John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes |
|
Group 3, Goodwood 15:00
£175,000 added,
3yo only,
1m 3f 218y, Class 1  |
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Thursday 29th July 2021 |
1 Ottoman Emperor 11/1
2 Sir Lucan 9/1
3 Third Realm 5/2F
8 ran Distances: ½l, 1¼l, nk
Time: 2m 40.21s (slow by 5.01s)
Ottoman Emperor gave Johnny Murtagh a first Qatar Goodwood Festival success as a trainer in the Grade 3, a leading trial for the G1
St Leger at Doncaster in September.
Ottoman Emperor hit the front early in the straight under Ben Coen but had plenty in reserve to hold off all challengers. The rapidly improving three-year-old was registering a fourth-straight success this season, in a race his trainer won as a rider on Yellowstone in 2007.
Sir Lucan finished well to claim second, beaten a half-length, with favourite
Third Realm a further length and a quarter back in third.
Murtagh, who won all the major races at this meeting as a jockey, said: “Ottoman Emperor did it the hard way.
“Ben says he's raced lazily all the way, but he's like that, he's a little bit babyish. You don't know how good he is or how good he can be.
“He got to the top of the hill where he lost his balance a little bit and then he grabbed him and he came strong.
“Ben said he got to the front a bit too soon, but he wasn't stopping when the others came to him. One thing about him is that he's very genuine, very tough and he doesn't stop trying.
“We came here to find out is he a mile-and-a-half horse? can he stay a mile and six? I think he answered a lot of questions today.
“We'd love to give him a shot at the St Leger next because it's a very nice race and we'd love to have a live chance in it.”
Coen, celebrating a first success at the Qatar Goodwood Festival on his first ride at the course, said: “I was happy early on. He raced behind the bridle a little bit, but I couldn't have asked him to go through the race any better.
“I got a bit unbalanced coming round the bend, so I gave him a kick to get going and got there way too soon. When Frankie came to me, he was never getting by me. Once he felt the other horse come up to him, he went again.
“He is a big, raw horse and still learning on the job. I haven't got to the end of him yet, so I'm looking forward to seeing what's coming.
“I thought he would always give himself the best chance of staying due to the way he races. He is never keen or over-races. I thought he had a good chance of staying and I can see him getting further as well.
“I was hoping the ground would dry up. That is as slow as he would like it and the quicker the ground the better for him.”
Kevin Buckley, representing Coolmore, said: “Happy with that from Sir Lucan, it was a good run back. We’ll get him home, have a look at him, and it is a possibility he’ll go to Doncaster. Aidan will talk to the owners.”
Gordon Stakes
£175,000 added, 3yo only, 1m 3f 218y, Class 1
8 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Good in places
POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (7) Ottoman Emperor 3 9-1 J P Murtagh Ben Coen 11/1
2 (5) ½ Sir Lucan 3 9-1 A P O'Brien L Dettori 9/1
3 (1) 1¼ Third Realm 3 9-1 Roger Varian Andrea Atzeni 5/2F
4 (3) nk Youth Spirit 3 9-4 Andrew Balding Tom Marquand 12/1
5 (4) shd Wordsworth 3 9-1 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore 11/4
6 (8) 6 Yibir 3 9-4 Charlie Appleby William Buick 100/30
7 (2) 5½ Belloccio 3 9-1 David Menuisier Oisin Murphy 20/1
8 (6) 28 Aleas 3 9-1 Ralph Beckett Hector Crouch 33/1
