Porta Fortuna makes stylish return to action
Under Ryan Moore the 5-4 favourite took to the track for the first time this season and showed all of her class was still intact with a resolute Group Two success from Paddy Twomey's One Look.
'It was a lovely starting point for her. She did things right, relaxed nicely and quickened up well,' said O'Brien.
'Ryan said she got a little bit idle in front. That's beautiful and should set her up nicely for Ascot now.
'The Queen Anne seems likely, we have the option of that or the Duke of Cambridge, but I think she won so nicely and she's training good and she's happy and healthy. I think we have to look at the Queen Anne.'
When asked if the Breeders Cup would be the late-season target again, he added: 'We'll see what happens. It was a target last year and the year before so it seems like an obvious possibility at the end of the year.
'We'll get through the rest of the year and see how she is and hatch a plan then.'
Porta Fortuna was cut to 6-1 from 8-1 for the Queen Anne with both Betfair and Coral.
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The Sun
4 days ago
- The Sun
Horse racing tips: ‘He's improving rapidly and looks a superstar' – Templegate's 10-3 Goodwood day three NAP
TEMPLEGATE tackles Thursday's action from Glorious Goodwood confident of making it a day to remember. Back a horse by clicking their odds below. COPPULL (1.55 Goodwood, nap) He can hit the target for Clive Cox. His debut win at Leicester has worked out superbly and he ran a stormer in the Coventry at Royal Ascot, finishing third at 66-1 in that Group 2. He's improving fast and the step back into calmer waters could be just what he needs with this sharp 6f looking ideal. WHIRL (3.05 Goodwood, nb) She's a progressive filly who made light work of the Musidora at York in May before finishing second in the Oaks at Epsom, before gaining deserved Group 1 glory in the Pretty Polly last time. That Curragh form looks rock solid with the runner-up boosting it since and this trip looks ideal. He can sell his rivals down the river. The William Haggas colt has looked a Group performer in waiting since being upped to this trip and his Royal Ascot handicap win -where he beat the subsequent Irish Derby runner-up - screamed quality. He's still improving, travels strongly and sees the trip out powerfully. GOODWOOD 1.20 BEST SECRET is fancied to land this hot handicap after a cracking third in the Golden Gates at Royal Ascot, where he finished powerfully from off the pace. He's up 5lb for that effort but was clear of the rest and looks the type to keep improving over this trip. A strongly run race on decent ground should suit perfectly and he sets the standard. Main danger could be High Degree, who made all in a Ffos Las maiden and now tackles 1m2f for the first time. His pedigree screams stamina and trainer William Haggas won this race 12 months ago. He's unexposed, goes forward, and is open to loads of progress. Calla Lagoon is another improver worth noting. He shaped well in a Listed contest at Chester on comeback and looks just the type to take off now handicapping over a longer trip. Parole d'Oro and Seagolazo both finished strongly at Newmarket last time and are bred to stay. They have place potential. 1.55 COPPULL can hit the target for Clive Cox. His debut win at Leicester has worked out superbly and he ran a stormer in the Coventry at Royal Ascot, finishing third at 66-1 in that Group 2. He's improving fast and the step back into calmer waters could be just what he needs with this sharp 6f looking ideal. Havana Hurricane sets the standard after winning the Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot and went mighty close in the Super Sprint last time despite not getting the clearest run. He's tough and classy but most of his best work has come at 5f, so the extra furlong on drying ground could ask a question. Azizam also ran a cracker at the Royal meeting, finishing third behind Havana Hurricane despite being drawn away from the action. That was only his second start and the move up to 6f looks ideal. He's a big player again. Maximized beat Havana Hurricane at Epsom and has claims if bouncing back from a poor run in the July Stakes, while Puerto Rico was second in a Curragh Group 2 and isn't written off. 2.30 MERCHANT can sell his rivals down the river. William Haggas' colt has looked a Group performer in waiting since being upped to this trip and his Royal Ascot handicap win — where he beat the subsequent Irish Derby runner-up — screamed quality. He's still improving, travels strongly and sees the trip out powerfully. There's a lot more to come. Rahiebb gave Merchant weight when close behind him at York and again caught the eye in the Queen's Vase when third over 1m6f at Ascot. Now at level weights and back to 1m4f he should be bang there. Ballydoyle hope Galveston has looked sharper since blinkers went on, making all at Naas before a decent front-running show when third in