skip to main content

Goodwood is an Alcohol Free zone

Updated / Wednesday, 28 Jul 2021 16:24
Alcohol Free prevailed in the battle of the Royal Ascot winners
Alcohol Free prevailed in the battle of the Royal Ascot winners

Alcohol Free beat the colts to provide owner Jeff Smith with a famous victory in the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

Successful in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, the Andrew Balding-trained filly attempted to make all in the Falmouth at Newmarket last time out but had to give best close home to Snow Lantern, who took her on again.

Champion jockey Oisin Murphy was determined to delay his challenge on this occasion and made sure he played his hand late.

After a slow early pace Century Dream injected some speed into it a long way from home and caught a few rivals on the back foot.

Kevin Manning set off in pursuit on the favourite Poetic Flare and on entering the final furlong hit the front – but Jim Bolger's 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes hero was soon to face a bigger challenge, as Alcohol Free quickened impressively and went on to win by a length and three-quarters as a 7-2 chance.

Snow Lantern, who could have run in the Nassau Stakes over 10 furlongs later in the week, made up plenty of late ground to claim third, the same distance away.

Smith last won the race in 1984 with Chief Singer, while he has also tasted Goodwood glory with the likes of Lochsong and Persian Punch.

Balding said: "It’s a privilege, it really is.

"Just watching her at home in the mornings is demoralising for the other horses, we have to keep swapping the lead horse because she’s just so good.

"She’s hardly blowing afterwards, it’s just effortless for her.

"I was awful (watching the race), I was calling Oisin all sorts of names! It was a rough race and I’m sure there were hard luck stories, but I think she was easily the best horse on the day.

"It’s just lovely to see her do that because we’ve always believed in her, it’s no easy task coming and taking on the colts and the older horses and to do it in that style is just fantastic."

Looking to future plans, Balding suggested the daughter of No Nay Never could be seen on the Knavesmire next month.

He said: "We had a long debate yesterday, Mr Smith and I, about spending five grand of his hard-earned (money) keeping her in the Juddmonte (International).

"It’s a mile and a quarter, it’s a big ask, but as Jeff said she’s won Group Ones already.

"We’ve got nothing to prove, but it’s a possibility she may turn up there."

He added: "She doesn’t need too much (training), she doesn’t even need training to be honest, she does it all herself.

"She’s always been very good, right from the start, we ran her on one bit of work when she went to Newbury and absolutely hosed up.

"She’s been the victim of bad draws whenever she’s run and I think she probably could have won more – in the Guineas she’d have been placed if she was drawn in the middle or on the far side.

"There is trepidation with taking on any of those horses, Poetic Flare and Snow Lantern as well."

Manning felt ground conditions had not played to the strengths of Poetic Flare.

He said: "It was the same story as in Paris (sixth in Poule d'Essai des Poulains), and we were running a little bit behind the bridle, while on good ground he travels into his races. This ground has blunted his speed.

"I felt he was spinning on the ground and going up and down on one spot, though to give him credit he dug very deep and fought back when the filly went past him.

"The ground was tacky and holding, and there was no bounce in it."

Armor (6-1) fairly bolted up in the Markel Molecomb Stakes and turned Royal Ascot form on its head.

Richard Hannon's youngster had finished fifth behind Chipotle in the Windsor Castle Stakes in June, where Boonie was third.

Drawn against the fence, Ryan Moore could not have wished for a smoother run through the race.

It was Kevin Ryan’s Boonie and Ed Bethell’s favourite Fearby who initially started to pull away, a few horse widths from the rail.

That was more than enough of an invitation for Moore, who had ridden Armor to victory on his Doncaster debut victory.

Armor hit top gear inside the final furlong and shot clear, winning by three and a quarter lengths with Fearby winning the battle for second from Boonie.

Hannon said: "Ryan said he would go like that – I think he knows what he’s on about – and he did.

"I’ve not made too many flash entries for him, but we’ll look at something like the Morny now, Flying Childers.

"He should (make a nice three-year-old), he’s not a big horse and this is his year right now.

"If that happens, great, but he’s doing enough right now.

"He’ll get six, you have to go six if you’re going to go up."

Last Empire (16-1) proved her stamina with a gutsy success in the Whispering Angel Oak Tree Stakes.

Running over seven furlongs for the first time in the Group Three, Kevin Ryan's mare was handy throughout before seeing off the late challenge of Onassis.

It was another northern raider, in John Quinn’s prolific winner Highfield Princess, who put the pace to the race.

She was widest of all in stall 17, but the five non-runners helped negate the draw somewhat – and Jason Hart rode her into an early lead.

Coming down the hill, Hart was able to get a breather into his mount – and with two furlongs to run, still looked comfortable in front, but Danny Tudhope had him in his sights on the winner.

The two had a good battle to the line. Just when it seemed Last Empire had done enough, Onassis emerged to throw down one last challenge, before going down by half a length – with Highfield Princess a further neck away.

Ryan said of Last Empire: "She’s got the trip well there. If they’re going to get it, they’ll get it round here.

"She loved the soft ground, albeit a bit tacky today.

"The last run she ran very disappointingly, but she came back very heavily in season – so we just drew a line through it."

The North Yorkshire trainer gave the five-year-old a break of more than two months, following her Haydock defeat last time.

He added: "We thought we’d not rush her back, just take our time and start again.

"She looked great today. Danny had a good draw – and you have to keep it, you have to believe you’re going to get the trip.

"We always had in our minds at the beginning of the season to go to Ascot for Champions Day and go for the six-furlong race, but these things might change."

More stories on

Read Next