03/08/2022. International Horse Racing World: Qatar Goodwood Festival, friday 26/sunday 28 august 2022 // Racing Post, Intellogent, Bay Bridge – Go To Race…
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Putting the ‘Glorious’ into Glorious Goodwood
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And just like that Qatar Goodwood Festival 2022 is over and we are still in awe at how wonderful the week was. We can’t believe that this time last week we said our farewells to Stradivarius, who narrowly missed out on his fifth Goodwood cup, when he was beaten past the post by new staying star Kyprios in a race for the ages. Still, his lap of honour around the Parade Ring afterwards barely left a dry eye in the house. On Thursday, Royal Scotsman looked a colt destined for the top when setting the juvenile course record in the six-furlong Richmond Stakes. Then on day five, Commanche Falls became the first horse to win back-to-back Coral Stewards’ Cups in 54 years under Connor Beasley. Six winners saw William Buick clinch the top jockey award at the Qatar Goodwood Festival for a third time, with Charlie Appleby receiving a first top trainer title with five victories. The bad news is that it’s all over, but the good news is that you can relive the incredible Qatar Goodwood Festival moments and more – just read on.
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Ashleigh Wicheard wins the Markel Magnolia Cup
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Ashleigh Wicheard, who is a work rider for trainer Neil Mulholland, won the Markel Magnolia Cup charity race. Wicheard got a flying start on her mount Dark Shot, and never saw another rival to run out a dominant winner.
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Baaeed stamps class on Qatar Sussex Stakes
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Baaeed cemented his position as the world’s highest-rated racehorse with a dominant length and three-quarter success in the Qatar Sussex Stakes, handing trainer William Haggas a first win in the mile highlight.
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Nashwa and Doyle prove irresistible
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Nashwa confirmed herself as one of the best fillies of her generation by running away with the G1 Qatar Nassau Stakes under Hollie Doyle, the first female jockey to win the 10-furlong showpiece.
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FRIDAY 26 – SUNDAY 28 AUGUST
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I thought Intellogent was the horse to take out of the John Smith’s Cup last month and his third-placed effort off a big weight served notice he could strike at Group level in the right race.
He gets that opportunity in Saturday’s Group 3 Rose of Lancaster Stakes (3.00) at Haydock and there appears to be too much disparity in the early market between Intellogent and the re-opposing Anmaat, who finished three-quarters of a length clear of my selection when victorious at York.
Admittedly Anmaat is an unexposed four-year-old who was making his seasonal return and the performance was high class, but he was better positioned to strike than Intellogent, who ran into traffic problems at a crucial stage and fared comfortably best of those from the second half of the field.
Intellogent is 2lb better off and looks to be on a real upward trajectory since joining Jane Chapple-Hyam. I wasn’t entirely convinced he’d stay 1m2½f at York but he alleviated any stamina concerns with a powerful finish and races over that distance once more at the Lancashire track.
This versatile type almost landed the Royal Hunt Cup on his previous outing and can secure a first victory for the in-form Chapple-Hyam, who has scored with five of her last eight runners at the time of writing.
Like so many middle-distance Group races these days, the Rose Of Lancaster is surely destined to cut up from the 14 initially entered.
Only twice in the last decade have more than seven runners lined up and this is a race to play each-way in with Adam Kirby already booked to ride Intellogent. He is overpriced at 15-2 with one firm.
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I’ve also had a look at next month’s Irish Champion Stakes and the one who stands out by a mile is the forgotten Bay Bridge at 10-1.
Bay Bridge has not been entered in the Juddmonte International this month and seems to be enjoying a mid-season break before presumably taking in a couple of races in the autumn.
I expected the son of New Bay to go right to the top after his outstanding five-length victory in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes in May on his return.
However, Bay Bridge has returned a beaten favourite on both his subsequent starts in Group 1 company, although there have been excuses for both defeats.
He was given too much to do to reel in State Of Rest under an outstanding front-running ride from Shane Crosse in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot before his finishing effort petered out when he ran fifth in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.
I’m convinced the Eclipse came too soon for Bay Bridge and he simply looked tired. To these eyes, running at Sandown so soon after two tough races seemed an atypical move from trainer Sir Michael Stoute.
Perhaps Ballylinch Stud, who presumably bought into Bay Bridge this season with a view to standing him as a stallion in the future, twisted Stoute’s hand into attempting to pick up a valuable Group 1 for breeding purposes.
The 70-day break could do Bay Bridge the world of good and he has produced career-best efforts on all three runs after 140 days or more off the track.
The Irish Champion is quite open with Luxembourg having questions to answer after an injury, Mishriff disappointing at Ascot last time and Baaeed not running.
Vadeni is the right favourite after his Eclipse triumph but would renew rivalry with Bay Bridge off 4lb worse terms and I’m confident the form can be reversed on a different day.
Although I’d usually play each-way ante-post in a race of this nature, I’ll stick to a win-only wager. I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if Stoute decided to wait even longer and bring Bay Bridge back to the track for the Champion Stakes at Ascot or up him in trip for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
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