A huge crowd witnessed two outstanding horses win the feature races on the second day of Glorious Goodwood yesterday ( Wednesday), when Kingman, trained by John Gosden, and Highland Reel sent out by Aiden O’Brien put in high calibre performances to win the Qipco Sussex Stakes Group 1 and the Veuve Cliquot Vintage Stakes, respectively.
Kingman, a 2-5 shot ridden by James Doyle, had taken his chance on ground that was firmer than ideal, despite watering, and won with an impressive late burst of speed.
John Gosden, who has now saddled 129 Goodwood winners, of which 30 have been at the Glorious meeting, added: “James said the horse was happy on today’s ground, but he just took a little organising with two and a half furlongs to run. Today he only had to use one gear, but that was the same for all the horses because they only had a chance to use one gear.
“I had an old MGB GT in which you could get into fifth and then flick a button and go again and this horse has that button as you saw in the St James’s Palace Stakes.”
The Queen Elizabeth II has always been his big target, and that remains the plan. Despite holding entries in France in August, he may go straight to the QEII, where he is quoted by Paddy Power at 4-7 for that race.
Highland Reel, trained by Aidan O’ Brien, is a two-year-old by Galileo who impressed when powering to a 12-length win in a mile maiden at Gowran Park on July 1. The drop back to seven furlongs posed no problems for him and this was another outstanding performance in which he stayed on strongly to win by two-and-a-half lengths at 10-11.
The performance was so good that he is now favourite for next year’s Investec Derby. It was a 12th Glorious Goodwood winner for Aidan O’Brien, who said: “Highland Reel could have gone for a winners’ race at Naas over six next week, even though he won over a mile last time. He is not short of pace and only ran over a mile last time because it fitted in well.He is a horse who learns quick and he will have learnt a lot today. He could go to the Futurity or National Stakes next. All those type of races are open to him.”
It has been a frustrating meeting so far for trainer Richard Hannon Junior, who is yet to get off the mark at the meeting. Yesterday he had four runners-up. including Toronado, who despite a great run, could not match Kingman.
The opening race of the day, the two mile five furlong Goodwood Stakes went to Teak, trained by Ian Williams and ridden by Silvestre De Sousa. Then James Doyle instigated a double for the day in the Gordon Stakes, when he partnered Sir Michael Stoute’s Snow Sky to a neck victory over Richard Hannon’s Windshear.
There was a double for jockey Richard Kingscote, initiated on board Jonathan Portman’s Royal Raalma in the Maiden Fillies Stakes, and completed with a victory on the David Simpson’s Related, a 6-1 shot in the Turf Club Stakes Handicap.
Jockey Jimmy Fortune sprang a 25-1 shock when guiding Jeremy Noseda’s Magique to a well judged win in the EBF Stallions Breeding Winners Fillies Stakes Handicap over nine furlongs.