Glorious Goodwood Nassau Stakes Day: Moores and O'Briens have day to savour

Thursday is normally Ladies' Day and Magnolia Cup today, but in these strange times both those attractions have been lost.

At least we still had some top-class racing though, and the Qatar Nassau Stakes was the highlight of the day.

Ryan Moore carried Fancy Blue, trained by 22-year Donnacha O'Brien, to victory in the Group 1 Nassau, with last year's winner Deirdre having no joy on her return from Japan to try to retain the crown she took a year ago.

Moore had prevailed half an hour earlier for O'Brien senior - Aidan - when guiding Mogul (9/2) to victory in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes.

Meanwhile Moore's Sussex trainer father Gary tasted 50/1 success with Junkanoo in the

1.10pm

There was a surprise in the opener, the Mirabeau En Provence Handicap, as Glamorous Anna took the win under William Cox for trainer Christopher Mason.

Glamorous Anna made every yard a winning one when landing the five-furlong contest for three-year-olds. It was a first Qatar Goodwood Festival winner for both Chepstow-based trainer Mason and jockey Cox.

The winner saw off all challengers to score by a length and a half from Newyorkstateofmind (William Muir/David Egan, 18/1).

Mason said: “I was hoping Glamorous Anna would run a good race. She only just hung on at Windsor; she was hanging one way and then the other, so I think we would have finished a little bit more in front there if she had stayed straight. Coming here up a grade, I thought she might go close."

Cox said: “Glamorous Anna takes two or three lengths out of them at the stalls and then you can just easily sit down on the rail. She has so much natural speed and a slightly downhill five furlongs here seems to play to her advantage. The sun is out and it is a lovely day so you have to take full advantage and enjoy it.”

1.45

There was an even bigger-priced winner of the Unibet You're On Handicap - and it was a 50/1 success for Sussex trainer Gary Moore as David Egan prevailed on Junkanoo.

The Epaulette gelding looked like he was going to be short of room entering the final two furlongs but a gap appeared entering the final furlong and he went on to win by three-quarters of a length from Zabeel Champion (Mark Johnston/Ryan Moore, 7/2).

Moore, based in Lower Beeding, said: “I wasn’t completely surprised by that success. It has not always gone right for Junkanoo this year. I would have been slightly more confident had he raced here Tuesday when there was slightly more cut in the ground. It wasn’t the cleverest thing to do, running him 3lb out of the handicap, but this race was suitable for the horse and the owners are very local.

“I love Glorious Goodwood – it’s one of the best meetings on the Flat as far as I am concerned and it’s just disappointing it’s not its usual self.

“David Egan is a very good rider. He is as cool as a cucumber. He half missed the start and then he just rode Junkanoo patiently. That wasn’t how I asked him to ride it, but he knows better than me.”

Egan said: “The fresh ground that has been opened up for today is where you want to be; we have been racing on that outer strip for the past two days and it is lovely quick ground up the inside. I was able to stay there, and just had to switch out once. Great winner.”

2.15

Trainer Clive Cox and jockey Adam Kirby landed the G2 Qatar Richmond Stakes a year ago with subsequent G1 Commonwealth Cup hero Golden Horde - and the duo were on the mark again with 11/2 chance Supremacy in the six-furlong contest for two-year-olds.

A son of Mehmas, winner of this race in 2016, Supremacy broke well from stall two and soon went into the lead. He continued at the head of affairs and saw off all comers before going away again in the final furlong to score by four lengths from 13/8 favourite Yazaman (William Haggas/Tom Marquand).

Cox said: "We knew Supremacy was nice. He was very green last time but he has been a horse with a lovely temperament to deal with.

"Adam rode him last time at Windsor when he won in a very fast time and this was soon enough.

"In a perfect world, I would have liked another week or two to be honest with you. But he has done that so well and I am so pleased for him - he has taken a big step forward.

"Supremacy has bags of speed and the way he finished that race after going so quick was amazing."

Kirby said: "Supremacy is quite tall and scopey and has quite a long stride; he finds things easy there on the front end, and when I asked him to lengthen, he can just do that. He quickened and then lengthened and ran all the way through the line, so I like that. It was a very smart performance.

"He is all speed. He has come forward again from his last run and I was really pleased with him. He is very, very quick. It almost feels as though you have it easy on him - he has an exceptional cruising speed. He most certainly wasn't stopping at the line and I really like him. I am quite excited about him, actually."

2.45

Mogul (9/2), ridden by Ryan Moore, took the Group 3 John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes, with the 5/4 favourite English King back in fourth.

The Galileo colt had previously finished a staying-on sixth in the G1 Investec Derby at Epsom Downs on 4 July.

Subjectivist (Mark Johnston/Joe Fanning, 17/2) had established a clear lead before being challenged entering the final two furlongs. At that point, Mogul was being asked to quicken by jockey Ryan Moore. Subjectivist held on until the final half-furlong, when he was passed by Mogul and also Highland Chief (Paul & Oliver Cole/David Probert, 22/1). At the finish, Mogul was on top by three-quarters of a length from Highland Chief, with a further three-quarters of a length back to Subjectivist.

Aidan O’Brien said: : “We always thought that Mogul was going to take two runs, and we were hoping to get that into him before the Derby, but obviously the Derby was only his second run and this was his third today. We were delighted with him today."

