The Peninsula
The events of Qatar Goodwood Festival 2020 continued on Day 2 yesterday featuring seven races, including two black type races. The coveted Gr1 Qatar Sussex Stakes, for three-year-olds and older over a mile — the feature event of the day — was won by Mohaather for trainer Marcus Tregoning and jockey Jim Crowley.
The last race in the card was a fitting finale of the day with an impressive win by Al Shaqab Racing’s homebred Toro Strike, who is trained by Richard Fahey and was ridden to victory by Oisin Murphy.
The success of the son of Al Shaqab’s sire Toronado represents a further demonstration of the success of Al Shaqab Racing’s breeding operation and their long-term plan, which has already started to yield a highly positive outcome.
The final race on day two of the Qatar Goodwood Festival, the seven-furlong Theo Fennell Handicap, went the way of Al Shaqab Racing’s Toro Strike (Toronado x Scarlet Strike).
After encountering trouble in running behind the leaders, Toro Strike delivered his effort a furlong out and showed an impressive turn of foot, under Oisin Murphy, to score going away by two and a quarter lengths.
Magical Wish finished second for trainer Richard Hannon and jockey Thore Hammer Hansen and Deep Intrigue, trained by Mark Johnston was third under Kieran Shoemark.
Murphy said: “Toro Strike is a beautiful, physical specimen. I feel like if he could stay at seven furlongs for the time being would be a big help. We’ll see what Richard thinks but it would be nice to see him land another big prize.”
Mohaather (Showcasing x Roodeye) put up an amazing performance to land the highlight of the Qatar Goodwood Festival, the mile G1 Qatar Sussex Stakes. Two furlongs from home, the winner still had five of the seven runners in front of him with jockey Jim Crowley facing a wall of horses.
Crowley did not panic though and pulled his mount wide approaching the final furlong. The response was electric from Mohaather, who overhauled leader Circus Maximus (Galileo x Duntle), trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, entering the final half-furlong before going on to win by a cosy three-quarters of a length. Siskin (First Defence x Bird Flown), who is trained by G M Lyons, finished third under Colin Keane.
It was a first Qatar Sussex Stakes for trainer Tregoning while jockey Crowley was winning the prestigious prize for the second time following Here Comes When (2017).
Meanwhile, Steel Bull justified being a favourite with an impressive victory in the G3 Markel Insurance Molecomb Stakes, run over five furlongs for two-year-olds. It was a first Qatar Goodwood Festival success for both trainer Michael O’Callaghan and jockey Colin Keane.
The grey son of Clodovil was making just his second racecourse appearance having made an eye-catching winning debut at Naas a week ago.
Chamade, trained by Ralph Beckett, made every yard of the running in the opening British Stallion Studs Fillies’ Handicap over a mile and a quarter.
Ridden by Harry Bentley, the three-year-old Sepoy filly kept finding out in front, seeing off all challengers, and at the finish had two and three-quarter lengths to spare over Waliyak, who is trained by Roger Varian and was ridden by David Egan. Dean Street Doll, trained by David Menuisier finished third Ryan Moore.