Glorious Goodwood: Whirl dances through rain after messy flag start

The Guardian

2 days ago

There was nothing too glorious about a ragged flag start for the Group One Nassau Stakes on Thursday, but much to appreciate about the difference that a top-class jockey can make as Ryan Moore seized the initiative aboard Whirl, the 6-5 favourite, and ensured that Aidan O'Brien's filly was never seriously threatened on her way to a five-length success.
Goodwood's officials were forced to use a flag start, a first for a Group One race in Britain, as there was lightning in the air, in the midst of a sustained downpour that also changed the going from good, good-to-firm in places to heavy in less than an hour, with none of the usual stopping-off points in between.
It was an unfamiliar situation for the five riders in the day's feature event, and Moore was first to react as the starter dropped the flag, while See The Fire, the second-favourite, was slightly back on her heels for Oisin Murphy. Within a few strides, Whirl had grabbed a useful lead – three or four lengths over See The Fire, and at least half a dozen over her stable companion, Bedtime Story – and as Moore went through the gears from the two-furlong pole, his opponents were always struggling to land a blow.
Whirl has now won two all-aged Group One events in a row after her narrow defeat by Minnie Hauk in the Oaks at Epsom in early June, and an increasingly live contender for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in early October. Kalpana, the current 13-2 favourite for the Arc with Paddy Power, was a length and a quarter behind Whirl in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh in June, and Whirl is now 8-1 (from 10-1) for Europe's showpiece event.
'Whirl just keeps doing what she says she is going to do,' Moore said. 'She has loads of ability, stays well, handles quick ground, handles slow ground. Aidan called her 'a racing machine' the last day. He keeps getting these horses to do different things and this filly keeps progressing.
'It is a shame it was the spectacle it was, but she won it very well. She has won two Group One races now against the girls. She will have to step up again against the boys, but she is progressing and Aidan's horses just keep turning up every time.'
See The Fire, meanwhile, is now likely to head to the International Stakes at York next month, a race that was won by her sire, Sea The Stars, in 2009 and her dam, Arabian Queen, six years later.
Whether Field Of Gold, the beaten 1-3 favourite in Wednesday's Sussex Stakes, also lines up for that race remains to be seen, however, as the three-year-old was reportedly lame on Thursday morning.
'We don't have the full picture yet, but he is lame on his left hind,' Barry Mahon, European racing manager for the Juddmonte operation, said on Thursday. 'Until we have the full picture we can't fully diagnose it, but the fact he is lame suggests that could potentially be why we didn't see the true horse that we know yesterday.'
Earlier on Thursday's card, Merchant followed up his handicap success at the Royal meeting in June with a narrow victory in the Group Three Gordon Stakes, a contest that is often a trial for the St Leger.
Merchant is quoted at around 10-1 for the final Classic after edging out Wimbledon Hawkeye by a nose, but William Haggas, his trainer, has yet to commit the three-year-old to the race.
'My gut feeling is no because I don't think it did [the 2023 Gordon Stakes winner] Desert Hero much good long-term,' Haggas said. 'We had planned to go to the Voltigeur [at York in August] with Merchant, but he has had a race today and will need at least 10 days going very quietly before we decide what to do.'
The King George Stakes, Glorious Goodwood's traditional test of pure speed, will be more of a slog after the downpour here on Thursday, but the Australian-trained favourite, Asfoora (3.05), has several soft-ground wins on her record and looks fairly priced at around 2-1 to improve on her close second in this race last year.
Asfoora was touched off by Mick Appleby's Big Evs last year and another three-year-old from the same yard, Big Mojo, is the likely second-favourite on Friday after a strong run into second behind the shock winner No Half Measures in the July Cup last time out.
A potentially vital difference, however, is that Asfoora shouldered 6lb penalty last year following her win in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Henry Dwyer's mare went to the same race this year without the benefit of a prep run, finishing a creditable fifth in the circumstances. She goes to post on Friday without a penalty and looks sure to improve for the run.
Goodwood 1.20 Christophe Soumillon is an eye-catching booking for Charlie Johnston's Align The Stars, a winner at this meeting 12 months ago. He looked a little one-paced over 14 furlongs at Newmarket last time but had previously run well to finish seventh in the Ascot Stakes so this return to a marathon trip at a track he clearly enjoys could be just what he needs.
Goodwood 1.55 A disappointing sixth behind Field Of Gold in the Craven Stakes in April remains the only blot on Opera Ballo's record and he posted another career-best when beating Seagulls Eleven – who reopposes today – at Newmarket's July Festival last time. This step back up to Group Three company looks an obvious next step on the way to even better things.
Goodwood 2.30 While the last two renewals of this handicap have gone to horses from high-numbered stalls, a low draw is always a significant advantage over this track and trip and Oisin Murphy has an ideal pitch in stall two on Greek Order. Michael Bell's gelding was in front half a furlong out in the Royal Hunt Cup and this switch to a sharper mile should suit.
Goodwood 1.20 Align The Stars 1.55 Opera Ballo 2.30 Greek Order (nap) 3.05 Asfoora (nb) 3.45 Haunted Dream 4.20 Golden Brown 4.55 Push The Limit
Newcastle 2.05 Balqaa 2.40 Weddell Sea 3.15 Territorial Star 3.53 Willingly 4.30 Tanjen 5.07 Highfield Viking
Southwell 2.15 Sir Benedict 2.50 Byblos 3.25 Ocean Odyssey 4.05 Mark's Choice 4.40 Mercurius Power 5.15 Houdini Miss 5.50 Haazeez
Musselburgh 5.37 Wadacre Giorgio 6.10 Blooming Legend 6.45 Koffee And Kale 7.18 Curious Rover 7.48 Due Respect 8.20 8.50
Newmarket 5.45 Beckford's Folly 6.20 Holbache 6.55 Walson's Law 7.27 Hot Flame 7.57 Inlet 8.30 Dashing Roger
Bath 5.55 I Can Imagine 6.30 Moe's Legacy 7.05 Simplify 7.35 Neptune Legend 8.05 Launceston 8.35 Orchestral Wave
Goodwood 3.45 A tricky conditions event where the consistent Haunted Dream, last year's winner, makes most appeal. Hamad al Jehani's globe-trotting gelding has a definite liking for this track, having also finished a close second in a handicap at this meeting two years ago, and a repeat of his form behind the useful Shin Emperor in a Group Two in Saudi Arabia in February would probably suffice.