TURF TALK: Glorious week as King breaks Goodwood duck (From This Is Wiltshire)

TURF TALK: Glorious week as King breaks Goodwood duck

9:50am Saturday 1st August 2009

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LOOKING back over this week’s racing at Glorious Goodwood, Barbury Castle trainer Alan King had his first ever winner on the course when Manyriverstocross won the Summer Stakes partnered by Ryan Moore.

The four-year-old went off the 5-1 favourite in a 14-runner field and was driven out in the last 100 yards to win by a short head and earn a 20-1 quote for York’s Ebor Handicap on August 19.

The trainer said: “He had to win to get in the race and the penalty he gets should get him into the Ebor.”

Highlight of the week was no doubt the victory by Rip Van Winkle in the valuable Group I Sussex Stakes.

My unsuccessful selection in most of his races this season, the colt returned to form taking control of the race over three furlongs out and was never going to be caught, recording his first Group I success.

Another winner to receive generous applause from racegoers in the winners’ enclosure was the Marcus Tregoning-trained Finjaan, winner of the Group II Betfair Cup.

Plagued with a virus at his Lambourn yard the trainer shut up shop for six weeks which had put the Derby-winning trainer out of contention for many of the early season top meetings including Royal Ascot.

Tregoning, a very popular and likeable trainer with most of the racing fraternity, was very emotional after the victory and told the waiting press: “I always knew the horses would come right in the end as long as owners stand by you and give you a chance. Luckily Sheikh Hamdan has had huge experience of this, you have got to wait until they are right.

“It was a hugely frustrating time but I knew it would come right in the end.

“Finjaan has an entry in the Group I Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock and the Hungerford Stakes is another possibility.”

Lambourn trainer Clive Cox was also in the money when his charge Xtension won the Group II Vintage Stakes for two-year-olds and earned a 16-1 quote with sponsor Stan James for next year’s 2000 Guineas.

Frankie Dettori got into the act on Thursday riding a double on Schiaparelli in the Goodwood Cup and Water Biscuit for Manton trainer Brian Meehan in the Maiden Fillies Stakes.

• Glorious Goodwood enters its final day this afternoon where the feature race of the day is the Group 1 Bluesquare.com Nassau Stakes run over one mile two furlongs.

With prize money of £200,000 has attracted some smart performers with entries from France and Ireland.

Newmarket trainer Sir Michael Stoute, fresh from his first, second and third in last weekend’s King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, would look to be in with a shout of landing another big pay day with his charge Heaven Sent, ridden by Ryan Moore.

Former Manton trainer John Gosden will be looking for his charge Rainbow View to fulfil expectations while Frankie Dettori will be on board the James Fanshawe-trained Spacious.

Newmarket trainer Henry Cecil currently enjoying a successful season runs Midday, the mount of Tom Queally, with Jamie Spencer on the Michael Bell-trained Moneycantbuymelove.

The combination of Stoute and Moore have been mopping up the prize money at the meeting and the column’s selection is Heaven Sent.

For backers looking for bigger odds, the Bluesquare.com Stewards Cup would look to be the answer with a huge field going to post for the six furlong Heritage Handicap.

A case could be made for several of the runners and no doubt the going on the day and the draw will play a big part. However, trainer Clive Cox has his string in good form and his charge Jimmy Styles could run a big race, recent winner Knot in Wood could go well as could Global City.

One that could make them all go at a big price is Hitchens ridden by 3lb claimer Neil Brown, and the four-year-old is the tentative each-way selection.

In the Listed Premier Stakes, the second race on the card Wiltshire trainer Richard Hannon would look to have a good chance with Pure Poetry while the two year old Nursery could go to Lambourn trainer Tom Dascombe with Antonius Moris.

The three year old Handicap may go to the John Dunlop trained Imaam with the Adnams Handicap going to Laaheb.

Other meetings are scheduled for Newmarket. The first race, a two year old Fillies Nursery could be won by the Ed Dunlop-trained Snow Fairy.

Doncaster and Thirsk are the venues for Northern race goers with evening meetings at Lingfield and Hamilton.

First race on the card at Doncaster a five furlong Handicap would look to be a good chance for jockey Eddie Ahern to get the meeting off to a successful start on board Chris’s Gem while at Thirsk their first race on the card, a two year old Maiden Stakes could go to the William Haggas trained Autocracy.

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