Chicester (UK): The events of the 2020 renewal of the Qatar Goodwood Festival continued on Day 2 and featured seven races, including two black-type races at the Goodwood Racecourse, near Chicester, UK, on Wednesday.
The coveted Gr1 Qatar Sussex Stakes, for three-year-olds and older over a mile, the feature event of the day and it was landed 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.
Toro strikes in concluding Theo Fennell Handicap
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.
Oisin 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 Marcus Tregoning while jockey Jim Crowley was winning the prestigious prize for the second time following Here Comes When (2017).
Marcus Tregoning said: “I have had to wait a long time for this, but quite honestly we didn’t have the horses. It was a tactical race. He is not the biggest horse and he struggled to find a gap, but Jim (Crowley) kept his calm and with the knowledge that he has that massive kick. It was a little bit of a nightmare to watch, but I knew if Mohaather got out, he would have the speed; he has got a very good turn of foot, as you can see.”
