King George Qatar Stakes

Group 2, Goodwood 15:05
£300,000 guaranteed,
3yo plus,
5f, Class 1   
Friday 1st August 2025

SureWIn

1 JM Jungle 14/1
2 She's Quality 9/1
3 Time For Sandals 10/3
12 ran NR: Celandine, Manaccan
Distances: nk, ½l, 1l Time: 57.57s (slow by 0.77s)

Improving sprinter Jm Jungle continued his rise through the ranks with a tenacious display – a performance full of grit, delivered with a punch of flair that will live long in the memory for the Quinn camp.

Already a winner at this meeting in handicap company twelve months ago, the five-year-old had announced himself to the sprinting elite with victory in the Dash on Derby Day and a close third in Listed company at York. But this was another notch up the ladder – a true group-level test, and one he passed with honours.

With twelve runners spread across the track like cards from a shuffled deck, the pace was honest from the outset. Jm Jungle, drawn towards the far side, tracked the speed in a cluster that included Time For Sandals and the Australian raider Asfoora – two proven performers at the top table.

As the tempo lifted coming down into the final furlong, Jason Hart angled Jm Jungle into daylight, asking for everything – and getting a wholehearted response. She’s Quality, the Irish challenger, loomed up travelling with menace, but the Jungle wasn’t done yet. Digging deep, he repelled the late thrust to score by a neck. Time For Sandals, not without excuses having met interference at a crucial stage, was half a length back in third.

It was a second success in this prestigious sprint for John and Sean Quinn, who struck last year with the brilliant Highfield Princess. While that triumph came in dominant fashion, this was one for the archives – a gutsy, all-action battle that had connections on the edge of their seats.

Sean Quinn said afterwards:

“It was nail-biting stuff. I was willing the line to come – and when it did, he’d found again. He just loves these fast-run races and downhill tracks. At York, things didn’t pan out – it was a crawl and not to his liking. But today, with them going lickety-split, it suited him down to the ground.”

Quinn was full of praise for the form:

“Jim Goldie’s horse touched us off a couple of times earlier in the year – and when he won at Ascot, I thought, ‘that’s top-end stuff’. Jm Jungle has danced every dance and he’s come out on top today. He’s a Group Two winner now, and the Nunthorpe is just up the road.”

Hart, ever the cool head in the saddle, summed it up simply:

“It’s magical. There was a bit of pressure with Highfield last year because she was a warm favourite, but this lad’s worked his way here. He won a three-year-old handicap here in the mud and now he’s done it in a Group Two. John and Sean always have them ready for this week – they never leave without making their mark.”

Behind them, the form took solid shape.

She’s Quality lost nothing in defeat. Her trainer Jack Davison hailed her consistency, saying:

“That’s four seconds at a high level this year. She’s a pleasure to train and the Nunthorpe has always been the aim. She’s the best sprinter in Ireland – we’re proud of her.”

Harry Eustace, trainer of third-placed Time For Sandals, saw merit in defeat:

“She’s run enormous under a penalty. Over five furlongs, everything has to go like clockwork, and she just got stopped when it mattered. She might be better suited stepping back up to six – Haydock is under consideration.”

Favourite Big Mojo could only manage fifth, with Tom Marquand citing the sticky ground and a momentum check that may have cost him a placing. Asfoora, who finished seventh, had no excuses from a fitness perspective, but trainer Henry Dwyer felt the going had blunted her turn of foot:

“She moved well between the two and the one, but just flattened out late. She’s better than that, and York could be the right stage.”

But this was all about Jm Jungle – fast, fearless, and full of fight. He may not be the biggest name in the sprinting division yet, but on this evidence, he's roaring his way into the big time.

King George Qatar Stakes (Group 2)
£300,000 guaranteed, 3yo plus, 5f, Class 1
12 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Soft in places

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (1)    JM Jungle 5 9-4 John & Sean Quinn Jason Hart 14/1
2 (8) nk She's Quality 4 9-1 Jack W Davison James Ryan 9/1
3 (3) ½ Time For Sandals 3 9-3 Harry Eustace Richard Kingscote 10/3
4 (2) 1 Frost At Dawn 4 9-1 William Knight William Buick 12/1
5 (5) hd Big Mojo 3 9-1 Michael Appleby Tom Marquand 11/4F
6 (11) nse Night Raider 4 9-4 K R Burke James Doyle 12/1
7 (6) hd Asfoora 7 9-1 Henry Dwyer Oisin Murphy 4/1
8 (13) 2½ Kerdos 5 9-4 Clive Cox Christophe Soumillon 12/1
9 (7) ½ Spartan Arrow 5 9-4 Archie Watson Hollie Doyle 28/1
10 (10) nk Khaadem 9 9-4 Charles Hills Jamie Spencer 33/1
11 (12) 3¼ Town And Country 3 8-12 Henry De Bromhead David Egan 28/1
RR (14) Clarendon House 7 9-4 Robert Cowell Rossa Ryan 40/1
NR 5 (9) Manaccan 6 9-4 John Ryan NON RUNNER
NR 13 (4) Celandine 3 8-12 Ed Walker NON RUNNER

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