Toronado gained revenge over Dawn Approach with a fantastic success in the QIPCO Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.
Beaten by Jim Bolger’s colt in the 2000 Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes, Toronado made it 2-1 thanks to a thrilling late surge that saw him sweep by the Godolphin challenger.
Kevin Manning was hard at work on Dawn Approach long before Richard Hughes moved a muscle on Toronado, but the Guineas winner saw off the strong-travelling Declaration Of War and soon it really was a duel on the Downs.
It was soon a matter of if Richard Hughes was going to reel Dawn Approach in during the final furlong too, and he did, by half a length, the winning rider patting Toronado down the neck as they crossed the winning line.
“(That) was very sweet,” Hughes said. “Just when I kicked him in the belly, it wasn’t as instant on that ground as it would have been on fast ground. It was a great race and he was very brave, he’s brilliant. It was a true-run race and he was always travelling well but as I say, when I went to go it wasn’t quite as instant as it was in the mornings.”
Hannon said: “Revenge is sweet I suppose, but they are two great horses. Richard Hughes said the other morning when he worked him that he was the best he had ever ridden. We’ve had some good horses, but he’s very good.”
Hannon was asked if the QEII would be the next target and said “it could be” before dismissing the Breeders’ Cup as an option.
Richard Hannon junior, assistant to his father, said: “We are delighted to have won one and the fact we didn’t win the first two makes it that bit sweeter, I suppose. I don’t think he quite picked up like we expected on the ground. Dawn Approach kept going after hitting the front, he’s amazingly tough.
“What he does at home is clearly not normal, he’s unbelievable. We were concerned about the ground as he’s such a good-actioned horse and we thought it might not be in his favour, but we wouldn’t change anything now. It’s going to be a great episode if both go on to the QEII. Godolphin and John Ferguson were the first to come up and say ‘well done’.”
Bolger offered no excuses, conceding that Toronado was a deserved victor. He said: “It was a top performance and we were just beaten by a better horse on the day. “I’m not concerned about rematches. We still have to figure out where we go from here — whatever turns up, turns up. “There are a couple of possibilities but time will tell all.”
Toormore justified Hannon's decision to bypass Royal Ascot with a cheeky victory in the Veuve Cliquot Vintage Stakes.
Owned by the Middleham Park Racing syndicate, the temptation would have been for a day out for all their members but Hannon did not think the horse would be mature enough. Given an extra few weeks to strengthen up, Toormore was sent off the 5-4 favourite with Hughes on board but looked up against it when Godolphin’s Outstrip shot clear approaching the two-furlong marker.
Hughes did not panic and just like in the Sussex Stakes, he and Hannon got the better of Godolphin, winning eased down by a neck.
Hannon and Hughes later teamed up again to win the finale with Magic City.
Hopes had nosedived in the Harwoods Racing Club Handicap when he was handed stall 18 but he was helped by the fact that the field went down the centre of the course rather than stick to the fair rail. The 5-1 chance is part-owned by Alex Ferguson and provided Hannon with a fifth winner at the meeting inside two days.
Cap O'Rushes provided new Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby with a Group winner at the first time of asking in the Neptune Investment Management Gordon Stakes. The 9-2 scorer had run a blinder when fourth in the Irish Derby when supposedly running as a pacemaker for Libertarian. A notable trial for the St Leger, Godolphin's Encke was second to Noble Mission in this last year before winning the final Classic of the season.
Excess Knowledge was done no favours when hampered by the wayward Spillway and when William Buick eventually got him on an even keel he fairly flew home, but it was all too late and he went down by a head. In another first, it was a maiden Glorious Goodwood winner for jockey Mickael Barzalona.
“Last year I was unlucky not to win (on Encke) so I’m very happy to win this year,” said Barzalona. “We went a nice pace and I was travelling well but I made my challenge when Tom (Queally, on Spillway) came to me. “He doesn’t show a lot in the morning but he’s a proper Group horse as he showed in the Irish Derby, he deserves to run in another Group One now.”
Appleby said: “We were confident coming in as he ran a decent race in Ireland, he wasn’t there just to make the pace, and he came out of it very well. A bit of cut in the ground suited, he’s bred to improve throughout the season and that’s what he’s doing.
Course specialist Mark Johnston got off the mark for the meeting when Broxbourne outstayed her rivals to win the UBS Goodwood Stakes.
Winner of the Brown Jack Stakes at Ascot on Friday, the 7-1 chance was carrying a 3lb penalty for that success but powered home under Joe Fanning. Beyond Conceit and Lieutenant Miller were fighting it out two furlongs from home but Seaside Sizzler and further back Broxbourne were making headway.
It was Johnston’s runner, giving the trainer a fourth win in the race, who stayed on best of all to beat Lieutenant Miller by half a length Fanning said: “She’s very game, she doesn’t travel great but stays all day. They went an even gallop and once they straightened up I always felt I’d get there as she stays all the way to the line.
James Fanshawe's Ribbons maintained her unbeaten record in fine style in the British Stallion Studs Turf Club EBF Fillies' Handicap.
Jack Doyle replaced the injured Hayley Turner on the filly, whose dam is a full-sister to the brilliant Soviet Song.