the King Edward VII. He'll likely try similar tactics again and could prove hard to pass if allowed a soft lead. Wimbledon Hawkeye pushed older rivals close last time in the Princess Of Wales's Stakes, while Sir Dinadan ran above expectations in the Irish Derby but may have been flattered by that result. Windlord got his head back in front at Sandown but may find this too warm, and Too Soon has it all to prove on current form after a beating in handicap company last time out. GIVE it a WHIRL in the £600,000 Nassau Stakes. She was a good second in the Oaks and showed her Group 1 class when winning the Pretty Polly at The Curragh. This trip is ideal and there's more to come. This will take some winning though with See The Fire and Cercene live rivals. Here's my guide to the field, where I rate each horse one (worst) to five (best): BEDTIME STORY 3 FAIRY Story. This son of Frankel was a smart juvenile who landed Group 2 and Group 3 wins on fast ground last year and bounced back with a cracking second in the Prix de Diane at Chantilly. Ground no issue here and 1m2f suits well. Needs more again in this deeper Group 1 and Ryan Moore prefers Whirl, which is a notable pointer. But she's clearly talented, in-form and still improving. Not dismissed lightly and could hit the frame with another career best. CERCENE 4 CENE and heard. Irish 1,000 Guineas third who caused a 33-1 shock in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, staying on powerfully to land that Group 1 in style. Faces her toughest test yet here over a new trip but she's bred to stay 1m2f being by Australia, and her finishing effort last time suggests she'll relish it. Progressive, tough and clearly thriving, she may just be underestimated again. Not out of this by any means. RUNNING LION 1 LION tamed. Group 2 winner at Royal Ascot last summer and went close in the Prix de l'Opera on Arc weekend but hasn't quite hit those heights this season. Solid fourth in the Duke of Cambridge last month but lacked the same spark. She's classy and could get an easy lead but may find a few finishing stronger. Capable of a bold show if allowed her own way but others look more convincing at this level now. SEE THE FIRE 4 HOT Fire. Neck second in this race last year and has looked better than ever in 2025, bolting up in the Middleton at York and then finishing a fine third against the boys in the Prince of Wales's Stakes. Proven at 1m2f, handles fast ground and she's rock solid back against her own sex. Holds standout claims on form and will be right there if she repeats that Ascot run. WHIRL 5 WHIRL cool. Progressive filly who made light work of the Musidora at York in May before finishing second in the Oaks at Epsom, before gaining deserved Group 1 glory in the Pretty Polly last time. That Curragh form looks rock solid with the runner-up boosting it since and this trip looks ideal. Fast ground holds no fears and she's thriving. Moore's pick from the yard and rates a major player with everything in her favour. Very hard to knock her serious winning chance. 3.45 GETREADYTORUMBLE looks a knockout bet. He's already scored over this C&D and lost nothing in defeat when third at Sandown last time, a race that's working out well. He's improving fast, handles good to firm, and still looks fairly treated. Main danger could be Nad Alshiba Green, who rarely runs a bad race and has hit the frame in eight of her nine handicaps. She was just behind Getreadytorumble at Sandown and remains a big player despite another 3lb rise in the weights. The Man is interesting too. He made a winning comeback after wind and gelding ops in a strong York handicap and could easily build on that now. Ruby's Profit didn't stay on the stiff track at Royal Ascot but flew home to win over this C&D in May. She's best when allowed to dictate. Templegate's tips Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who:
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Jim Delahunt's expert racing tips for Goodwood Festival, Hamilton, Galway and more
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) JIM Goldie won the 2012 Stewards' Cup with Hawkeyethenoo and the Group One winning trainer can light up Goodwood again with JORDAN ELECTRICS. Scotland's only Group One winning trainer is building towards a Del Mar Breeders Cup challenge with Royal Ascot winner American Affair but the long trip to Sussex comes first for Saturday's 3.05. 