Goodwood Wednesday

Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes (Group 1)

BOW Echo (George Boughey/Billy Loughnane) confirmed himself the outstanding miler of his generation when completing the 2000 Guineas, St James’s Palace Stakes and Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes treble, last achieved by Frankel in 2011.

The 10/11 favourite was short of room as the race developed and had to wait for a passage, but he produced a decisive late burst to collar old rival Gstaad (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore) in the final strides and win by half a length.

Opera Ballo (Charlie Appleby/William Buick), who had kicked for home in the straight, was a further length and three-quarters away in third.

Boughey said: “Bow Echo is an extraordinarily talented horse. We have known that for a long way. He has been in a couple of scraps recently and he’s shown fight today, he’s shown his turn of foot and it’s a career best.

“A lot went wrong again, but he was still able to win and win well.”

O’Brien was pleased with the runner-up and raised the possibility of stepping up in trip, saying: “We’re delighted with the run, absolutely. It was a great race. We always felt that he would get further, so I’m not sure where he’ll run next - we can think about what we want to do with him now. We always thought going a mile and a quarter was a possibility, so we’ll see what we do now.”

Rest of the card

Speedy Pershaada on Nunthorpe trail

PERSHAADA (Richard Hannon/Sean Levey) advertised her speed and professionalism when landing the Group 3 Veuve Clicquot Molecomb Stakes, travelling strongly before putting the race to bed with a sharp burst of speed inside the last furlong.

The 11/4 favourite came through to lead inside the final furlong and went away to beat Adonius (Rebecca Menzies/Kaiya Fraser) by two lengths, with 66/1 outsider Hell Of A Spin (Adrian Keatley/Mikey Sheehy) a neck away in third.

Hannon said: “I thought Pershaada would run very well today, she has been working very nicely and has actually won really well. We trained the stallion Persian Force, so it is good for him.

“She is an extremely fast filly and there is a good chance we might have a look at the Nunthorpe Stakes at York. She looks quick enough for that.”

Levey added: “She is decent. She’s very quick and she’s learned how to race properly. At halfway, she was starting to get a bit keen as the pace was slacking, but as soon as she got the gap she quickened and finished strongly.”

Class shines through for Flora

FLORA Of Bermuda (Andrew Balding/James Doyle) brought the strongest form to the Rolls-Royce Oak Tree Stakes and duly added a Group 3 win to her record, finding the necessary turn of foot after being switched left two furlongs out.

The 5/2 favourite led inside the final furlong and ran on to beat Sayidah Dariyan (Richard Hughes/Ryan Moore) by a neck, with Radiant Beauty (James Owen/Marco Ghiani) a length and a quarter back in third after meeting trouble in running.

Balding said: “We have been thinking about seven furlongs for a bit. It just seemed an obvious race to try it in. She has been very consistent at a high level throughout her career. She is a fantastic filly. She has done very well physically this year and is happier now she is going into the stalls late.

Stalls issue

“That is her flaw, if she has one; she is just not very patient. She will go straight into the stalls, but she will not stand there for more than 30 seconds, and poor old James [Doyle] got a perforation of his eardrums riding her at Ascot. It was a disaster, but apart from that, she is three from three this year when not fluffing her starts.

“I do not know what is next. We cannot really go abroad with her because of the stalls issue, as we cannot be guaranteed to have the same dispensations. I think we could go to York or we could go to Haydock. The great thing about her is that she goes on any ground; she is amazingly versatile. She won here on heavy ground and has won today on fast ground, so not many horses can do that.”

Sayidah Dariyan’s trainer Richard Hughes said: “I am thrilled with her run. Ryan [Moore] just felt he needed to commit a little earlier than he would have liked. The winner had a penalty and put in a good performance, but we are thrilled with ours. Kentucky Downs is an option.”

Blossom bright for Burke

WILD Blossom (Karl Burke/James Doyle) bounced back from her Royal Ascot disappointment to win the British Stallion Studs EBF Alice Keppel Fillies’ Conditions Stakes, justifying 5/4 favouritism in decisive style.

The Wathnan Racing filly, a wide-margin Carlisle debut winner before finishing 10th in the Queen Mary Stakes, tracked the pace set by Fast Track (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy) and was produced to lead entering the final furlong before keeping on well to score by a length and a half. Fast Track held second, with Divine Whisper (George Boughey/Billy Loughnane) staying on from the rear to take third, a further three-parts of a length away.

Burke said: “Wild Blossom worked with a very good older filly recently and worked very nicely. There is a slight concern when they do it so well first time on slow ground.

Slight doubt

“Then she ran very well at Ascot, but the draw completely screwed her. Her work has been very good since, although there was a slight doubt in my mind about the ground today. However, she went a very quick time there.

“She is a talented filly. She got quite lit up when James was legged up. She was not behaving too well at Ascot, but she was much better there today. She was very straightforward and got into a lovely rhythm very quickly. We will look at all those group five-furlong races, as she is obviously a very quick filly. I wouldn’t dismiss six furlongs; we will see what James says, but that was the plan today.”

Handicap recap

THE Coral Rewards Shaker Handicap went to Infraad (William Haggas/Tom Marquand), the 2/1 favourite, who beat Hatteen by a head, but had to survive a stewards’ enquiry, while the five-furlong handicap later on the card was won by French Affair (Jennie Candlish/Billy Loughnane) at 14/1, edging Under The Twilight by a neck.

The closing HKJC World Pool Handicap went to Crimson Spirit (Daniel and Clare Kubler/Ryan Moore), who was returned the 11/2 joint-favourite and beat The Liffey by three-parts of a length.