Review of the action from day two of the Qatar Goodwood Festival

Group One delight for Spear

Lightning Spear finally claimed a long-overdue Group One success in the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

A field of eight runners went to post and much of the attention was on the three-year-olds Without Parole and Expert Eye, following their respective triumphs at Royal Ascot.

With Andrea Atzeni deputising in the saddle for the suspended Frankie Dettori, the previously unbeaten Without Parole was the 7-4 favourite to follow up his victory in the St James's Palace Stakes and found himself in front at an early stage.

Expert Eye, who was supplemented for the Sussex off the back of an impressive win in the Jersey Stakes, was always on his tail as they went just a steady pace and that pair, along with Beat The Bank, were the first to commit for home.

Without Parole weakened out of contention disappointingly, but Expert Eye stuck to his guns for James Doyle and held a narrow advantage over Beat The Bank entering the final furlong.

However, David Simcock's 9-1 shot Lightning Spear - who had been narrowly beaten in the Lockinge at Newbury and the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot on his previous two starts this season - found a gap between the pair and powered home under a jubilant Oisin Murphy.

Expert Eye was best of the rest in second, with Lord Glitters flying home to grab third.

Murphy told ITV Racing: "I never ever get nervous before Group Ones, but I was nervous today and was trying to hide it down at the start. He's deserved to win a major Group One.

"He loves travelling behind heels and I was sure Expert Eye was going to fade away at some stage. What a horse, what a training performance. At seven years of age, outstanding."

David Simcock said: "I'm delighted with Lightning Spear. He looked good today, quickened well and travelled well - he did everything properly. Oisin has grown up with the horse, he is a very confident jockey and he was very patient waiting for the gap today. Sheikh Fahad loves this horse and he will be absolutely delighted. Unfortunately, he can't be here today, but he'll be made up.

"Lightning Spear has done very little wrong apart from win a Group One up until now. He is a lovely horse to train and a lot of work goes into him. He has placed in six Group Ones I think and has never really let us down, though he was little bit inconsistent last season. To win a Group One is not easy and you have to accept it.

"Lightning Spear is a wonderful horse and is very talented. To win a Group One is extra special. He was going really well and I thought if he got a gap he would win. They didn't go much of a pace, but that did not really matter. You are trying something different all the time, trying to change something. To see him fill up and quicken up like that was great, and it is the horse we see at home an awful lot. It is just getting it all to click, with that little bit of luck that we haven't had at times.

"Oisin had no instructions. Sit where you land and do your own thing. Oisin loves the horse and has confidence in the horse. We felt we were slightly robbed at Newbury, if anything, so this more than makes up for it. Oisin knows him very well and he can ride the horse as you like now.

"I am just really pleased for the horse. More pleased for the horse than anybody. It is great for Sheikh Fahad, the Qatar Racing team, the yard, but for the horse to get his Group One like that is great. It's nice to win at Glorious Goodwood and any Group One victory is great. He has run just twice out of Group One company for me and won two Group Two events, so he has always had to run in Group Ones really.

"He has probably had his knockers, slightly unfairly I feel and so to win a Group One is great. Lightning Spear has come across some very good horses. This year, if we are being honest, there is probably not an outstanding horse in the mile division and so it has been his time. He wasn't any better or any worse when he was running in these races even two years ago. Eventually, you will come across a year where things go your way and he just looked really good today. He had everything pan out perfectly for him today.

"I do as I'm told with this horse as Jenny [Simcock's wife] rides him every day and she does a wonderful job with him. I don't think Lightning Spear would be here today without her.

"He was quite headstrong and fiery when we got him and now he is just the nicest person and very straightforward to ride. Jenny is a special part of the whole thing. Jenny and my children are so fond of him and he is just a very special horse to have in the yard."

Rumble delivers knockout blow

Rumble Inthejungle was a decisive winner of the Markel Insurance Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood.

A winner on his racecourse debut at Salisbury in May, Richard Spencer's juvenile was last seen finishing a creditable fourth behind American raider Shang Shang Shang in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot. He was a 5-1 chance to follow in the hoofprints of his sire Bungle Inthejungle, who claimed this five-furlong Group Three in 2012, and travelled strongly into the lead at the halfway stage.

His rivals did their best to get on terms late on, but Rumble Inthejungle had plenty in hand and passed the post two and a half lengths clear in the hands of Tom Queally. Life Of Riley filled the runner-up spot, with 6-4 favourite Soldier's Call having to make do with minor honours in third in his bid to follow up his triumph in Royal Ascot's Windsor Castle Stakes.

