Goodwood

Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) are set to lead a strong team for champion trainer John Gosden at York next week. The brilliant Enable is on course for the G1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks on the Thursday of the four-day Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival, with Stradivarius once more in line for the £-1million Weatherbys Hamilton Stayers' bonus if he can win the G2 Lonsdale Cup on the Friday. The Khalid Abdullah-owned mare has already won the G1 Coral-Eclipse and G1King George VI And Queen...

Last week's G3 Molecomb S. winner Liberty Beach (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) is likely to take in York's G2 Lowther S. on Aug. 22 rather than the G1 Prix Morny at Deauville four days earlier, according to trainer John Quinn. "She's in the Morny and the Lowther, but I think she'll run in the Lowther," said Quinn. "She's been absolutely fine since Goodwood. She's had an easy-ish time since. She cantered lovely on Monday and I couldn't be happier with her. "Obviously you never know until you try [six furlongs],...

The Richard Hannon-trained juveniles Threat (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) and Mystery Power (Ire) (No Nay Never) were both overturned at Goodwood last week, but the trainer said he is confident both colts will bounce back. Cheveley Park Stud's 'TDN Rising Star' Threat, who had finished second in the G2 Coventry S., was beaten 3/4 of a length in second in the G2 Richmond S. at Goodwood after a less than ideal trip. "I was disappointed he didn't win at Goodwood as I think the world of the horse, but they did...

G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Phoenix of Spain (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) is set to step up in trip after disappointing in the G1 Sussex S. last week. He holds entries in the G1 Juddmonte International at York on Aug. 21 and the G1 Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown on Sept. 14. Trainer Charlie Hills admitted he does not know what to attribute the colt's lacklustre Sussex effort to. "He had a canter [on Tuesday] and moved really nicely," Hills said. "We are just scratching our heads. Whether the...

In the midst of a hot streak for Japanese-bred runners in Britain, 2017 G1 Japan Cup winner Cheval Grand (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) is gearing up for a second British start of the summer in the G1 Juddmonte International at York on Aug. 21. The 7-year-old entire kicked off 2019 with a second in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic on Mar. 30, after which he was beaten 13 lengths by Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. on July 27, an effort assistant...

Mirage Dancer (GB) (Frankel {GB}) has been sold to race in Australia, with new connections already eyeing outings in the G1 Caulfield and G1 Melbourne Cups. Trained by Sir Michael Stoute in Britain, Mirage Dancer won four of his 16 starts and was last seen when finishing 2 1/4 lengths second in the G3 Glorious S. at Goodwood last week. The 5-year-old will join the yard of training partners Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young after he jets out of Newmarket next month. Busuttin told www.racing.com, "He's been bought for Caulfield...

We've had two really good festivals over the last week and the quality of racing at Goodwood was superb. Again John Gosden and Frankie Dettori took centre stage but I think the highlight was really Deirdre (Jpn) winning the Nassau Stakes. Japan is such a great racing nation and I think we'll see more and more Japanese horses coming in this direction to race and that's only good for the sport and for international racing. I hope that the connections of those Japanese horses racing in this part of the...

There is more than a hand's difference in height between Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) and Love So Deep (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) but what the diminutive Love So Deep lacks in stature she makes up for in feistiness, while the regal Deirdre studies those around her with her calm, kind eye. By Monday morning the air of jubilation surrounding the two fillies had still not dissipated at Abington Place where each has been prepared this summer. The stable, once home to Harry Wragg and then his son Geoff and now...

It is a sign of the times that one of the success stories of the racing summer involves a French trainer based in England, winning his first Group 1 race in Germany for a horse owned by a group of Australians. Step forward David Menuisier, a graduate of such centres of racing excellence as the training yards of Richard Mandella, Criquette Head and John Dunlop now making a name for himself from his adopted West Sussex home of Coombelands. This was the place from which Guy Harwood honed the prodigious...

Keeping it simple despite all the pressure before Friday's G2 King George Qatar S., Jim Crowley steered Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) to a record third renewal of Goodwood's speed test to bring more history to this prestigious meeting. Held on to initially as Ornate (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) provided a target to his left, Shadwell's dragster took control two out and found the line a half length ahead of the strong-closing Australian import Houtzen (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}). "Everybody expected him to win by a large margin, but...

In the week that Japan lost Deep Impact (Jpn), there was a piece of consolation as the country's Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) swooped late to cause an upset in Thursday's G1 Qatar Nassau S. at Goodwood. Seemingly shy of her best so far this season, Toji Morita's 5-year-old who had captured the 2017 Shuka Sho was 20-1 taking on the Classic generation but had an ideal pace scenario settled towards the rear as the free-running Mehdaayih (GB) (Frankel {GB}) tanked along in front under Frankie Dettori. That rival looked to...

Friday of the Qatar Goodwood festival can mean only one thing. Shadwell's flying machine Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) bids to follow where Tuesday's star Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) led by landing a third edition of one of the meeting's major prizes, this time the G2 King George Qatar S. over the furiously fast five furlongs he adores. In the form of his life this term, he took the G2 Temple S. at Haydock on May 25 before meeting his nemesis Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) in the G1...