Ben Linfoot unpicks the result of the Qatar Sussex Stakes and wonders whether Marcus Tregoning will explore solely turning track options for new superstar Mohaather.
With a three-time Group One winner in second, an Irish 2000 Guineas winner in third and an unlucky-in-running 2000 Guineas winner in fourth, the 2020 Qatar Sussex Stakes looks a seriously hot piece of form.
The mile division has somewhat lacked a superstar in recent years, arguably since Kingman, but Goodwood may well have found one again in Marcus Tregoning’s MOHAATHER who dismissed a quality field with a classy performance.
With the Coral-Eclipse not open to three-year-olds this year and the King George not attracting any, this was the first top-class clash of the generations and it could hardly have attracted a better field, with perhaps only Palace Pier and Pinatubo missing from the party.
In the end it was the older horses that held sway, with four-year-olds finishing first and second, but in an enthralling contest the pick of the Classic generation finished close-up behind in third and fourth with connections of Kameko left to dwell on what might have been.
The depth of the race is unquestionable and what promised to be an intriguing race tactically didn’t disappoint.
Kameko showed smart gate speed and broke well, but he was quickly joined up front by Circus Maximus, who went on to lead. His stablemate, Vatican City, sat in second, with Kameko settled third.
Behind the leaders we had Mohaather and Wichita in fourth and fifth with San Donato and Siskin held up in the rear. Siskin was a little keen early on, but he soon relaxed and travelled well under Colin Keane.
Two furlongs out the race developed in earnest. Siskin looked to be going best of all and traded at 1.41 in-running on Betfair. Circus Maximus, with all the determination and grit we’ve come to expect of him, stuck to his task well on the rail and traded odds-on in the run himself.
Mohaather had travelled sweetly for Jim Crowley who had got plenty of cover and had the perfect run. Two furlongs out he dropped to last, though, with Crowley peeling off from the pack and switching him to the wide outside. He was going to have to do it the hard way.
At the same time Oisin Murphy stuck to the rail on Kameko, but with Circus Maximus not giving up that position for anyone, and Vatican City going wrong in front of him, with Wichita on his flank, he suddenly had nowhere to go.
Murphy was critical of himself afterwards, saying it was jockey error, but such unfortunate cards are often dealt at Goodwood.
As Murphy accepted his fate, Crowley surged to the front on Mohaather, a miler with wicked zip. His sire, Showcasing, is a strong influence of speed, as his most successful progeny; the sprinters Quiet Reflection, Tasleet and Advertise, err, advertise.
But Mohaather is now his best horse and his acceleration is his most potent weapon. With so few miles on the clock, partly because of the stress fracture that ruled him out of last year’s 2000 Guineas, he could become the new dominant force in this division and the rest of his campaign is eagerly awaited.
His strong-travelling-never-off-the-bridle seventh in the Queen Anne suggests that a straight mile might not be ideal for him and his two superlative performances on turning courses on his last two starts strengthen that view.
That somewhat limits options with the QEII being run on the Ascot straight mile, so perhaps Tregoning will explore other avenues.
The Prix de la Foret around the right-handed bend at Longchamp could be one possibility, he certainly looks like he could cope with the drop to seven furlongs, while the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland looks tailor made for him.
Untried on faster ground, perhaps because of that aforementioned stress fracture, he’d possibly have that question to answer in America. But he’s as an exciting an older miler we’ve seen for a good while.
It was also a welcome return to the top table for Tregoning, with this being his first Group One since Sir Percy’s Derby in 2006. It was just his 20th attempt in 14 years, though, and in Mohaather he’s finally found another top-notcher.
Circus Maximus enhanced his reputation in defeat under a fine Ryan Moore ride. Since dropping back in trip in blinkers he’s been a revelation, but his Group One successes came by narrow margins against King Of Comedy, Romanised and Terebellum, so he hardly captured the imagination.
His tenacity is his greatest strength, though, he never knows when he’s beaten, and only a flying Mohaather very late in the day denied him here. He’ll continue to be a threat in this division as he’s not an easy horse to pass.
Siskin, previously unbeaten, found that out. He loomed up on the outside and eyeballed Circus Maximus inside the last half-furlong, but he’d lost the battle with the runner-up by the time Mohaather was sailing to victory.
Who knows what would’ve happened had Kameko had a clear run? The way he travelled throughout the race bolsters the view that he’s an out-and-out miler, so it will be interesting to see if he rocks up in the Juddmonte International over 10 furlongs next time out.
Wichita ran okay but was exposed as not being good enough. He penned Kameko in at a crucial point and, though he was slightly hampered by stablemate Vatican City himself, he arguably had the run of the race, so there were no excuses for him.
San Donato travelled well and made his move to the front on the outside two furlongs out, but his effort was short-lived and he weakened in the final 200 yards.
