OTTOMAN Emperor gave Johnny Murtagh
- a first Goodwood Festival success as a trainer, and rider Ben Coen a first in the saddle in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes.
The 11/1 shot hit the front early in the straight and kept on stoutly to repel the challenge of Sir Lucan (Aidan O’Brien/Frankie Dettori), who stayed on best of all from a poor position, but was still half a length down at the line. Market leader Third Realm (Roger Varian/David Egan) was a further length and a quarter back in third.
The winner gave the impression that he will stay further, as he was in front long enough, and was only closed down late, and both he and Sir Lucan ran decent trials for the St Leger at Doncaster in September, a race they’ve both been pencilled in for by their respective trainers.
Murtagh, who had an enviable Goodwood record as a jockey said afterwards: “Ben says he’s raced lazily all the way, but he’s like that, he’s a little bit babyish. You don’t know how good he is or how good he can be.
“He got to the top of the hill where he lost his balance a little bit and then he grabbed him and he came strong. Ben said he got to the front a bit too soon, but he wasn’t stopping when the others came to him.
“One thing about him is that he’s very genuine, very tough and he doesn’t stop trying.
“We came here to find out can he stay a mile and six. I think he answered a lot of questions today. We’d love to give him a shot at the St Leger next because it’s a very nice race and we’d love to have a live chance in it.”
HAVING won the Goodwood Cup with Trueshan, Alan King doubled his pattern-race tally for the week when 11/4 favourite Asymmetric came late to land the Group 2 Richmond Stakes under a delighted Martin Harley.
Harley needed to be patient having been in a pocket for much of the race, but his mount quickened impressively and showed real courage to take a small gap with just over a furlong to run, and he got to the front quite easily before tending to idle.
Asymmetric passed the post with half a length to spare over Khunan (Richard Fahey/Hollie Doyle) with Gubbass (Richard Hannon/Sean Levey) a nose further back in third.
There was just over a length separating the first five home, and one or two might be considered unlucky (notably the Fahey first-string Perfect Power) given the surprising lack of pace in the contest, but the winner got to the front easily and he appears the sort who only wants to do enough.
Nerves
King said: “I think I burnt out most of the nerves on Tuesday with Trueshan. I thought Asymmetric would run very well today. I wasn’t thinking he had to win this whereas I thought Trueshan had to on Tuesday.
“Asymmetric has the most wonderful temperament. He does nothing at home, he eats and sleeps. You give him the odd nudge in the morning just to make sure all is good. He has a fairly good turn of foot when he does go too.
“We were always going to step back and take a lead on him. I was just hoping they wouldn’t get first run on him.
“He can go on soft, but we think he is a better horse on top of the ground – Martin said he gives him a much better feel on faster ground. I’ve no idea where he goes next; he’s in the Gimcrack and the Prix Morny.”