3 Richard Kingscote on their way to win the Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes Credit: PA 3 SunSport columnist Jim Delahunt Credit: Keith Campbell - The Sun Glasgow Jordan Electrics' win off 71 at Ayr last May sparked an amazing climb up the handicap for a seemingly fully exposed 8 year-old with 6 more wins in 2024 taking his rating to a heady 101 by Ayr Gold Cup day in September. His future Royal Ascot winning stablemate was backed off the boards down to 11/4 favourite to win a race the trainer has long coveted but it was Jordan Electrics who shone on the day with a 4 lengths 5th of 25 to this year's Curragh Group 2 second Lethal Levi. Injury delayed the now 9 year-old's comeback until last week's Class 2 return at York behind new Stewards' Cup favourite Elmonjed but stable apprentice Lauren Young did the steering on the old boy's return and Paul Mulrennan gets back on board at Goodwood. Despite looking ring-rusty in the closing stages on the Knavesmire, Jordan Electrics was only beaten six and a half lengths by the winner and ignoring the apprentice claim on the Goldie horse's first run back for TEN months, he'll be 5lbs better off with the York winner at Goodwood. NINE of his 16 wins have come at similarly undulating Hamilton and while that's a massive positive heading to Goodwood, his best Racing Post Rating was recorded at York last season with an excellent figure in the book at Ascot as well. Elmonjed was a 9/2 winner for this column at York last Saturday and I'll be saving on the Haggas horse at Goodwood but Jordan Electrics is a general 33/1 shot for a trainer in spectacular winning form at all levels and those who can shop around might find some of the 40 and 50/1 still available last night. Whatever the fate of Elmonjed in the big sprint, Haggas looks to have a great chance of a big-race Saturday winner with recent Hamilton scorer SAM HAWKENS up a lenient looking 4lbs in the £100,000 Summer Handicap over a mile and three quarters at 1.55. The 4 year-old doesn't do anything quickly and looks hard enough work for his rider but Tom Marquand and apprentice Harry Burns have got the better of him at Newcastle and Hamilton the last twice and Marquand gets back in the driving seat on Saturday. Joseph O'Brien took time out from Galway to land the first race at Goodwood with Omni Man and the trainer can strike again on Saturday with GOODIE TWO SHOES in the Lily Langtry Stakes at 2.30. The winning maiden hurdler didn't cut it over fences but she's been a revelation switched back to the Flat and this Group 2 is a natural progression after two Listed wins and her latest success in a Group 3. Tipster Aidan Coleman gives his best bets for the Galway Plate Jamie Spencer gave Charlie Johnson's ARISAIG a fantastic ride to win over a mile at Glorious Goodwood 12 months ago and the pair get back together for the £150,000 Coral Golden Mile at 2.30. The 4 year-old has bagged stall 9 in this 20-runner handicap and my selection's course form added to her recent staying on second at Sandown makes it easy to forgive her Royal Ascot run under Spencer from a poor draw away from the main action. Spencer could have an even better day if Khaadem puts his best foot forward in the King George V Stakes at 3.05 but I've had this race down for BIG MOJO all season and his latest July Cup second was a superb effort. Charlie Johnston can double up on the day with TRY STORM CAT in the nursery at 4.20 with the trainer diverting his other potential runner TIMEFORSHOWCASING to Newmarket's 2.10 on Saturday. SPIRIT OF JURA's been off so long her jockey's retired but Charlie Johnston's filly will be fit and ready for Hamilton's 7.0 in Saturday. Hayley Turner won 3 times on the 3 year-old between January and April and a 4lbs rise shouldn't stop the Masar filly making a winning switch to turf. HAVANA HURRICANE looked an unlucky loser in the big ales race at Newbury last time but compensation awaits in Goodwood's Richmond Stakes at 1.55. MERCHANT looks a short-priced banker in the Gordon Stakes at 2.30 and WHIRL can make it worth doubling up in the Nassau at 3.05. DELAHUNT DAILY Dysart Enos to win 4.30 Galway Johnny Burke won a Galway Plate on Shanahan's Turn 10 years ago and the now English-based rider can head home to add a Galway Hurdle on Fergal O'Brien's mare. Dysart Enos made the frame in the Cheltenham's Greatwood Hurdle and Ayr's Scottish Champion Hurdle last season but connections have always believed she can fly higher and today's turning 2 miles can prove them right. The 7 year-old warmed up with a close-up 4th in a Kempton novice over 11 furlongs and her 9 lengths Aintree bumper trouncing of subsequent Champion Hurdler Golden Ace continues to jump off the page. TALKING HORSES - WITH MR ED JIM GOLDIE could pick all manner of fruity phrases to sum up the most prolific month of his career. 3 SunSport racing columnist Ed Watson Credit: John Kirkby - The Sun Glasgow But there's perhaps none more appropriate than a good old-fashioned 'Wa-hay!'. Seventeen winners so far in July have matched his previous best set in July 2023 But he's achieved it from 41 fewer runners this time around - 69 versus 110 two years ago - for an impressive 25 per cent strike-rate. And the secret of Goldie's success is simple - his tried-and-tested homegrown hay. He said: 'We grow all our haylage here 'We've got around 30 acres of it, which gets us around 200 bales every year. 'It's not enough to feed all the horses on for the whole year, especially as we now have more of them. It does us for about three months. 