TOMMY PROVES THE REAL G AFTER 12-HOUR TRIP
It might have taken Tommy G (10/1) 12 hours to reach Goodwood Racecourse from Scotland, but he made the long trip worthwhile after landing the opening £75,000 Qatar Stewards' Sprint Handicap for trainer Jim Goldie and the in-form Silvestre De Sousa.
The five-year-old son of Makfi was a three-quarter length second in the 2017 renewal but made no mistake in the 2018 renewal of the six-furlong handicap, keeping on in tremendous fashion in the closing stages to score by three-quarters of a length.
Winning trainer Goldie, who saddled Haweyethenoo to victory in the 2012 edition of today's feature race, the £250,000 Unibet Stewards' Cup, said: "Tommy G is a home-bred and was second in this race last year, when he ran a blinder.
"We thought the ground might be a bit quick, but I said to Silvestre to just let him roll and when he hit the rising ground, he kicked on
"When Silvestre became available, I thought it was perfect because he is jump and go forward type of horse. Silvestre is very good at that type of ride - he can get the rhythm into racehorses like that.
"Tommy G likes Ayr, but I haven't run him on fast ground for a while and I thought there was a big one in him. He is in good nick and he is a nice horse.
"I like coming to Goodwood and it's great having another winner here. Hawkeyethenoo won the Stewards' Cup and that was a great memory.
"It was a 12-hour journey down here, but we've got a great team and I was delighted with the horse coming into the race as he had ate up and travelled down well.
"We came here on Thursday night - it's great to have a winner."
There were contrasting fortunes for Goldie as his other runner Golden Steps refused to come out of the stalls, but was deemed by the stewards to be a runner in the race.
Goldie said: "I don't know what happened to Golden Steps. It's very hard to watch two horses but he is one of life's characters. We won it with the other one anyway, so that's the main thing!"
Robert Winston, rider of Golden Steps, said: "Golden Steps just wouldn't leave the stalls."
DE SOUSA TOLD TO 'JUST RIDE A RACE' ON TOMMY G BY TRAINER JIM GOLDIE
Jockey Silvestre De Sousa rode his fourth winner at this year's Qatar Goodwood Festival on Tommy G (10/1) in the opening six-furlong Qatar Stewards' Sprint Handicap. He is now just one behind leader Ryan Moore in the battle for the Racing UK Leading Jockey Award.
"It was a tough performance. I had a decent draw in seven, but things didn't work out the way I want to," said De Sousa. "My horse did not really act on the fast ground going downhill, but when he hit the rising ground, he finished off well."
It was the first ride on Tommy G for De Sousa.
"Jim just told me to ride a race on him," said the winning jockey. "He didn't give me a feel going down to post, but in the race I just kept asking and he kept picking up for me."
De Sousa has four more rides on today's card, including Glenamoy Lad (8/1) in the Stewards' Cup. Moore has five rides and is on the second favourite Spring Loaded (13/2) in the feature.
TIGRE TAMES ALL BUT TOMMY G
Sophie Ralston relished the biggest ride of her career as 12/1 shot Oeil De Tigre, trained by Tony Carroll, finished a fine three-quarters of a length second to 10/1 winner Tommy G in the £75,000 Qatar Stewards' Sprint Handicap, the first race on day five of the Qatar Goodwood Festival.
The seven-year-old was slow away from the stalls but ran on the strongly in the closing stages under Ralston to fill the runner-up position.
Oeil De Tigre and Ralston have now run four times at Goodwood this season, winning three times and finishing second.
Ralston, apprenticed to Pat Phelan's yard in Epsom, said: I'm delighted with Oeil De Tigre. That was amazing.
"Up until the day before yesterday I didn't get my hopes up about even placing in the race until we got bigged up so much then I started to dare to dream that we could actually do it.
"I'm over the moon to come second, I mean that was amazing, there's no shame in that!"
Carroll, trainer of the second: I was delighted with Oeil De Tigre. He ran very well he was a tiny bit slow from the gates but he was in there a long time to be fair.
"Oeil De Tigre finished the race off very well and it was another great performance from him."
Joe Fanning aboard 16/1 shot Related, who finished a further half-length behind in third, said: "Related travelled well and I thought he was going to win, but he's run a good race."
1.50pm Qatar Stewards' Sprint Handicap
1 Tommy G (Johnnie Delta Racing) Jim Goldie 5-9-03 Silvestre de Sousa 10/1
2 Oeil De Tigre (Tony Carroll) Tony Carroll 7-9-00 Sophie Ralston (7) 12/1
3 Related (Taylor's Bloodstock Ltd) Paul Midgely 8-9-06 Joe Fanning 16/1
4 Dark Shot (Chappell Rose & Radford) Scott Dixon 5-9-03 Theodore Ladd (7) 14/1
15/2 Fav Militia (12th)
Time: 1m 10.52s
Distances: ¾, ½, ½
Tote Win: £11.80 Places: £2.40, £2.60, £5.00, £5.80 Exacta:£144.70
Jim Goldie - 3 Goodwood winners (3 at Qatar Goodwood Festival)
Silvestre de Sousa - 26 Goodwood winners (14 at Qatar Goodwood Festival)
GOING NEWS AFTER THE FIRST
Joe Fanning, rider of the third (16/1) Related, said: "Quick."
Theodore Ladd, on fourth (14/1) Dark Shot, said: "Quick."
Jason Watson, jockey of fifth Count Otto, said: "On the quick side of good."
William Buick, rider of Maakaasib, said: "Good to firm, on the quick side of that even."
Adam Kirby, jockey of Chagatai, said: "Quick."
Gerald Mosse, jockey of Outrage, said: "Good."
Ben Curtis, on board Shepherd's Purse, said: "Good to firm - more on the firm side."
Ryan Moore, jockey of Boy In The Bar, said: "Fast."
Gabriele Malune, on Zac Brown, said: "Definitely on the quick side of good."
George Wood, rider of Parnassian, said: "Good."
Andrew Breslin, jockey of Holiday Magic, said: "Nice ground."
Paul Hanagan, rider of Militia, said: "Quick."
Hollie Doyle, partner of B Fifty Two, said: "It is quite quick."