Spencer said: "He's a good horse. I thought at Ascot, if we'd have had another (previous) run, he'd have gone close. It's a massive step forward and Tom gave him a lovely ride. He's very quick, but I think he'll get an extra furlong. He's not just an out-and-out five-(furlong) horse. He's got multiple entries in the sales races, but we'll speak to all the owners and try to hatch a plan. He's got a bright future."

Spencer will also consider running Rumble Inthejungle in the Gimcrack Stakes at York on August 24, but firstly intends to enjoy the occasion.

He added: "We will have a big party tonight. There's a chip shop in Newmarket called Rumbles and I regularly visit it. Hopefully they've backed him and I can have free fish and chips for the yard. He will have all those sort of entries (Gimcrack) and he will be going to be a big stage. He deserves it, as he's a good horse."

Novice chase next for Lil winner

Top-class staying hurdler Lil Rockerfeller made a successful return to the Flat with a dominant display in the Matchbook Betting Podcast Goodwood Handicap.

Neil King's stable star is a dual Grade Two winner over timber and was only narrowly beaten by Nichols Canyon when runner-up in the Stayers' Hurdle at the 2017 Cheltenham Festival.

Having his first outing on the level in over three years, Lil Rockerfeller was running off a mark of 81 - some 71lb lower than his hurdle ratting - and he was the 11-4 favourite to strike gold under champion jockey Silvestre de Sousa.

The seven-year-old raced on the pace from the start of the two-and-a-half-mile contest - which began with a flag start - and De Sousa committed for home long before the final bend.

Lil Rockerfeller kicked again halfway up the straight and left his toiling rivals trailing in his wake, passing the post 15 lengths ahead of Altaayil, with Imphal a close-up third. Despite the ease of Lil Rockerfeller's success, King is keen to embark upon a novice chasing career with the seven-year-old.

The Wiltshire handler said: "It was a joy to watch. He's had a long summer and Andy Smith, one of his joint-owners, has been hell-bet on winning this race since last year. The trouble with the Flat, he will not go in the starting stalls and he's too nice a horse to battle with. He's such a good hurdler - he'll be a better novice chaser this year. He's hard and fit and ready to get to war when the races are there."

"Fifteen lengths must be a record here. It was a fantastic effort from him. I enjoy winning the big Flat races like my neighbour, Alan (King) does. It's lovely to have a horse like him to do it. Let's hope we have a nice novice chase season with him and hope we end up there (Cheltenham) with him."

The stewards looked into De Sousa's use of the whip, and ruled he had used it when clearly winning inside the final furlong. He was suspended for two days as a result.

Sizzler lunges late

Soto Sizzler lunged late to spring a surprise in the Move Over To Matchbook Handicap.

Market principals Corgi (5-2 favourite) and Making Miracles (4-1) settled down to fight it out entering the final furlong of the mile-and-a-half contest, but William Knight's 20-1 chance Soto Sizzler picked them both off late on in the hands of Jimmy Quinn.

Corgi was a length away in second, with Making Miracles third.

Quinn, 51, said: "The good ones get you out of trouble and make you look good.

"He was progressing with every start. There was a slight worry about the ground, but he's coped with it well."

Knight, who is based in nearby Littlehampton, said: "I've loved this horse all along. He is a lovely horse and he is only going to get better with time. He will probably get further in time, but he has always been the apple of my eye. He was backward last year and he couldn't get out of his own way on the gallops last year.

"I spoke to the owner in the middle of the summer last year and I said, 'I just need to chuck him out in a field', and that has been the making of him. I don't see any need to go up in trip. I think he is a proper horse, but he will probably won't show his best until next year."

Owner Ian Heseltine said: "He's getting better by the week. I had a couple of hundred quid each-way on him. I think we could have a sherbert or two!"

Glorious a 125-1 winner

Feel Glorious was a shock 125-1 winner of the Victoria Racing Club Maiden Fillies' Stakes.

George Baker's youngster looked to face a huge task having finished fourth and eighth on her previous two starts, but burst through to lead in the final furlong and had just enough in reserve to hold the fast-finishing 4-1 favourite Alhakmah at bay.

Baker said: "She's a lovely filly and disappointed me last time at Kempton.

"I thought if she finished mid-div in a hot race like this I'd be delighted.

"She's been one of these horses that have been just bubbling under, but I knew she'd run a nice race.

"There's a bit of class there. We won't go and do anything mad with her.

"She's not fully furnished and will be a lovely horse for next year."

Mick Channon and Andrea Atzeni combined to win the EBF Breeders' Series Fillies' Handicap with 11-1 shot Caravela.

Channon said: "We've always thought a bit of her. She hasn't been the easiest to train - she's had a few niggles - but she's coming good now."

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