A review of the action and free video replays from Saturday at the Qatar Goodwood Festival

Rock castles rivals

Hopewell Rock finally began to show some of that promise he had displayed in his younger days when taking a step up in trip in his stride with victory in the Highclere Castle Gin Summer Handicap at Goodwood.

The gelded son of New Bay arrived at the track without a win to his name since claiming victory in a heavy ground novice contest at Bath back in October 2024, which was the second of two victories he posted as a two year old.

Although things failed to go right for him when well fancied for the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot there was to be no such frustration on his first attempt over a mile and three quarters.

Anchored near the rear of the field early on, the George Boughey-trained 5/1 chance travelled well into the race before striking the front and making his move for home inside the two furlong pole.

Despite Small Fry charging hard at the line he had no answers to Hopewell Rock, who crossed with three quarters of a length to spare.

Boughey said: “For some reason he didn’t turn up at Ascot. He travelled away nicely into it, but he didn’t seem to finish. We were hopeful, if he was at his best, as he looked very well out in the back ring.

“It wasn’t a surprise as although he wasn’t well handicapped off his mark I thought he would be competitive.

“He is a horse for a long time that cup races we have been working back from. He has been patiently ridden, and trained, and I hope that pays dividends going forward.

"He is a horse we bought as a yearling and he is now learning his craft as a four year old. I think there is a lot more ahead of him."

Following the race Hopewell Rock was trimmed into 12/1 from 16/1 for the Sky Bet Ebor Handicap at York next month which is likely to be next on the agenda ahead of a potential trip to the Melbourne Cup in November.

Boughey added: “I think the Melbourne Cup is a lofty target, but it is something that comes into the reckoning. I remember James McDonald saying a couple of years ago when are you bringing one down, and when he was owned by Sheikh Obaid I kind of earmarked him as one who could go down there. He is a very straightforward and sound animal.

“Ryan said he loved the hustle and bustle, so a race like that would suit him, but he has got to step up again. He is in the Ebor and at the moment York is a pretty natural stepping point.”

Unfortunately there was no ghost mode for me

Ghost Mode (9/2) steered an errant passage en route to winning the Phase Eight Handicap.

Rob Hornby was happy to slot into a handy position aboard Andrew Balding's charge after jumping well but soon found himself looking for company with a quarter of a mile to run, something Ghost Mode took it upon himself to do.

He wasn't the only runner who looked ill at ease on the downhill track with 11/8 favourite and eventual third We're Goosers also running around but Ghost Mode did his rivals no favours, earning Hornby an invite to the stewards room.

Ironwill chased him home but, crucially, at a distance of a length and a quarter and he, too, found early trouble, taking a bend on the wrong lead and going wide but he came back into the race moving nicely and Marco Ghiani felt he would have given the winner something to think about but for the interference.

Balding said: “He’s a very talented horse and it’s taken time to get him to settle and relax.

"We dropped him right back to five furlongs at one stage – he was trying to do everything in a hurry – but I am so pleased for Rex Gorell and Michael Blencowe. They have been so patient. We have spent a bit of time trying to work him out, and it was a good job from Rob Hornby.

“He tends to get a little lonely and was lugging left-handed, but I think we were clear enough not to worry.”

Hornby added: "He's talented. I was really pleased when Andrew put me up on this lad, he broke the track record at Chester which is no mean feat, and had a really good two-year-old year. He got off to a good start the start of the year but then he's not really found his groove.

"The set up today was quite nice with a similar sort of draw, he can be a bit keen, but I knew I could just land him there without having to find a position. He went down super relaxed, he's growing up all the time, and I landed there at the two and a half pole and thought 'oh god, I need a bit of help here' but his quality has got him through that, he's had a wander around, pulling up, the horse came to me and he went again.

"I could probably have been a row further back today but from that draw I was just happy to land him there and it's great for Michael [Blencowe, joint-owner] and a big thanks for putting me up. Not a lot you can do as a rider, you've just got to try and focus his energy on going forwards as well as correcting him up. He won convincingly in the end and he's gone and had a look at the crowd and he's shown that he's got a bit more in there really.

