Westridge powers clear in Chesterfield Cup

Leader Live

5 days ago

Trained by John and Thady Gosden and ridden by Billy Loughnane, the four-year-old has been faring well in handicaps recently and started a 6-1 chance in a field of 18.
From stall eight he hit his stride quickly and after a prominent passage through the race he took up the lead in the final furlong, then pulling clear of the chasing pack to score by an eventual three and a quarter lengths.
'He enjoyed the space around him today and Billy gave him a lovely ride. It is not easy in a big handicap field but he broke well and made use of him,' said John Gosden.
'He is owned by Glen Manchester, my wife and Nicholas Wrigley, so it's a proper partnership.
'We did have him in the July sales but wisely we chose to take him out three days before the sale, thank God we did that.
'He's a grand horse and he's done well, the handicapper will get him now but to win the Chesterfield Cup is a dream come true because Glen is very much Goodwood orientated.
'It'll have to be York now though I'm not sure which race, Mr Wrigley will demand it. Rachel is just the silent partner, she does whatever they want!'
Ruth Carr's Brazen Bolt made the long journey from Yorkshire to Sussex worthwhile with success in the Coral Golden Rewards Shaker Handicap, where he prevailed by a nose at 28-1 under Warren Fentiman.
Peter Furr, Doncaster-based winning owner-breeder, said: 'He has been an unbelievable horse. We have bred a few horses but nothing like him. He went to Bahrain and won last year and when he came back he was not very well.
'He had ulcers, a bad tummy, stress, everything. Me and my daughter got him back and had him on a nebuliser. We took him to Ruth this season and she has been fantastic.
'We didn't expect to win at York last time and we came here today thinking it would be really firm ground and when it wasn't we didn't expect this again. It doesn't happen to people like us.'
Stellar Sunrise got off the mark for Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy in the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes.
The Space Blues colt had been placed in both starts prior to his Goodwood run, and that experience served him well as he came to the fore at 6-1 to win by a length and a quarter from evens favourite Naval Light.
'He had the experience, and I think the draw helped as well,' said Balding.
'He was given an astute ride, as the stands rail was definitely an advantage in a big field with these younger horses.
'He'd shown a fair level of form in his previous races, but he's getting more streetwise and he was very professional today.
'We'll look at nurseries now and we'll find out more next Tuesday (when he is given a rating).'
Roger Varian's Protest built on recent Listed efforts to make a winning handicap debut in the Ridgeview Fillies' Handicap over a mile.
The Cheveley Park Stud owned and bred chestnut struck at 11-2, steered by Silvestre de Sousa to a one-length win.