We take a look at the possible task facing Gregory in the Group 1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup if he attempts to become just the second three-year-old to win the race since 1990.
Three-year-olds and the Goodwood Cup
It’s a quiet week in the world of racing, Weatherbys Super Sprint week, but Glorious Goodwood, or the Qatar Goodwood Festival to give it its modern moniker, is just a fortnight away, and the most interesting news story of the last few days has been the indication from Wathnan Racing that it is their three-year-old, Gregory, and not their Gold Cup winner, Courage Mon Ami, that is most likely to tackle the Group 1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup in Sussex next month.
Interesting because a three-year-old Goodwood Cup winner has become a real rarity despite an attractive weight-for-age concession. The race can fall in either late July or early August; in July the three-year-olds get 15lb, in August they get 13lb, this year the race is on August 1 so it’s 13lb, but either way, considering that, it is surprising that there has only been one three-year-old winner of the Goodwood Cup in the last 32 years.
It hasn’t always been the way. Between 1850 and 1900 there were 21 three-year-olds who won the Goodwood Cup, although horses like The Bard didn’t even have to beat another rival, while 16 three-year-olds won the Goodwood Cup in the 20th century, from Fortunatus in 1901 to Lucky Moon in 1990. It was run over two-and-a-half miles then, though, the race cut to its existing distance of two miles a year later in 1991.
The one three-year-old winner of the race since it was reduced to two miles is of course Stradivarius in 2017, that wonderful son of Sea The Stars who added three more Goodwood Cups to his trophy cabinet before he retired. His last two triumphs in the race, in 2019 and 2020, saw him fend off some choice three-year-olds himself, including a Queen’s Vase winner in Dashing Willoughby and an Irish Derby winner in Santiago, further enhancing his own legacy as a supreme stayer.
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3yos to have run in Goodwood Cup this century and pre-race Timeform ratings
- 2001 – Double Honour, Mark Johnston (TF 110) 2nd
- 2001 – Bosham Mill, Geoff Wragg (TF 109) 7th
- 2002 – Charley Bates, John Gosden (TF 107) 3rd
- 2005 – Hearthstead Wings, Mark Johnston (TF 108?) 6th
- 2007 – Veracity, Michael Jarvis (TF 100+) 2nd
- 2013 – Mister Impatience, Mark Johnston (TF 103) 11th
- 2015 – Vive Ma Fille, Mark Johnston (TF 93) 5th
- 2016 – Sword Fighter, Aidan O’Brien (TF 112) 5th
- 2017 – Stradivarius, John Gosden (TF 111p) 1st
- 2017 – Desert Skyline, David Elsworth (TF 110) 3rd
- 2019 – Dashing Willoughby, Andrew Balding (TF 115) 5th
- 2019 – South Pacific, Aidan O’Brien (TF 108p) 6th
- 2019 – Harpo Max, Aidan O’Brien (TF 101) 7th
- 2020 – Santiago, Aidan O’Brien (TF 118p) 3rd
A total of 14 three-year-olds have run in the Goodwood Cup this century and although John Gosden’s Stradivarius is the only winner five of them finished in the top three, including Gosden’s only other qualifier, Charley Bates, with Double Honour and Veracity both finishing second for Mark Johnston and Michael Jarvis, respectively.
Gosden’s previous success with a three-year-old in the Goodwood Cup is a positive for Gregory and it’s not the only one. His Timeform rating of 116p has only been bettered by one three-year-old going into the Goodwood Cup this century and that was the 118p awarded to Santiago following his Irish Derby win in 2020. He ran well in Sussex, but had no answer to Stradivarius’ finishing kick and he couldn’t get by the tough front-running older horse Nayef Road, either, finishing third.
“I don’t think three-year-olds have an enormous advantage,” so said Gosden after Stradivarius had just won his first Goodwood Cup, aged three.
“You can’t come and do it without a proper horse. I am always frightened when you take on the older horses with a three-year-old in a race like this. I thought he’d run well but not necessarily winning. He has a good turn of foot, which is a good weapon in a two-mile race.”
Gregory could well fit into the ‘proper horse’ category. Unbeaten in three starts since making his racecourse debut just at the end of April, he had to dig deep to see off Saint George in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot but he did so impressively, shaping every inch like a horse that will improve again granted a greater test of stamina. Indeed, he pulled out more from the furlong pole when challenged strongly by the runner-up.
Saint George is in the Goodwood Cup, too, and could reoppose, although his trainer Andrew Balding also has a more established stayer for the race in Coltrane, while Aidan O’Brien has six three-year-olds in the race at the current entry stage, including Adelaide River and Tower Of London. James Ferguson’s 89-rated Land Legend is the only other three-year-old in the race.
Can Gregory strike for the three-year-olds at Goodwood?
After Paddington won the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown and Shaquille landed the July Cup at Newmarket it has been a good start for the three-year-olds in their assignments against the older horses. The King George on Saturday week will likely offer the next clue and after that it’s Goodwood and Gregory’s possible quest for glory on the opening day, Tuesday August 1.
There’s no doubt he’s an exciting stayer with his 5/2 St Leger quotes looking justified and the good thing about Goodwood is there could even be more to come now he steps up to two miles. He’s got course experience in his back pocket, too, having sauntered to the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes at the track on his second start.
The worry would be his lack of experience against seasoned stayers, this will just be his fourth start, while you wouldn’t say he was from the Stradivarius mould. That horse’s turn of foot gave him a potent weapon in this type of contest throughout his career, while Gregory looks more like a traditional stayer who will grind his opposition into submission.
With that in mind I wouldn’t be rushing to get involved at 2/1, his new general price since the target was revealed, as he might not be much shorter come the day when conditions and opposition are known. That said, his likely appearance in the Goodwood Cup is an exciting prospect as the Classic generation of 2023 continue to punch upwards against their elders.
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