Moore said: “I am very happy with what Mogul did. He is still a bit babyish. He is a horse that I have thought a lot of, and Aidan has always said that his third run was going to be his best run. He was tough today – these horses had good form – and I like to think that he would find a bit more improvement.

“I wouldn’t be sure about that [Mogul being a St Leger horse] but we are very happy with what he has done today. He has progressed with each run, so hopefully he can carry on that way.”

3.15

A Group 3 win for Moore was followed by a Group 1 success as he held off a strong challenge from several rivals to win the Nassau on board Fancy Blue - as tipped on this website before racing.

Fancy Blue (11/4) was Donnacha O’Brien’s first runner as a trainer in the UK and gave the Irish handler reason to celebrate as she became his first UK winner in the G1 Qatar Nassau Stakes. It was a second success at the top level for the daughter of Deep Impact, following her win in the G1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) on 5 July.

It was 9/4 favourite Magic Wand (Aidan O’Brien IRE/Frankie Dettori) who took the seven runners along. She continued to lead until facing a strong challenge from Fancy Blue two furlongs out. Fancy Blue took the lead entering the final furlong and then had to see off the strong late challenge of One Voice (Jessica Harrington IRE/Tom Marquand, 20/1). Fancy Blue held on by a neck, with Nazeef (John Gosden/Jim Crowley, 100/30) staying on for third, another two and three-quarter lengths behind.

Donnacha O’Brien said: “That was a lovely performance from Fancy Blue. Fancy Blue is unbelievable, and it is massive. You never believe you will get one like her in your first year of training. When you have the pedigrees that Coolmore have, you always have a chance and I am very lucky."

Discussing the difference between riding and training Group One winners, O’Brien continued: “It’s strange. They are different and I think you get a different kick out of it. When you are riding, you feel under pressure and want to do good for the horse and give the horse a fair chance."

Moore, enjoying a 19.6/1 day three double following the earlier success of Mogul and also recording his 50th career success at the Qatar Goodwood Festival, said: “I think there were some solid horses in there – Nazeef had done nothing wrong all year. I know very well how good Magic Wand is and she is proven in the best mile and a quarter races in America, Hong Kong and Australia, and obviously Deirdre (the 2019 Qatar Nassau Stakes winner) was in there. My filly [Fancy Blue] showed that she is very straightforward and has a very good attitude. She is tough."

3.45

The Gusbourne Nursery Handicap went convincingly to Sean Levey and Richard Hannon with 12/1 chance Mark Of The Man.

Hannon and Levey teamed up in this race three years ago, when scoring with subsequent 66/1 1,000 Guineas heroine Billesdon Brook.

The winner was asked to deliver a challenge two furlongs out, but it was not until inside the final half-furlong that he got his head in front. He was doing his best work at the finish and scored by two lengths.

Hannon said: "Mark Of The Man has improved with every run. I thought he looked pretty limited and quite slow on his first run but, like most of ours this year, he has improved with every run. I loved his last run at Chepstow, when he beat one of Her Majesty's, and I thought that was a good performance as they were a fair way clear of the third. Today, he got the trip and had plenty of experience. He is a very nice horse moving forward and might even be better off over a mile."

Levey said: "They went a good gallop early. I had it in mind that I wanted to sit as handy as I could because I believe that the horse is going to get a lot further than seven - I think he will be a middle-distance horse as a three-year-old. I tried to sit as handy as I could but, inevitably, I had to give my position up to the Johnston horse. I didn't want to take him on for the position, so I took a pull and followed and immediately regretted it because I knew that it would take me an awful long time to get my horse going."

4.20.

Two-year-old filly Spirt Of Bermuda (William Haggas/Tom Marquand, 8/1) made the perfect start for her connections when winning the seven-furlong British European Breeders Fund EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes on her racecourse debut.

The daughter of Twilight Son began to pick up entering the last quarter mile and really found her feet in the final furlong, getting up close home to score by a head from Iconic Queen (Ralph Beckett/Harry Bentley, 11/1).

Maureen Haggas, wife and assistant trainer to husband William, said: "Spirit Of Bermuda came from the breeze-ups, so they are always a little bit more street-wise. She has been really nice and straightforward. We felt able to run her quite quickly as she has worked nicely and done everything we have asked."

4.55

Acklam Express (Nigel Tinkler/Oisin Murphy, 100/30) was the impressive winner of the concluding five-furlong Tatler Nursery, handing North Yorkshire trainer his first winner at the Qatar Goodwood Festival since Call Me I'm Blue won a five-furlong handicap in 1993 under Lester Piggott.

The two-year-old Mehmas gelding hit the front entering the last furlong and pulled right away to win by four and a quarter lengths under champion jockey Oisin Murphy.

Tinkler said: "The owners only bought Acklam Express after his last win. I feel a bit sorry for the previous owner Maxwell Morrison who is a lovely bloke, but he got a few quid and these lads deserved the success today. It probably wasn't as good a race as it looked on paper, but it has worked out quite well."

Murphy said: "Acklam Express is very lightly raced. He won well at Hamilton and there were different conditions today. I was keen not to get there too soon, but he actually got there a little bit early and he has hit the line well. I think he is a lovely horse. It's great to have his owners here - John Kilbride, Mike Spence, Ed Russell."

Join us for more action on Friday!

Jack Dawling's Thursday tips.

Myracing run through the day three card.

Ryan Moore's Thursday insight.

Get ready for Battaash's speedy return.

We're ready to welcome the 5000.