Godolphin finally ended a frustrating wait for a winner at Glorious Goodwood when Into The Light produced a thrilling late surge to land The Tote Handicap under William Buick on Day Four of the prestigious meeting.
Into The Light defeated Devil’s Peak, ridden by former Godolphin retained jockey James Doyle, in a race that provided a welcome boost for the famous blue silks at a meeting where winning has become synonymous with the Dubai-owned stable.
There was also a strong Middle Eastern influence elsewhere on the card, with Qatar-based owners Wathnan Racing enjoying another memorable Goodwood Festival with a bagful of five wins.
On Friday, a horse called Archivist, who spent part of the winter competing at Meydan during the Dubai Racing Carnival, demonstrated perfectly how international campaigns can prepare horses for major assignments.
After gaining valuable experience in Dubai, which included a victory in the Phi Advertising (Handicap) on turf, Archivist returned to Britain and produced a career-best performance to capture the valuable Golden Mile (Heritage Handicap).
Trained by talented Qatari handler Hamad Al Jehani, the four-year-old son of Godolphin’s superstar stallion Dubawi showed tremendous resilience after disappointing when favourite for the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot, where he finished well down the field in a large and competitive field.
Archivist had previously shown his ability in Dubai, finishing third in the Lord Glitters Handicap sponsored by Azizi Developments before defeating three Charlie Appleby-trained runners, Indian Springs, Cavallo Bay and King’s Charter, in a handicap success that highlighted his progress.
His Goodwood victory was a superb piece of training by Al Jehani, who had three runners in the race and saw Archivist emerge as the star performer. Under a confident ride from British jockey Callum Rodriguez, the gelding travelled strongly before powering clear to defeat Cerulean Bay.
Archivist’s victory carried extra significance for Qatari owners Wathnan Racing, whose growing international presence has been built around identifying and developing horses capable of competing on the global stage. His journey through the Dubai Racing Carnival at Meydan provided valuable experience before returning to Britain for major summer targets.
Archivist’s success was a reminder of the strength of that international pathway that Meydan has become, where horses can test themselves against international competition, gain experience and return better prepared for some of Europe’s biggest race meetings, like Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood and the Ebor at York.
Al Jehani was delighted with the performance, and said: I knew that he would place very well and between my three runners I would have chosen him as the winner today.
“Callum gave him a great ride, and I think it was important in the end why we are the winner in the end.
“It’s really important for us to have a winner at the Qatar Goodwood Festival. We are very happy with the result, for sure.”
There was heartbreak by the narrowest of margins for the connections of Boiling Point, owned by the executors of the late Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, another prominent Dubai racing figure who passed away last December. The horse was just denied victory in the Bentinck Conditions Stakes, finishing second behind Galen, who was ridden by champion jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle.
Dubai connections were also represented in the British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies’ Handicap, where Lady Dora Mae, ridden by exciting young jockey Billy Loughnane, finished runner-up behind Silver Lake.
Meanwhile, attention now turns towards Saturday when veteran star Al Aasy bids for a remarkable third consecutive victory in the Coral Glorious Stakes. The William Haggas-trained nine-year-old, owned by Shadwell, the operation founded by the late Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, former Deputy Ruler of Dubai, arrives in excellent form after a recent Listed success at Beverley.
Shadwell racing manager Angus Gold believes Al Aasy still retains his enthusiasm and ability, saying the horse appears to have all the conditions in his favour as he returns to a course where he has enjoyed so much success.
Source: Khaleej Times