By Tom Frary
Third in the mud in last year's G1 Qatar Sussex S., Qatar Racing's Lightning Spear (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) had it all fall into place as he came back to the Goodwood festival his owners proudly sponsor to finally banish the cruelty of six group 1 placings in Wednesday's showpiece and earn a berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Churchill Downs in November. Within touching distance of realising his ambition on his last two starts when runner-up in the G1 Lockinge S. at Newbury May 19 and third in the G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot June 19, he was an insulting 9-1 shot for this race which was ultimately decided by who had the best turn of foot. Where the history-making 7-year-old Here Comes When (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) had led in 2017, Lightning Spear duly followed in a renewal marred by a lack of pace from the outset. That meant that the 7-4 favourite Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}) had to make it, but Oisin Murphy was always happy in behind the leading trio and all he needed was a gap as Expert Eye (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) asserted himself with a furlong remaining. As soon as he had enough daylight, Lightning Spear seized the initiative and the lead 75 yards out and surged on to a 1 1/2-length success from the Juddmonte homebred, with the Queen Anne runner-up Lord Glitters (Fr) (Whipper) snatching third late, a half length away. “He's done very little wrong apart from win a group 1 until now and is a lovely horse to train,” trainer David Simcock commented. “He's never really let us down and that was the horse we see at home all the time. It's just getting it to click and it's great for the horse to get his nose in front in a group 1 like that.”
In a season of surprises and very little rhythm, Lightning Spear was an apt winner as the merry-go-round continued apace. The promise that there could be a dominant force above all else has been dashed at every step, with Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and now Without Parole failing to read the script and succumbing to one of their seemingly-exposed rivals. Only Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) has so far looked the real deal, but she was conspicuous by her absence here and so the way was opened up for a surprise especially given how poorly the 3-year-olds have fared against their elders so far this summer. Lightning Spear had first tackled the top level three years ago but it was only when he was third in the G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot in 2016 that he became a bona fide member of that brigade.
Successful in the last two renewals of the course-and-distance G2 Celebration Mile, the chestnut was also third in the 2016 G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. at Ascot and runner-up in the last two editions of the Lockinge, with the latest being the real heart-breaker as he went down by just a short head to Rhododendron (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). He was in front too far from the line in the Queen Anne and set it up for Accidental Agent (GB) (Delegator {GB}) and Lord Glitters, so this time Murphy was intent on counting to 10. That took bravery as the classy Expert Eye forged ahead, especially given how desperate connections were to finally garner the group 1 he had long promised, but Lightning Spear's regular partner was full of belief. Helped by his recent G1 Eclipse S. and G1 Grosser Dallmayr Preis-winning rides, Murphy attacked last to split the Stoute runner and Beat the Bank (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}) deep inside the final furlong and in so doing fully utilised his mount's habitually brief but highly effective surge.
As far as Murphy was concerned, he was putting right a wrong here. “I never get nervous before group ones, but I was nervous today as he's deserved to win a major group one and I felt I'd possibly left one behind me on this fellow this season,” he said referring to the winner's near miss in the Lockinge. “He loves travelling behind heels and I wanted to ride him like that, as I was sure Expert Eye was going to fade away at some stage with his best form being over seven. What a horse, what a training performance. At seven years of age, it's outstanding.”
Lightning Spear's future looks very different after this landmark and David Simcock said, “He has probably had his knockers, slightly unfairly I feel as he has come across some very good horses. This year, if we are being honest, there is probably not an outstanding horse in the mile division and so it has been his time. He wasn't any better or any worse when he was running in these races even two years ago. Eventually, you will come across a year where things go your way and he just looked really good today. He had everything pan out perfectly for him today. [Wife] Jenny rides him every day and she does a wonderful job with him. I don't think Lightning Spear would be here today without her. He was quite headstrong and fiery when we got him and now he is just the nicest person and very straightforward to ride. Jenny and my children are so fond of him and he is just a very special horse to have in the yard.” David Redvers, racing and bloodstock manager to Sheikh Fahad, confirmed that Lightning Spear would join the Qatar Bloodstock roster of stallions at his Tweenhills Stud in Gloucestershire. “He's one of the best-looking horses in racing, he's won a stallion-making race and he's by Pivotal,” he said.
John Gosden was keen to put a line through the result as far as the G1 St James's Palace S. winner Without Parole was concerned and said, “I knew very early on he was beat. I didn't have a pacemaker to put in and I just hoped one person would go on. There was no pace and that is not his style of racing, being in front, so he was not going to perform to his best like that.” Juddmonte's Teddy Grimthorpe was refusing to back up the non-staying verdict for Expert Eye and said, “They didn't go much pace. He was second in a group 1 and we will have much worse results than that this year. The way he has done it has been pleasing and I think there is something to build on still. We have to look at a variety of races now. I don't see why you wouldn't keep him to the mile now.”
Lightning Spear is one of four black-type performers out of Atlantic Destiny, who captured the Listed Sirenia S. in Europe and three stakes races in the States. Prior to Qatar Racing's stalwart, her best was Godolphin's Listed Newmarket S. scorer Ocean War (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}). Atlantic Destiny is a half-sister to Make No Mistake (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), whose four group or graded-stakes successes were highlighted by the G2 Royal Whip S. while he was also placed in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup. From the family of the leading sire Be My Guest, Lightning Spear is Atlantic Destiny's final runner.
Wednesday, Goodwood, Britain
QATAR SUSSEX S.-G1, £1,059,250, Goodwood, 8-1, 3yo/up, 8fT, 1:39.89, gd.
1–LIGHTNING SPEAR (GB), 134, h, 7, by Pivotal (GB)
1st Dam: Atlantic Destiny (Ire) (MSW-US & SW-Eng, $220,899), by Royal Academy
2nd Dam: Respectfully, by The Minstrel
3rd Dam: Treat Me Nobly, by Vaguely Noble (Ire)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (260,000gns Ylg '12 TAOCT). O-Qatar Racing Ltd; B-Newsells Park Stud (GB); T-David Simcock; J-Oisin Murphy. £593,392. Lifetime Record: Hwt. Older Horse-Eng at 7-9.5f & GSP-Ire, 24-7-3-5, $1,799,709. *1/2 to Ocean War (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}), SW-Eng; Seaway (GB) (Dr Fong), SP-Eng; and First Destinity (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}), SP-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Expert Eye (GB), 127, c, 3, Acclamation (GB)–Exemplify (GB), by Dansili (GB). O-Khaild Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute. £225,938.
3–Lord Glitters (Fr), 134, g, 5, Whipper–Lady Glitters (Fr), by Homme de Loi (Ire). (€25,000 Ylg '14 AR14; €270,000 4yo '17 ARJUN). O-Geoff & Sandra Turnbull; B-SCA Elevage de Tourgeville & Mme Hilary Erculiani (FR); T-David O'Meara. £113,128.
Margins: 1HF, HF, NO. Odds: 9.00, 4.00, 10.00.
Also Ran: Gustav Klimt (Ire), Beat the Bank (GB), So Beloved (GB), Without Parole (GB), Orbaan (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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