News from Stewards' Cup day at Glorious Goodwood

Andrew Balding's glorious week continued when the Sussex Stakes-winning trainer struck with Scorching Heat in the Qatar Stewards' Sprint Handicap.

Oisin Murphy, who picked up a ban earlier in the week, showed his confidence was not dented as he rode a cool race on the 9/2 favourite in the consolation race for the Stewards' Cup.

Scorching Heat picked up pace-setting The Wagon Wheel when he liked and shot clear to score from Tommy G (14/1), who stayed on to get with three-quarters of a length of the cosy winner at the line.

There was another length back to Son Of Africa in third, with Royal Brave a head away in fourth.

Scorching Heat made a winning reappearance but had suffered a frustrating sequence since, finishing second twice and third but proved that he was still on an upward curve in picking up the £46,687.50 first prize.

Balding said: "He is a great horse. He is tough and loves this ground. He would have a chance in an Ayr Gold Cup, but he won't get in that this year but he might get in the Silver Cup now.

"I was delighted he got in the race, as I didn't for a second think he would get in it.

"He needs a strongly-run race and amazingly he has not been able to get cover before today, apart from when he won. He needs things to fall right in front of him. It is difficult conditions today and hard to make up ground. If they are there with a chance a furlong out it will take a good one to get past them."

The first four finished in the middle of the track, and Murphy, who rode the winner in the colours of Qatar Racing, said: "I didn't know where the best ground would be, but when I cantered to the start I noticed tyre tracks or something similar in the middle, as though Jeeps had been there, and I just thought any divots that would be there might have been knocked down.

"I've no idea if that's the best place to be, but that's where I went.

"It's great to ride a winner for Qatar Racing [he is retained as that organisation's first-choice rider] and also for Andrew Balding. It's a big team effort, and the staff put up with times when the horses are running good and bad - it's fantastic they are being rewarded with winners during this big meeting."

Jim Goldie, a former winning trainer of the Qatar Stewards' Cup, trained unner-up Tommy G. The Scotsman, after washing down the horse himself, said: "He finished third last time at Ascot and second here now, we can't complain about that.

"The plan was to come up the middle and I think that was the right decision. I have been following apprentice David [Egan's] career so I was delighted to put him up and he gave Tommy G a lovely ride. The horse coped with the ground well, and with another half furlong we might have got to the winner, but then again another horse might have got to us!

"I am amazed with the ground, I couldn't believe how good it was when I walked it this morning - they have done a fabulous job, all credit to the staff here."

Henry Candy, trainer of the third-placed Son Of Africa, said: "He's run well and we are delighted, he has to be held up like that and come with a run. He's got through the ground, I think that bit of rain at lunchtime has helped loosen things up."

Soldier In Action battled on bravely to get up in the shadow of the post to claim the Qatar Summer Handicap.

The top-weight came with a rattling run in the centre of the course under Silvestre de Sousa to give trainer Mark Johnston another winner at his happy hunting ground.

Soldier In Action (11/1) snatched victory from Blakeney Point and Getback To Paris by a head and a short head, in a thrilling finish to the mile-and-three-quarter test.

Johnston said: "I thought a furlong and a half out he had come to win, then I definitely thought he wasn't going to win it as the others picked up again in front. It is just fantastic when you get a finish like that over a mile and three quarters.

"He will probably go to the Ebor. We don't think his best form is on firm ground, we thought the ground was a plus today. He took a while to recover from going over hurdles (with Nicky Henderson). He lost an awful lot of weight and it took a while to get him back on form. He is having a great season now."

Owner Alan Spence said: "I thought he was going to win quite easily a furlong and a half out, then just when he got there the others did a quick burst. I didn't think he had won by a head, I thought it was shorter.

"He is better with a bit of cut in the ground and now we just want a bit of soft ground at York for the Ebor, as that is the logical race."

Soldier In Action is a 16/1 chance with Sky Bet for the Ebor, alongside runner-up Blakeney Point but connections fear the latter won't make the final cut.

Roger Charlton, the Sir Percy gelding's trainer, was left with a feeling of frustration at the end of the race.

"I am pleased, but frustrated to be mugged at the end." said Charlton.

