Qatar Stewards' Cup
Heritage Handicap, Goodwood 15:45 £250,000 added, 3yo plus, 6f, Class 2
Saturday 1st August 2015

1 Magical Memory 6/1F
2 Toofi 14/1
3 Rivellino 33/1
4 Dinkum Diamond 33/1
5 Tropics 7/1
NR: Algar Lad
27 ran Distances: ¾l, nk, ½l
TIME 1m 10.28s (slow by 0.48s)

Magical Memory hit the line in front of Toofi, Rivellino and Dinkum Diamond

Magical Memory
© Racehorse Photos

Racing's greatest extrovert and finest ambassador, Frankie Dettori, won his first Qatar Stewards' Cup thanks to 6/1 shot Magical Memory, and with it landed the Racing UK top jockey title for the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

His sixth winner of the week ensured he could not be caught for the award with three races still to be run, an emphatic victory that has typified Dettori's superb 2015 season. The Newmarket-based Italian has now been top cat at the Qatar Goodwood Festival on five occasions, but his enthusiasm for victory is undiminished, and he gave the crowd a familiarly rapturous response to their cheers in the winner's enclosure, leaping from Magical Memory's saddle in trademark fashion.

Magical Memory, who is trained by Charlie Hills for a syndicate run by Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds, became a rare three-year-old winner of the famous sprint - the first since Danetime in 1997. He emerged from stall one, justifying Hills' decision to take the lowest berth at the public draw on Thursday.

Hills said: "It is incredible and I feel a little bit speechless because I felt it was a really good line-up for the race, but Frankie gave him a most beautiful ride and put confidence into the horse. I was lucky enough to be able to keep him to ride the horse.

"The fact Frankie wanted to ride the horse gave me plenty of confidence - I knew he had to improve again from his win at Newmarket [last month] and we had to get the draw right. I had a lot of discussions with people whose judgement I respect and that's how we came out with stall one - it was a team effort. He has a great temperament, but I went for stall one because he is a three-year-old and in a big field of older horses they can sort of gang up on them - being on the outside he could just concentrate on running his own race.

"We have to step up to Group class with him now, and he's rapidly improving. He worked like a very good horse as a two-year-old, but we had to deal with one or two issues and had him gelded, but hopefully we can benefit from that and he'll be a really good horse next year."

Dettori said: "This Qatar Stewards' Cup has been bugging me for 20 years and it is great to finally do it - I had a good partner with me today, a really good horse. He was very brave and that won the race for him - he had to go through a tight gap and won well in the end - and there's more to come.

"What a week! It's been phenomenal. To have six winners here is marvellous, and to be champion jockey as well . . . it's fantastic. I've really enjoyed the crowds who have been very warm and we've been blessed by sunshine."

The Qatar Stewards' Cup win completed a 76/1 double on the day for Dettori, who had earlier won the consolation race, the Qatar Stewards' Sprint on the Marco Botti-trained Golden Steps at 10/1. Reflecting on the double, he said: "I did that just to make sure!"

Dettori is retained by Sheikh Joaan's Al Shaqab Racing, which is closely associated with this week's title sponsorship by Qatar. Al Shaqab has enjoyed five winners during the festival, of which four have been ridden by Dettori, who said: "We have had an amazing week and Sheikh Joaan was here to watch and loved it. I'm going to leave here tonight knowing we've had a fantastic week, so I would like to thank everyone who has made it so good."

Connections of Toofi are excited about the remainder of the campaign after the four-year-old came home a gallant second, three quarters of a length behind Magical Memory.

The Roger Varian-trained gelding, a 14/1 chance, warmed up for this when fourth in six-furlong conditions race at Haydock Park on July 4.

Mike Marshall, assistant to Varian, commented: "It was a smashing run. We thought conditions would suit him today and so it's proved.

"We followed the winner through, but he just had us held near the line. I could not be more pleased with our horse and I think we will have a lot of fun with him for the rest of the year.

"To be fair, the undulations of Goodwood might not have been what he wants. There are plenty of options for him now and it is just great to see him run like that."

The third home Rivellino, a 33/1 hope, did best of those drawn high, with Dinkum Diamond, also 33/1, fourth and top-weight Tropics fifth.

Karl Burke, trainer of Rivellino, said: "It was a great run from Rivellino. I can't blame the draw as I picked it out!

"He can be a bit tricky in the stalls and I was always going to pick a high even number just so he wasn't stuck in there too long.

"There just wasn't enough pace on our side and they were always just ahead on the far side. Jim (Crowley, rider) said he actually got the front a furlong out and felt he would have won had he been on the other side.

"It is frustrating but at the same time it is a great run. He is still a maiden on the turf but has finished third in a Wokingham and a Stewards' Cup."

Adam Kirby, rider of Tropics, reported: "Tropics ran a cracking race and did nothing wrong. He is a warrior.

"We jumped and travelled great and it is just unfortunate that the weight told on us in the end. The race might have been already over had there been some cut in the ground, but we didn't get it."

Qatar Stewards' Cup (Heritage Handicap)
£250,000 added, 3yo plus, 6f, Class 2
27 ran
Going: Good to Firm, Good in places