Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes
Group 1, Goodwood 15:35
 £1,000,000 guaranteed,
3yo plus,
1m, Class 1   
Wednesday 30th July 2025

1 Qirat 150/1
2 Rosallion 11/2
3 Henri Matisse
7 ran Distances: nk, 2¼l, 1¼l
Time: 1m 37.92s (slow by 1.12s)

In a race that began with a script and ended with a scandal, Qirat – Juddmonte’s so-called second string – tore up the form book to win at 150/1, a jaw-dropping result that left even the most seasoned punters reaching for the racecard.

With Field Of Gold, the 1/3 favourite and Europe’s leading three-year-old, expected to dominate, few paid much attention to the Ralph Beckett-trained Qirat, let alone expected him to finish in front of his more vaunted stablemate. But on a sun-baked Goodwood straight, it was Richard Kingscote and the son of Showcasing who slipped the field and never looked back.

Kingscote, set to depart for Hong Kong, delivered a front-running masterclass aboard a horse unbeaten at the track. Allowed to stride on alongside Ballydoyle’s Serengeti, Qirat was never hassled and was still full of running rounding the home turn. The chasing pack? Nowhere. By the time they realised the hare was no longer in sight, it was far too late.

Rosallion surged late to get within a neck but never truly looked like getting past. Henri Matisse stayed on for third, just over two lengths away, while Field Of Gold was flat when asked and only managed fourth – the kind of result that raises more questions than answers.

For Kingscote, it was another elite-level victory before his move east – following his Commonwealth Cup win at Royal Ascot – and for Beckett, the result was vindication of a bold plan:

“We set out to run 12-second furlongs and dared them to come. They didn’t. End of story.”

It was a masterstroke not just in tactics, but in trust. Beckett had seen Qirat thrive at Goodwood before, and while Juddmonte’s Barry Mahon admitted he initially dismissed the idea of entering, the trainer’s insistence proved prophetic.

“When he went past Serengeti, I didn’t think they’d catch him. He looked a million dollars in the paddock – he’s never looked that well,” said Beckett.
“The mare, Emulous, has been a money machine – now she’s got a Sussex Stakes winner to go with her Arc hero Bluestocking.”

Kingscote, reflecting on the unlikely success, was typically modest:

“Not what I expected when I woke up this morning! I like riding from the front and Ralph trusts me with the fractions – it worked a treat. At the cut-away, I thought we were in with a chance, but you’re always waiting for the closers. He just kept finding.”

The fairytale win capped off what has become a specialist record for Qirat at Goodwood – three runs, three wins, and now, a Group 1 scalp to his name.

There were no excuses from those behind. Richard Hannon praised Rosallion’s tenacity despite the narrow defeat:

“He’s beaten the Guineas winner and the French Classic horse – what more can you ask?”

Aidan O’Brien, philosophical about Henri Matisse’s near miss, noted his colt’s immaturity:

“He’s still learning. He’ll come forward again.”

John Gosden was more forensic about Field Of Gold’s flop:

“He didn’t travel, didn’t fire, and didn’t finish. That’s the reality. The pacemaker got loose, and we paid for it.”

And so, on a day when expectations were torched and reputations were reshuffled, it was the supposed no-hoper who delivered the knockout blow.

Qirat, the afterthought, the pacemaker, the 150/1 shot, is now a Group 1 winner, a Goodwood specialist, and living proof that in this game – anything really can happen.

SureWIn

Sussex Stakes (British Champions Series)
 £1,000,000 guaranteed, 3yo plus, 1m, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Good

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (2)    Qirat 4 9-10 Ralph Beckett Richard Kingscote 150/1
2 (5) nk Rosallion 4 9-10 Richard Hannon Sean Levey 11/2
3 (1) 2¼ Henri Matisse 3 9-2 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore 11/2
4 (3) 1¼ Field Of Gold 3 9-2 John & Thady Gosden William Buick 1/3F
5 (6) 1 Docklands t 5 9-10 Harry Eustace Tom Marquand 33/1
6 (7) 1 Carl Spackler 5 9-10 Ciaron Maher Shane Foley 28/1
7 (4) hd Serengeti 3 9-2 A P O'Brien Wayne Lordan 300/1