The Peninsula
The curtain will fall today on the 2023 renewal of Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC)-sponsored Qatar Goodwood Festival. The race meetings of the five-day annual Festival continued over four days before it will reach its finale today.
This year’s edition has had special importance with the huge turnout of spectators at Goodwood, indicating the keenness to be part of the racing extravaganza, being a racing landmark in the UK and Europe.
Yesterday, the fourth and penultimate day of the Festival had an eight-race card day. The feature and fifth race was the Gr2 King George Qatar Stakes. The 1,000M sprint for three-year-olds and older is a veritable test of raw speed and has been a key feature of the Qatar sponsored Goodwood Festival since 1911.
The winner of the 2023 renewal was Trainers House Enterprises-owned Highfield Princess (Night of Thunder x Pure Illusion) for trainer John Quinn and jockey Jason Hart. Saad Ali Al Kharji, Deputy Chairperson of Qatar Tourism, crowned the winners after the race.
Deputy Chairperson of Qatar Tourism Saad Ali Al Kharji crowned the winners of King George Qatar Stakes. Pictures: Dominic James
Earlier on the day, the Paul J Dixon & John Fox-owned and Scott Dixon-trained Fosroc was partnered by Annabelle Hadden-Wight to win theMarkel Magnolia Cup. Fahad Al Sulaiti, CEO of Education Above All (EAA), was present during the trophy presentation of the 1,100m race, which saw a Qatari representation by rider Khadija Abdulwahed who rode Classic Touch to finish third. The 12 runners in the race were sponsored by various organisations and all the riders were females. Wathnan Racing sponsored the running of Classic Touch, who was ridden by Khadija Abdulwahed.
EAA sponsored the running of Educate A Child and Protect Education. Al Jeryan Stud sponsored the running of Al Bahar. In addition, Qatar Goodwood Festival sponsored the running of Stormingin.
Highfield Princess back on top
Triple Gr.1 winner and the apple of her trainer John Quinn’s eye, Highfield Princess (Night Of Thunder) claimed her first victory of 2023 when winning the Gr.2 King George Qatar Stakes.
Now a six-year-old, the exceptional racemare was sent off a short-priced favourite for the 1000m named in the honour of the new British monarch.
Rated 117, Highfield Princess faced ten rivals and was partnered by Jason Hart, who was also on board when the mare claimed a trio of Gr.1 successes last summer at Deauville, York and The Curragh.
Education Above All CEO Fahad Al Sulaiti presents a trophy to Annabelle Hadden-Wight after Fosroc won the Magnolia Cup winner.
Quickly out of the gates and in command inside the final 400m, Highfield Princess was asked to extend her advantage close home by Hart and went on to win easily by three lengths over White Lavender (Heeraat), who finished a neck clear of Raasel (Showcasing) in third.
Speaking after the race, her trainer John Quinn outlined his plans for the future with Highfield Princess.
“Her plan will be to go back for the Coolmore Nunthorpe and then maybe onto Ireland for the Flying Five,” he said.
“I have been thinking of Australia, but I’ve gone a bit cool on that, but she may go to the Breeders Cup, she is a great traveller,” Quinn said.
Highland Princess went through the ring at Tattersalls December Yearling Sale in 2018, where she was unsold. A daughter of the dual winner Pure Illusion (Danehill), Highfield Princess is one of five winning produce out of the mare and is a half-siter to the Gr.2 July Stakes winner Cardsharp (Lonhro). The second dam, Saintly Speech (Southern Halo) raced only twice but won the Gr.3 Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot and has produced seven induvial winners, including Well Spoken (Sadlers Wells), who is the dam of the Gr.3 winner and Gr.1 placed Chrysanthemum (Danehill Dancer) and the Listed placed Spoken To Me (Dylan Thomas).
Annabelle Hadden-Wight celebrates after winning the 2023 Markel Magnolia Cup with Fosroc.
Annabelle Hadden-Wight wins the 2023 Markel Magnolia Cup
Annabelle Hadden-Wight partnered Fosroc to land the 2023 Magnolia Cup. They were prominent throughout and gamely held off Eliza McCalmont on C.Eliza Doolots.
Since its inception, the Magnolia Cup has raised £2.1m for various charities. A record £324,000 was raised in 2022, with the sum donated to The Brilliant Breakfast.
This year, the Markel Magnolia Cup is supporting Education Above All’s (EEA) Educate A Child programme. All net proceeds will go to a project in Malawi that provides education and support for children most at risk of dropping out of primary education through a joint project between EAA and CAMFED.
Hadden-Wight said: “He jumped really well, we got a good start, and I was in front most of the way. I had two each side and I decided that I was not going to let them come past! … It has been an amazing experience … the whole thing has been really well organised and we have been very well looked after. Abdulwahed, third on Classic Touch, said: “It was really amazing. That is the first time I have ridden in the Magnolia Cup, I’m so proud that I was a part of this race. I finished third, but I’m happy.”
Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes takes centre stage on final day
Today, the fifth and final day of the 2023 renewal of the Qatar Goodwood Festival, will have a seven-racecard.
The feature and third race of the day is the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes, a Group 2 for three-year-old and older Thoroughbred fillies and mares over 2,800m.
In a field of eight runners, the Al Wasmiyah Stud-owned Ghara will take on her seven rivals. The three-year-old daughter of Frankelstarted her career in November 2022 and has had five runs so far. She won her penultimate outing when she took a 2,300m maiden for three-year-old over 2,300m at Yarmouth on 1st June this year. She then finished in a mid-position over the same distance in a Gr2 for three-year-old filliesat Ascot on 22nd June. She is trained by John & Thady Gosden and will be partnered by Andrea Atzeni today.