Geelong
Trilogy Racing will have high hopes for the their talented filly Queen of Clubs in the Group I ATC Flight Stakes on Saturday and their colours were in the frame at Geelong on Thursday carried by a Zoustar filly that saluted on debut.
Kiwi Raider Pier Upbeat Ahead of Epsom
Co-trainer and part-owner Darryn Weatherley is taking a glass half full approach ahead of Saturday’s Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) after he came up with an awkward wide gate for Pier.
Melody Belle Daughter Set for Long Awaited Debut
It will be a full-circle moment for Te Akau Racing at The Valley on Friday night when Lyrics ‘N’ Song, a daughter of their former multiple Group One winner Melody Belle, makes her debut.
Blueblood Fillies From $3million Mares
Tom Magnier has been notable for his purchase of elite race fillies and broodmares in recent years to enhance the stellar Coolmore broodmare band and two of his $3million plus mare purchases have produced stunning fillies this spring.
Inglis Ready2Race breeze up footage NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
Progeny of the likes of Toronado, Exceed and Excel, Harry Angel, Zoustar and Ole Kirk were amongst the standout performers from breeze up sessions conducted this week in the lead up to the Inglis Ready2Race Sale on October 16, footage of which is now available online.
Magic Trials at Caulfield Heath
Early season two-year-olds will step out this Thursday, 2 October, at the Caulfield Spring Trials presented by Magic Millions, with 800m 2YO heats following the opening trial for Group performers at 7:30am on the Caulfield Heath.
Swettenham Stud Delighted with Lofty Strike Foals
Swettenham Stud are delighted with the growing buzz of excitement surrounding the first foals for young gun sire Lofty Strike.
Sires With Winners - Thursday October 2
Here is the full list of 29 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
NZ Derby Hero Willydoit Primed for Epsom
Last season’s New Zealand Derby hero Willydoit will step back into the spotlight on Saturday when he contests the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick for trainer Ciaron Maher, with jockey Tommy Berry bullish the horse is ready to make his mark over the famous mile.