Qirat turns pace-making role into gold in Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes

Ballydoyle pacemaker Serengeti and Qirat were given plenty of rope despite setting no more than even fractions, with Richard Kingscote able to conserve enough energy on the Ralph Beckett-trained son of Showcasing,

The chasing pack still had plenty of ground to make up as Kingscote kicked his mount into the lead approaching the final furlong, a misjudgement from the more fancied contenders that proved decisive.

Rosallion (11/2) closed to within a neck at the line, with Henri Matisse (11/2) just over two lengths further back in third. Europe’s leading three-year-old Field Of Gold made no impression when asked to improve and finished fourth.

Qirat is now unbeaten in three starts at Goodwood, having won two valuable contests at the course in 2024, while it was another G1 win for Hong Kong-bound Kingscote, who won the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot on Time For Sandals.

Beckett said: “We set out to go 12-second furlongs. That was the plan and what he did. It is a simple as that. They didn’t sit close to him and that is the end result. When he went past Serengeti, I could see they were not coming and I was fairly confident he would not stop. He looked a million dollars beforehand. I don't think he has ever looked that well.

“When the race closed, I asked [Juddmonte racing manager] Barry Mahon if we could enter him because he was working so well and loves this place. I had him pencilled in to be entered and Barry said, ‘I don’t think there is much point in that’. He is a real Goodwood specialist. That is a fact and Richard is very good in this [front-runner] role. He has always been a terrific judge on the clock. I think he rode his first winner for me in July 2006. I have always been glad to have him on our side.

“The horse loves this place. You don’t have to be a form man to realise that. It didn’t go right for him in the Royal Hunt Cup because I put blinkers on him. That was an error. I always felt he was looking after himself.

“What a wonderful mare his dam Emulous has been for us. She has come up with [last year’s Arc winner] Bluestocking and now this. She has been like a hole in the wall, a cash machine for us!

“Obviously, I am sorry it did not work out for Field of Gold, but it is a horse race. Anything can happen. I watched the race with Marcus Armytage and told him to back him each-way. I always thought he would run well. He is in the Clipper Stakes at York. We will do what we have to do.’’

Kingscote said: “It is a bit surreal and not what I expected this morning. I am delighted for Ralph and Juddmonte. Ralph was happy with the horse. He had won here twice before. Obviously, we didn’t expect him to win but hoped he would run well.

“Towards the cut-away I was thinking he was going well, but you always expect the horses rated 20lb higher to be coming through. I could see Rosallion coming, but my horse kept pulling out. I am grateful that I got legged up on him; I think Ralph was happy to have me on as I like being in front, like my fractions and it worked out okay."

On his move to Hong Kong, Kingscote added: ‘It is better to be going off on a positive note. Hopefully, the guys in Hong Kong get to see me riding winners. I am looking forward to the opportunity and hope it goes well, but I have not burned bridges, so I can always come back if needs be.’’  

Barry Mahon of Juddmonte said: “In the parade ring, Ralph said to me 'this horse is going to run big' and to Richard he said, 'there's a big run in this horse', so while he was obviously there to make the pace, Ralph thought could finish in the three and he was dead right.

“He was always a horse that had a lot of potential and Ralph wanted to enter him in the race back earlier in the year and in my wisdom, I said, ‘don't be ridiculous’, but we ended up having to supplement him. But he has got the result – he is a beautiful horse and always has been. That's why we always felt there was more to come and, being a brother to Bluestocking, it is an unbelievable pedigree. It is great for the mare. She is a Group One winner herself, has bred an Arc winner and now she's bred a Sussex Stakes winner.”

Richard Hannon said of Rosallion: “It is pride, not frustration, but what does he have to do to win? Sean did the right thing and moved closer to the pacemakers, and he’s run a super race but didn’t win. It is life, isn’t it? He is a great horse, a good horse. His day has already come and there are other days to come. He is certainly not done with. He has beaten the best three-year-old we’ve seen for years and also the French Guineas winner.”

Aidan O’Brien said of Henri Matisse: “We are very happy with Henri Matisse. We think we haven’t got him really right yet, but we think we are getting there. Every time he runs, we are learning more. We were happy with him here, other than he didn’t win obviously.

“Ryan just said that coming down the hill at Goodwood, it just took him a little time to get organised as he’s a baby three-year-old. He felt he wasn’t finished with and there’s more to come.

“We think he is a miler, but Ryan thinks he will stay further. We will see how he is, but he could go back to France for the mile races and could end up in America for their mile races, or he could go up in trip, although we’ve never thought he was short of pace.”

John Gosden said of Field Of Gold: “He has done nothing wrong. The other pacemaker got left, he comes round, they're finally going a pace, we're sitting back a long way – that's life – and the pacemaker goes and wins it; if you let them have those fractions, they will do it.

“Field Of Gold ran on, but he didn't seem too well balanced on the track, as it's a different type of track he has ever run on. He just got a little unbalanced coming out of the dip into the bend, but I am not making any excuses. They ignored the pacemaker and paid the price. He ran a huge race in the Guineas and was flying at the finish. He was not flying at the finish today, so it was a very big difference. William [Buick] said as soon as he asked him, the engine wasn't there, simple as that. If it was, he would have run on probably with Rosallion in second, but he didn't fire today.”