A review of the action from Friday at the Qatar Goodwood Festival

Shayem sinks New York

Shayem (17/2) caused a minor shock in the HKJC World Pool Thoroughbred Stakes when turning over the 2/5 favourite Talk Of New York.

Catullus, a stablemate of the market leader, took the field along at a good clip in the Group 3 with Clifford Lee settling Shayem a few lengths off the pacemaker but William Buick appeared to be further back than ideal aboard Talk Of New York.

Shayem started to close on Catullus from three out, readily passed the leader and although Talk Of New York belatedly found his stride, never looked like relinquishing the lead for all that it was just half-a-length at the line.

Winning trainer Karl Burke said: “He is physically improving and Cliff gave him a very good ride. Physically he has just come on in the last two or three months as he has just gone again physically, and his results are showing the same.

“Taking him to Saudi Arabia was a big training error as I should never have tried to the dirt with. All credit to the horse for coming back as he had a horrible time out there. He never handled the dirt at all, and it was a stupid thing to do.

“Cliff is very good with his pace, and his sectionals. We knew the other Godolphin horse was there as a pacemaker and was going to go a nice good gallop. We didn’t want to cut our own throat and try to go with him as we don’t have to make it, and everything panned out well.

“He (Talk Of New York) was a fair way back with three furlongs to run and I thought we are going to get the run of the race here. It was only the last fifty yards of the race that I was just a bit worried that we were pulling up in front a little bit.

“From two and a half furlongs out I was pretty confident that we were the ones to beat. He is a lovely horse.”

We are delighted with that and hopefully we will go to Kentucky Downs or Colonial Park in early September as there are a couple of nice races out there for him. If we don’t go there we will probably come back for the Celebration Mile here.

“I think he would stay an extra furlong. We ran him over a mile two and a bit around Chester and he didn’t really see it out, so a mile one furlong is not beyond him, but a good run mile is perfect for him.”

Charlie Appleby, trainer of Catullus and Talk Of New York, said: “The pace was on there. Most people would say we had a fair bit of ground to make up on them on this track. In these conditions they don’t generally come back.

“At points you could say did he handle the track, but the only thing I would say is asking him to quicken where he was, was always going to be hard.

“I know the lead horse, and I thought he ain’t going to stop, and he didn’t. We had some ground to make up on what was an easy going lead horse on quick ground.

“Of course I would say he would be better on a more conventional track, but we are only looking for excuses. We know there is an engine there as he has shown that there.

“On the day we had a fair bit of ground to make up, and the eventual winner is improving. To do that against those sorts of horses is hard to do, unless you are Bow Echo.”

Galen given globaI targets

Galen moved a step closer to being sent on his travels later in the year again after securing a tenacious success in the Regent Seven Seas Cruises Bentinck Conditions Stakes.

Without a win to his name since beating 2024 St Leger winner in the Group Three Tote.ie Alleged Stakes at the Curragh in April last year, the son of Gleneagles changed that when completing doubles for O’Brien and Browne McMonagle in the nine furlong contest.

Despite being drawn widest of all in stall nine, the 3/1 favourite, who finished fourth last time out at Listed level in the Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot, managed to get across the field to assume a prominent position he would hold throughout the race.

And although faced with a host of late challenges inside the final furlong Galen was not to be denied after pulling out just enough to defeat Boiling Point by a neck with Jonquil a further half-a-length adrift back in third.

Paul Redmond, part-owner, said: “He is a front running horse. He has got a very high cruising speed, but he doesn’t have a huge amount at the finish so he has got to keep going.

“We were drawn nine, but the plan was to get out quickly and try to get the rail. Luckily, the other horses let us in soon enough so we could dominate from the rail.

“Once he got going around the final bend he is hard to stop. His ideal distance is nine furlongs, so we knew he would hang on until the bitter end. It was just what was going to come at him, but luckily he was able to keep them behind him today which is great.

“It was a very good run in the Wolferton, as we were a little unlucky there as he had a very bad draw there as well. It is onwards and upwards now.

“It is a lovely race to win, and we wanted to get his head in front again as he hadn’t won since the Alleged last year, but he has been second in the Bahrain International and he was fourth behind Romantic Warrior in Hong Kong, so he has it in him.”

And after watching Galen get his head back in front, his delighted part owner pointed to the Group Three Newbridge Silverware Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh on August 16th as a possible target ahead of potential return trips to Bahrain and Hong Kong.

He added: “He is entered in the Royal Whip and then he is entered in on the Saturday of Arc weekend for a nine furlong race out there.

“The plan would then be to go back to Bahrain and maybe Hong Kong after that.”

'How could you ever doubt Joseph?'

Group race options could now be explored with Defiantly, who went one better than his near miss at Royal Ascot with a dominant success in the Coral Goodwood Handicap.

The Joseph O’Brien-trained gelding had to settle for second best on his last start behind stablemate Kizlyar in the Ascot Stakes over two and a half miles.

However, there was to be no agonising defeat for members of the Australia Bloodstock Two syndicate after the son of Kameko looked a class above his rivals on this occasion.

Racing up with the pace from the get go, the 11/4 favourite was sent for home well over three furlongs from home by Dylan Browne McMonagle.

What looked to be a daring move turned out to be a winning one, with the Group One winning rider getting the perfect response out of his mount with the pair coming home three lengths clear of Berkshire Sundance.

