By Tom Frary
Fifth in the G2 Coventry S., AlMohamediya Racing's Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}) saw off TDN Rising Star Theat (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) in tenacious fashion to secure the G2 Qatar Richmond S. at Goodwood on Thursday. Behind Threat in that June 18 Royal Ascot contest, where he hung under pressure, the 15-2 shot had first run on Cheveley Park's 11-8 favourite here and after tracking the early pace took over passing the two-furlong pole and held him off to prevail by 3/4 of a length. “He was still very babyish at Ascot and lugged across the track for some reason, so Clive [Cox] put a crossed noseband on him today and it seemed to help him no end,” rider Adam Kirby commented. “I didn't feel I was going that quick on him, as he has a high cruising speed and his like his sire in that respect.”
Fourth on debut at Newbury May 17, Golden Horde signalled that he was a smart juvenile when taking a Windsor novice contest by 4 1/2 lengths June 3 and was only 1 3/4 lengths off Arizona (Ire) (No Nay Never) and 1 1/4 lengths off Threat when in the mix in the Coventry. Granted an ideal lead from Misty Grey (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) to passing halfway in this contest, he proved he had sharpened up enough in the interim period to find two lengths. Cox, whose Positive (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) had performed to a high standard when second in Tuesday's G2 Vintage S., said, “He ran a blinder at Royal Ascot and had come forward again and trained nicely. He's a joy to have and is improving all the time. He has a bit of size and scope, so we always knew he would keep improving throughout the season. He is in the [Aug. 23 G2] Gimcrack [at York] and the [Aug. 18 G1 Prix] Morny [at Deauville]. We'll see how he comes out of the race and then see what he is telling us.”
Threat's trainer Richard Hannon said of the runner-up, “There are no excuses. He was coming to win, but didn't. The winner is obviously a very nice horse. He hit the gate all right and travelled right, he was in the right place at the right time, but he got beat. Threat is a very good horse. I haven't lost confidence in him or lessened my admiration of him, but I had hoped he would win there. He is always going to be a better three-year-old, and I always hoped he was going to be a Guineas horse.”
The dam Entreat (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), who scored over 10 furlongs, was a Cheveley Park Stud cast-off for just 14,000gns at the 2016 Tattersalls July Sale and since then her daughter Exhort (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) has won the recent Listed Pipalong S. She is a half-sister to the G3 Criterion S., G3 Supreme S. and G2 International Topkapi Trophy winner Producer (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) from the family of the incredible Serena's Song (Rahy) and her notable Storm Cat son and daughter Grand Reward and Sophisticat. Her descendants also include Suphala (Fr) (Frankel {GB}) who captured the recent G3 Prix Chloe and Listed Prix Volterra. Entreat's yearling colt by Mehmas (Ire) is entered in this month's Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale.
Thursday, Goodwood, Britain
QATAR RICHMOND S.-G2, £200,000, Goodwood, 8-1, 2yo, c/g, 6fT, 1:11.01, gd.
1–GOLDEN HORDE (IRE), 126, c, 2, by Lethal Force (Ire)
1st Dam: Entreat (GB), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: River Saint, by Irish River (Fr)
3rd Dam: Imagining, by Northfields
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (£65,000 Ylg '18 GOUKPR). O-AlMohamediya Racing; B-CN Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Clive Cox; J-Adam Kirby. £113,420. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-0, $150,158. *1/2 to Exhort (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), SW-Eng, $116,534. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Threat (Ire), 126, c, 2, Footstepsinthesand (GB)">Footstepsinthesand (GB)–Flare of Firelight, by Birdstone. (100,000gns Wlg '17 TATFOA). O-Cheveley Park Stud; B-La Lumiere Partnership (IRE); T-Richard Hannon. £43,000.
3–Royal Dornoch (Ire), 126, c, 2, Gleneagles (Ire)">Gleneagles (Ire)–Bridal Dance (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). (240,000gns Ylg '18 TATDEY). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £21,520.
Margins: 3/4, 3, HF. Odds: 7.50, 1.35, 25.00.
Also Ran: Volatile Analyst, Symbolize (Ire), Misty Grey (Ire), Dream Shot (Ire), Royal Commando (Ire), Maxi Boy (GB), King Neptune, Don't Stop Dancing (Ire), Guildsman (Fr), Fleeting Prince (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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