'As we want to get them right for Ascot, we start them on it at the beginning of June, then carry on through July and August. 'I think it's a big reason why our horses are always in peak form during the summer months. 'It's all about getting them on a higher fibre diet. If you make their stomachs work properly, you get fewer problems. 'It's the same as any machine, you need to keep it well-oiled for it to work efficiently. Our haylage is that oil.' The worry for all of Goldie's rivals is he's already harvested an equally healthy crop for next summer. He added: 'We don't usually bale until into July. 'If you do it too soon, it becomes too rich and then the horses don't eat enough of it. 'Everything's organic, so it's weeds 'n all. We don't put any chemicals into it. Legendary horse trainer Edward O'Grady dies aged 75 just days after saddling his final runner 'We could fertilise it and then we'd maybe get 300 bales, but it wouldn't be as good. 'It's very natural and the horses love it. 'We've got a very good crop again this year. It's just about all baled and wrapped and ready to be stored for next summer.' Goldie bagged a breakthrough Group 1 success and first Royal Ascot strike when American Affair stormed to glory at last month's showpiece fixture. The Renfrewshire ace quickly followed that up by passing the 1,000 winner mark on the Flat. He sends three runners to tonight's Racing League fixture at Wolverhampton as he chases another personal milestone of an 18th winner for the month. But for once he's not overflowing with confidence about the chances of Eternal Sunshine (5.45), Oriental Prince (7.15) or Midnight Lion (8.45) adding to Scotland's flying start under new captain Alex Steedman in last Thursday's League opener at Yamourth. Goldie said: 'I think it will be hard. But the prize money is that good, you have to have a go.' ED'S HEAD TURNER NORTHERN stalwarts David Chapman, David 'Dandy' Nicholls and Paul Midgley were all dubbed the Sprint King for a time. Winning jockey banned after 'extremely unusual' incident during controversial finish at Bath races Jim Goldie could probably argue a fair case why he could be too. But the title may be about to shift south for a stint given the firepower William Haggas has at his disposal in that department right now. Some major prizes are surely heading the Newmarket handler's way during the second half of the season. Elmonjed hoovered up a bumper pot at York last weekend and is chasing another in Saturday's Stewards' Cup. Almeraq and Binhareer blitzed their way up Ayr's straight in recent weeks in the manner of three-year-olds capable of cherry-picking their way through the ranks this autumn. Reinforced shelving for the Haggas trophy cabinet is presumably already on order. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
The Guardian
4 days ago
- The Guardian
‘That's horse racing': 150-1 Sussex Stakes winner Qirat longest-priced Group One victor
The teeth, perhaps, were slightly gritted, but Richard Hannon offered some perspective after watching his colt, Rosallion, finish second to the 150-1 shot Qirat in the Sussex Stakes here on Wednesday. 'That's horse racing,' the trainer said. 'That's what keeps us all in it. It's not a great day when you're second in these races but we're lucky to be part of them.' Mundane words like 'shock' and 'upset' do not come close to describing the result of this Group One contest, one of the most prestigious and prized events in the global racing calendar, which was won by a horse that finished 27th of 30 runners in the Royal Hunt Cup Handicap on his previous trip to the track. Qirat, as the stewards drily noted afterwards, 'appeared to show improved form compared with its previous run'. Ralph Beckett's gelding was widely assumed to be in the race simply to ensure an even pace before Field Of Gold, the 1-3 favourite and, like Qirat, in the colours of the Juddmonte operation, swept through the field to victory. It was, as it transpired, a rash assumption. The first part of the script played out much as expected, as Serengeti, the pacemaker for Aidan O'Brien's Henri Matisse, worked his way to the front after a slow start and then went clear with Qirat and Richard Kingscote in close attendance. At the point around two furlongs out where Field Of Gold was expected to start closing them down. However, it soon became clear that the favourite was struggling to make ground. Instead, it was Sean Levy, on Rosallion, who set off in pursuit of the leaders, but as Serengeti dropped away, Qirat stayed on well and he was still two lengths in front at the furlong pole. Rosallion closed all the way to the winning post but Kingscote and Qirat still had a neck to spare at the line. Qirat was the longest-priced winner of a Group One race in Britain since the grading system was introduced in the early 1970s. Field Of Gold was clearly a long way below his best on his first visit to this tricky downland track, but Kingscote also deserves great credit for a no-nonsense ride at a front-runners' track, in a race where his rivals left themselves with too much to do. Ralph Beckett, Qirat's trainer, was certainly surprised to find himself in the winner's enclosure afterwards, but not entirely astonished. 