Glorious Goodwood

2012 Gordon Stakes

racing news/

Cap O'Rushes Takes Gordon Stakes for Godolphin
31/07/13

1 Cap O'Rushes 9/2
2 Excess Knowledge 7/4F
3 Spillway 33/1
7 ran Distances: hd, ¾l, ¾l
TIME 2m 39.10s (slow by 5.10s)

Cap O’Rushes stepped away from his role as Godolphin pacemaker into the spotlight as Classic candidate in his own right by taking the Neptune Investment Management Gordon Stakes by a determined head from Excess Knowledge. In the process he marked a significant landmark for his trainer Charlie Appleby, who recently took over the beleaguered Moulton Paddocks division of Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation.

Cap O'Rushes
© Racehorse Photos

In the 12-furlong Group Three event, Cap O’Rushes was Appleby’s first Group winner with his first Group runner, and also made it one for one for him at Goodwood. The son of New Approach finished fourth at the Curragh last month, with his better-fancied stablemate Libertarian unplaced. “It didn’t work out for Libertarian but Cap O’Rushes ran a really good race,” said Appleby. “We brought him back home and freshened him up, and he’s come on since then.

“We were quite confident today, the way he’s progressed in the past few weeks. He saw the trip out really well and really appreciated the cut in the ground, as a horse with his short action would. We’ll take it one step at a time with him but the plan would be the Great Voltigeur and then the St Leger.”

Cap O’Rushes may meet Libertarian again in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York, but this time on his own merits. “Libertarian has had a break since Ireland and we’d be quite happy to run both of them at York.”

Appleby was pleased that his career as trainer, after 15 years behind the scenes with Godolphin, has launched so well. “It’s not so much a relief, more a satisfaction,” he said, “and a way of thanking the Sheikh and the Godolphin team for their faith.”

The trainer added: “I was more excited today rather than nervous. I have been very fortunate to be with Godolphin for 15 years, working for Saeed and being an assistant for five years now, so I have been well schooled into the job.

“I have so much confidence in my team – we have such a great team – and the confidence that everybody else is giving me can only help the team.”

Mickael Barzalona added: “I was very close to winning last year, so I am very happy to win this year. We went a nice sensible pace and I was travelling well behind a nice horse. I came there well and, when challenged, he came back very well.

“He’s a really nice horse. He doesn’t give a lot in the mornings but he is a proper group horse. I think we have seen already last time when he was fourth and I think he would have every chance in a Group One race.”

Neptune Investment Management Gordon Stakes (Group 3)
£75000.00 added, 3yo only, 1m 4f, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Good to Soft

Excess Knowledge
© Racehorse Photos

LEGER TARGET FOR EXCESS KNOWLEDGE

Excess Knowledge is heading to the Ladbrokes St Leger after finishing a luckless head second to Cap O’Rushes in the Neptune Investment Management Gordon Stakes.

“If you get stopped, you get stopped. One wandered in front of our’s and we then had to get going again,” said the second’s trainer John Gosden.

“The Leger must be on his agenda and we’ll see where we go from here. Arctic Cosmos got beaten here and then won at Doncaster and we could go straight there or look at the Great Voltigeur. Today was a good Leger trial but there was no pace.”

Express Knowledge was quoted at 8/1, from 12/1, with Ladbrokes for the final Classic.

Third-placed Spillway delighted trainer Eve Johnson Houghton, who said: “He’s still a big green baby, even with all the racing he has had. It’s great to get black-type because his owner-breeder Luke (Neale) has the mare.

“I made a mistake running him in the wrong race at Royal Ascot, we should have gone for the King Edward VII Stakes.

“He will improve next year but will probably go for the St Leger. He’s in the Great Voltigeur and I don’t see why he won’t run there.”