Related Articles
Latest news: Marquand guides 16-1 Quickthorn to runaway success
By Marcus Armytage at Goodwood
Of Quickthorn’s brilliant win, Hughie Morrison said: “Tom got the fractions frantically well as did Jason Hart last time. I thought he might have gone a bit quick for the first two furlongs . It’s hard to keep up 13 second furlongs over that distance but after that I didn’t think he went too fast. I don’t think he stole it as such, you really have to say what a horse.
“I was getting quite excited going up the hill [six furlongs out]. I always felt a bit of juice in the ground would suit him. He puts a lot into it — his flops in the autumn are because he puts so much into it he’s over the top by then. He’s a galloper — he’s fantastic to train. It’s like watching a three mile chaser go past every day. Every other horse is doing three strides to his one.”
After what is sure to be a contender for ride of the year, Marquand said: “He’s such a fun horse. He goes out wearing his heart on his sleeve. Everyone knows what you’re going to do and tries to stop him. Huge credit to Hughie and Lady Blyth, his owner-breeder.
“He’s had some great days but deserved a Group One. It was just a case of finding a rhythm and wherever that puts you, it puts you. Once I let him off at the three pole I knew he’d get home unless there was something exceptional behind us. It was a big performance.”
Oisin Murphy, who led the chasing pack on eventual third Coltrane for a long way, said he could not have gone any faster and going as quickly as he did cost him second to Emily Dickinson.
David Egan, on Eldar Eldarov in fourth, said that if they had tried to go with Quickthorn they would have sacrificed their own chances. “No other horse could have done what he did,” he added.
Frankie Dettori, who described the race as “bizarre,” at least got his last Glorious Goodwood off to a winning start when Kinross won the World Pool Lennox Stakes for the second time. “He’s spent a good chunk of the last 48 hours with his foot in a bucket because he stood on a stone,” explained Ralph Beckett. “He’s got very thin soles.”
On Wednesday the highlight is the Qatar Sussex Stakes. A fair drop of over-night rain was anticipated on the South Downs on Tuesday night which could even turn the ground heavy. But Paddington, the Irish Guineas, St James’s Palace Stakes and Eclipse winner, looks out on his own in this one and has won on the heavy before so the going will not be an excuse for him.
“He’s a very rare beast,” said Ryan Moore, his jockey, yesterday. “He wouldn’t mind if it was snowing!”
There was a sting in the tail from Saturday’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes when winning jockey Jim Crowley was given a £10,000 fine and banned for 20 days, which rules him out of York’s Ebor meeting, for hitting the winner Hukum nine times, three above the limit under the new whip rules after the Whip Review Committee’s weekly Tuesday sitting. Rob Hornby on the runner up got four days.
Source link
