By Peter Moore at Goodwood Saturday 3rd August 2024
The final day of Glorious Goodwood , saw a welcome drop in the temperatures, all be it just a few degrees, and once again another excellent days racing to conclude what has been a thoroughly enjoyable festival of racing.
There was a real turn up in the feature race of the afternoon the Coral Stewards Cup when 40-1 shot Get It beat 27 other rivals to land the six furlongs handicap for local trainer George Baker.
The seasons toughest sprint handicap was won in exceptional fashion with the front running six-year-old holding off all challenges and spark boisterous scenes in the winners enclosure.
Baker, trains just a stone throw away from Goodwood at Chiddingfold. “This week is massive for our family,” he said “I’m a Sussex man and I’ve been coming to this race since I was five or six. It’s been a long week and we’ve had a house full of hooligans and reprobates.
“We’ve had a party that started on Tuesday and it won’t end until about next Tuesday now. I haven’t really slept and I might not sleep for another week after this. Races like this are incredibly hard to win, just to get horses to run in them is really hard, so to win it is a dream come true.
“It’s magical. It hasn’t quite sunk in yet. I stopped in two loos on the way down to compose myself and I might have to go back to a few more to check on my telephone that it really did happen. I’m not quite sure when we’ll be going to bed but on the back of this, who needs bed?”
The horse is owned by My Racehorse syndicate, and it was pleasing to see so many of the syndicate at the course celebrating his success.
Incredible as it seems, just 35 minutes later yet another big priced winner was in the winners enclosure. Three-year-old Witness Stand went off at 40-1 under Kieran Shoemark before landing the seven furlong handicap for Newmarket trainer Tom Clover.
Charlie Johnston’s decision not to run Align The Stars in the Gordon Stakes earlier this week paid off after the three-year-old made most to hang on to beat Fairbanks by a neck. It was also a unique family double after his brother Al Aasy won the opener with Jim Crowley producing a run up the rail to take the race by a length.
You can’t keep a good Irish trainer down. Henry de Broomhead, making his first ever visit to Goodwood with his first runner at the Sussex course saddled Term Of Endearment to victory in the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes and gave the Irishman his biggest success on the flat.
The five-year-old won the Bronte Cup at York in May, her second Group 3.
“We’re delighted,” said De Bromhead, more accustomed to giving post-race interviews in the winner’s enclosures at Cheltenham and Aintree. “I’ve never been to Goodwood before. I’ve brought my mum and some friends and it’s been fantastic. For her to then go and win is just incredible.
“You’re never sure they’re going to get there. She looked to be going very well before hitting the front and Billy [Lee] felt they might have got there too soon. She’s a great filly and we’ve been very lucky to have her. It looked like the obvious race to aim for after her win last time.”
It is hard to imagine there are many items left on the bucket list of a trainer who has won the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and Gold Cup in the same season, but De Bromhead revealed a fresh ambition.
“Initially, she was probably bought with Cheltenham in mind, but she was such a good Flat mare,” said the trainer. “I was a little bit concerned about the ground today but she handled it and I think she’ll stay further as well. The owners might take a bit of convincing but I’d love to go for the Melbourne Cup. It’s been a great ambition of mine to have a runner.”
There was an incredible finish to the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes with the judge unable to separate Rossa Ryan on Hott Shott and Oisin Murphy aboard Spell Master, with the final outcome a dead heat.
The win on Hott Shott formed part of a quick fire double for Ryan who steered Paradias to victory in the finale on the card.
English trainer Mick Appleby was crowned leading trainer at Glorious Goodwood after sending out four winners from Aidan O’Brien who also saddled four winners, but no seconds.
Oisin Murphy was named leading jockey with four winners. He equalled the four winners partnered by Ryan Moore, who did not ride on the final two days due to commitments in the US, but secured the title thanks to seven seconds.