"Had he won he would probably got into the Ebor and now I don't think he will - so double frustration. "At least we picked up good prize money for second. He has run another good race."

Jockey Kieran Shoemark, who rode the 12/1 chance, added: "He ran very well. They didn't go particularly quick which suited him. He got away with the ground but he would be more effective on better ground. I didn't really want to hit the front too soon - I was probably there a fraction early and he idled a little bit in front."

Dee Ex Bee made a winning debut to give Johnston and De Sousa a double on the day in the Qatar EBF Stallions Maiden Stakes.

The son of Farhh enjoyed a nice lead early on and had enough in hand to see off fellow 5/2 joint-favourite Bathsheba Bay by two and a quarter lengths.

The first two pulled four and half lengths clear of Capital Flight in third.

Johnston said: "He's a very good-looking horse and he's been working very well at home. He was a little bit green as you'd expect first time out. Silvestre asked me beforehand if he needed a lead and I said: "What does he need a lead for?

"We don't tend to bring them down here first time out unless they are going well at home, so it's great to have two winners from three first-time-out runners."

Johnston will consider the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster next month for Dee Ex Bee, although he acknowledges it would be asking a lot.

"The Champagne Stakes is a possibility, but I would not also rule out going further," said the Middleham traaner.

"It is a big step up from the maiden to the Champagne."

Bathsheba Bay, the two and a quarter length second, pleased his trainer Richard Hannon with the performance, who said: "I am delighted, he has run a lovely race. I thought he was going to go there and win but he just got a little bit tired in the ground.

"We are entered for the Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction race and I think we will go there."

Ryan Moore, the son of Footstepsinthesand's jockey, added: "I would say the winner is quite good."

Paul Cole, the trainer of the third, Capital Flight who was a further four and a half lengths back, said; "He never got into the race. He just got bumped and knocked over and stopped and this that and the other.

"He is a nice horse, very nice. We will try and win a maiden with him in about three and a half weeks. He is a big scopey horse with a pedigree and he has managed to finish third despite everything!

"He should go on from here and he would be one to follow."

De Sousa completed a 188/1 treble when driving home Battered to grab victory on the line in the Qatar Handicap.

Hayley Turner made the running on Sir Titan and looked set to score, but De Sousa would not be denied on the William Haggas-trained gelding, who got up to grab the verdict by a head.

De Sousa said: "It's been a good day's work. I've been lucky to have three good rides today. First-time blinkers worked well. He is a bit tricky. He was wondering around, but he got the work done and put the effort in."

Storm King (25/1) overcame a wide berth from stall 16 to bring the curtain down on the 2017 Qatar Goodwood Festival with victory in the Federation Of Bloodstock Agents Handicap.

Edward Greatrex took David Griffiths' eight-year-old to the front after Interconnection had made the early running.

Storm King proved a game conveyance as he kept on strongly to hold the 5/2 favourite Born To Be Alive by half a length. Boots And Spurs was two and three-quarter lengths away in third, with Interconnection fourth.

Griffiths said: "I expected him to run well but thought that the ground might have gone against him - his last two runs were on the top of the ground. We will see how he is when we get back but there are some good handicaps at the Ebor meeting at York. Hopefully, he will keep on running and winning.

"The plan was to get a lead but he jumped so quick that he just sat out there, and then he pulled out again at the end. It has always been lucky for us down here. We have had a few places this week but no winners yet, so this was the icing on the cake.

"We had our first winner here with Take Cover in the King George Stakes in 2014 and, since then, it has been a really lucky meeting for us. Hopefully, it keeps going."

Greatrex added: "He got it easy in front. He deserves that to be fair. It's lucky that he jumps quick as it gave me the opportunity to get across and get a lead. I have ridden him once before at Epsom and it was the wrong way round for him - he took a grip and I could never get a breather into him.

"He travelled well today. He turned in, we have done our own thing from three furlongs down and it has paid off.

"We didn't go quickly. Stephen Cummins, who made the running, gave his horse a lovely ride - he didn't go quick and set it up brilliantly so that everyone had a chance, especially in the first five or six. It went to plan, anyway.

"Hopefully, this will open a few doors now."