Rob McInnes, of Australia Bloodstock Two, said: “Joseph had Royal Ascot and here in mind, and how could you ever doubt Joseph.

“I vetted the horse last year for Australian Bloodstock. I liked the horse, and it is the first horse I kept a share in. He is just a real, genuine one paced stayer. He hasn’t got any acceleration, but he just keeps going.

“As he really hasn’t got any extra turn off foot we had to take the speed out of all the other horses and the plan was always to be up on the speed.

“That kick three furlongs out was exactly what he said he was going to do. He said he was keen to take off there as he would rather get beaten going too early than getting beaten going too late and he did a perfect thing.

“He is a Group horse, there is probably only one way to find out. At this distance there are a limited field of horses that can compete at this trip, but I will leave it up to Joseph where the horse goes. I’m just enjoying the ride.”

Revels helps Mars work, rest and play

The decision to drop Revels back in trip was vindicated with a sweet success in the Hawes & Curtis Nursery Handicap.

After failing to see out seven furlongs in the Chesham at the Royal meeting, the son of Lope De Vega, who is owned by Mars Inc family member Linda Mars, looked like a different proposition over the slick six furlongs at the Sussex venue.

Victory looked to be heading the way of 4/1 chance Dubai Champion and Ryan Moore after the pair made up plenty of ground following a slow start to hit the front on the far side around a furlong from home.

However, it was not to be as Revels thundered down the centre of the track before getting up in the dying strides under Sam James to score by a short head and provide Group One-winning trainer Burke with his second victory of the afternoon.

Burke said: “He didn’t really stay in the Chesham, but I thought he would as he won over seven furlongs the first time out. He is quite a relaxed horse, and I thought the Chesham was made for him.

“Having said that, some very good judges said to me that Lope De Vega has a terrible record before Royal Ascot. I think he is about one from one hundred and fifty at Royal Ascot so don’t try and win a race with a Lope De Vega.

“I thought I would try buck that trend, but it didn’t work. We trained the dam, and she was very quick as she was a seven furlong Listed winner around Musselburgh.

“He was very weak in the last furlong at Ascot so I thought I’ve got to bring him back in trip.

“I had him entered in some Listed races, but I thought off his handicap mark I must go for a handicap as I thought he was well handicapped, and you need to be well handicapped in these races at these big festivals.

“He travelled well and he would have been an unlucky loser as if you watch three out he was looking for a gap, and he had to switch a couple of times, but it all worked out well in the end.”

And following the race Burke admitted he could now work back from the Group Two Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury in September with Revels.

He added: “He isn’t in the Gimcrack at York, but he is in the Mill Reef and I would say it might be one run beforehand then into the Mill Reef.”

Light shines for Appleby

Into The Light made up for his no show at Royal meeting to get trainer Charlie Appleby off the mark at the meeting with victory in the World Pool Bet With The tote Handicap.

Responding well to first time cheekpieces, the 2/1 favourite, who finished down the field in the King George V Stakes last time out, showed a good level of stamina late on to run out a ready winner of the one mile three furlong contest.

Once hitting the front there was no stopping the market leader, who proved a length and three quarters too strong for last-time out Newbury winner Devil’s Peak.

Appleby said: “He showed at Sandown he was slow away and Will (Buick) got off him that day and said I should have won that, but he didn’t help me early doors.

“I thought stepping up to a mile and a half at Ascot would he be too keen with cheek pieces on, and we know in those sorts of races you can get fired up there so we left them off.

“I just felt he never really gave Will much of a chance there and, going into it, the form of his runs had been strong and you had to go in there with a bit of confidence, as much as you can at Ascot.

“We only stuck the cheek pieces on yesterday morning so I said let's fire him up. I think they helped Will travel a bit better and put the race to bed when he wanted to. You were always quite confident watching him.

“I think he will get further in time. We have come back in trip by a furlong today, and as we know it can be an easy one mile three around here.

“We could see how he comes out of it and possibly look at the Melrose with him.”

Silver takes gold

Wathnan Racing completed a double on the day following Archivist's earlier success when Silver Lake (4/5 favourite) justified strong support in the British Stallion Stud EBF Fillies' Handicap.

Ridden by Saffie Osborne for trainer William Haggas, Silver Lake made light work of a small rise in the weights for winning at Salisbury earlier in the month and wasn't hard-pressed to complete her double, winning by three lengths.

Haggas said: “She was pretty disappointing early on in her career, but she is getting stronger. She won last time, but this was a big step up in class, however she took it all in her stride. 

“We’ve had a few runners today sit at the back of the field and they have subsequently not got into it. We wanted her to be prominent, and she was, and she won comfortably I thought. 

“I think she will get a mile and a half without much difficulty, but she didn’t look like she was short of speed there so we may stay at a mile and a quarter next time. 

“There is a mile and a quarter fillies’ race at York and there is  a mile and a half fillies’ race at Haydock Park, so there are options in handicaps still. 

“I don’t think she is ready to step up to proper grown up stuff yet. You always hope with a well bred filly like this that they will develop and improve, and we have been lucky that the owners have been very patient and have given us a chance to allow her to improve both mentally, and physically. 

“Now she is getting the hang of it you never know what ceiling she might reach and that is the exciting part.”

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