"Unfortunately there was no ghost mode for me, they [the stewards] collared me. It's hard. I've been using my whip in my left hand, I've tried to correct him, I've tried to win the race for his owners and it's unfortunate when I'm trying to steer a half a tonne beast. I'll see what they say.

"He's one of those I think now he's got his head back in front he'll get all the attention, think he's a winner again and he'll step forward. In fairness, on paper, I was looking through and if he turned up he was better than these on the day so let's hope he can step up in class again and give Michael some nice days out."

The stewards looked into two incidents and found both to be accidental, therefore issuing no suspensions.

You're da man!

Richard Hannon saddled his second maiden winner of the week as Rafe's Da Man (12/1) made the best of his way home in the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes.

The most experienced runner in the line-up after three starts, Rafe's Da Man travelled well for Pat Dobbs who pulled his mount out with two furlongs to run to challenge the race leader, and eventual second, the twice-raced Charted Course.

Dobbs needed to keep Rafe's Da Man up to his work in the closing stages but his charge responded willingly, winning a shade cosily.

Speyside was third at 40/1 while several of the newcomers caught the eye in behind.

It was a third winner of Glorious Goodwood for Hannon and a second for Dobbs who said: "At home he's very relaxed, when he gets to the races he lights up a bit, typical Ghaiyyath.

"He was keen the first day, Lingfield probably wouldn't have been the right track for him on grass, he's quite leggy, and then, I don't know who rode him second time, but I got him third time and the plan was to get his head down in behind and relax; he's getting there slowly. He's a good horse, he's always worked like a nice horse, there's plenty left in there, he's still quite raw.

"From a low draw with plenty of horses in it, I didn't want to drop out too far to get him relaxed. The draw worked out nice. He jumped quick and I was delighted when Jamie (Spencer) took it up so I got his head in behind and he relaxed a little bit. He travelled super, he's got a high cruising speed and he still doesn't know how to let down and gallop properly so there's plenty, hopefully, left in him."

Hannon added: "Always liked the horse but he's a Ghaiyyath; immensely talented but he was a little bit crazy, wanted it all too quickly and today he relaxed, he showed signs that he was going to do that last time at Newbury but he's a pretty good horse.

"Today, I think, he's proved that he's grown up and he did that last time as well. It's all about next year really, there's a lot of daylight underneath him and he's always had a lot of scope. He's grown up now so I wouldn't be in a huge rush to rush him into the big stuff yet but the way he's improving nothing is out of the question.

"We're very happy he's won today, winners here are huge."

Marquand pulls it out of the Fire

They met all sorts of trouble in running in the Coral Rewards Shaker Handicap but Crest Of Fire (10/3 joint-favourite) and Tom Marquand forced their way out in the nick of time.

The progressive three-year-old, trained by Jack Channon who had hit the crossbar a couple of times this week, was buried in the pack as the race developed deep into the closing stages.

Crest Of Fire was brave to nudge his way out into the clear as he and Boyfriend set sail for home, shoulder to shoulder.

There was little to separate the pair as they dashed for the line with Crest of Fire emerging on top by a neck with only half a length back to the other joint-favourite, and another three-year-old, in Blue Courvoisier as the curtain came down on Glorious Goodwood in typically thrilling fashion.

Channon was at a wedding but was represented on the course by his assistant trainer of six months, Joe Tuite, who used to work for his father, Mick.

"The winner's enclosure at Glorious Goodwood is a great place to be, it's a hard place to get to but it's a great place to be," Tuite said.

"Bit of trouble at the end, squeaky bum finish but he got there, he got there.

"We can't believe he got beat last time and the winner (Ciarrai Abu) that beat him won here the other day, the form was franked so we thought we came with a great chance. He's a nice horse, progressive still I think.

"I'd say that trip, a mile one, possibly a mile two, some of the good handicaps, he's a fair horse that hasn't been capped yet. He'd probably appreciate a bit of cut in the ground too, I'm sure he would. He's just a nice horse. You just hope they keep progressing, you don't know where it's going to stop."

More from Sporting Life

• Free bets
• Racecards
• Fast results
• Full results and free video replays
• Horse racing news
• Horse racing tips
• Horse racing features
• Download our free iOS and Android app
• Football and other sports tips
• Podcasts and video content

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.al

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.