'We set out to go 12-second furlongs,' Beckett said. 'That was the plan and what he did. It is as simple as that. They didn't sit close to him and that is the end result. When he went past Serengeti, I could see they were not coming and I was fairly confident he would not stop.' Kingscote described the outcome as 'a bit surreal and not what I expected this morning' but the race was also a fine advertisement for his talent for judging the fractions in front, a gift that should find plenty of new fans when Kingscote sets off for a four-month stint in Hong Kong from the start of September. 'Towards the cut-away [around two furlongs out] I was thinking he was going well,' Kingscote said, 'but you always expect the horses rated 20lb higher to be coming through. 'It is better to be going off [to Hong Kong] on a positive note. I'm looking forward to the opportunity but I have not burned bridges so I can always come back if need be.' John Gosden, the trainer of Field Of Gold, said that the favourite 'didn't seem too well-balanced on the track', adding: 'He got a little unbalanced coming out of the dip into the bend, but I am not making any excuses. They ignored the pacemaker and paid the price.' The five-runner field for Thursday's Nassau Stakes is the joint-smallest this century for the Group One feature on the third day of Glorious Goodwood, but while Minding was a prohibitive 1-5 favourite to beat four opponents in 2016, this year's renewal is a fascinating and open contest with four closely matched fillies at single-figure odds. Whirl, the Oaks runner-up and a Group One winner in Ireland last time out, heads the three-year-old challenge alongside Cercene, last month's Coronation Stakes winner, and Bedtime Story, who is looking to recapture the form of her impressive juvenile success at Royal Ascot last summer. It is an impressive squad for the Classic generation, in a Group One where three-year-olds have enjoyed plenty of success in recent seasons. They face a stern four-year-old opponent in See The Fire (3.05), however, and Andrew Balding's filly is a solid 2-1 shot to improve on her narrow defeat in this race 12 months ago. See The Fire produced one of the most visually impressive performances of the season to finish a dozen lengths clear of her field in the Middleton Stakes at York in May in a fast time, and raced closer to the pace than the two that beat her in the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot last month. That run in open company confirmed that she is an improved performer this season and Ombudsman, the winner, went down only narrowly in the Eclipse next time out. Goodwood 1.20 Best Secret was a big-money buy to join the Wathnan Racing operation before Royal Ascot last month and repaid at least a little of the outlay when finishing third in a strong renewal of the Golden Gates Handicap, despite finding plenty of traffic problems in the home straight. If James Doyle can keep him out of trouble from stall two, his proven turn of foot could well be decisive. Goodwood 1.55 Clive Cox's Coppull was a big outsider for the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot but took a major stride forward to finish third, just a neck behind the runner-up, Do Or Do Not. The latter colt franked the form when finishing second to Zavateri, Tuesday's Vintage Stakes winner, next time up and Coppull has scope for significant further progress on just his third trip to the track. Goodwood 2.30 This is a much-anticipated step into Group-race company for Merchant, who beat Serious Contender, the subsequent runner-up in the Irish Derby, by a length in the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot last month. William Haggas's colt was among the initial entries for last weekend's Group One King George VI at Ascot and will be a warm order for this traditional trial for the St Leger at Doncaster in September. Goodwood 1.20 Best Secret (nb) 1.55 Coppull 2.30 Merchant 3.05 Sea The Fire 3.45 Ruby's Profit (nap) 4.20 Steel Drum 4.55 Quiescent 5.30 Kaleido Nottingham 2.18 Nebrook Star 2.53 Moby Quick 3.30 Dancingintherain 4.05 Mini Mac 4.40 Blenheim Lad 5.15 Dogged Wolverhampton 5.45 Intervention 6.15 Loving Apprentice 6.45 Chutzpal 7.15 Change Sings 7.45 Love Is The Law 8.15 Mr Swivell 8.45 Bint Al Daar Epsom 5.50 Etretat 6.25 Norfolk Blue 7.00 King's Castle 7.30 Brielle 8.00 Uncle Simon 8.30 Muscika Goodwood 3.45 Ascot's stiff final furlong was the undoing of Ruby's Profit at the Royal meeting last month but this return to a sharp five furlongs should see her in a much better light. The speedy front-runner was a course-and-distance winner in May off a 5lb lower mark and she remains well-handicapped on that form.
