‘One in a million’ Big Evs holds off Asfoora to land Goodwood triumph

The speed duel on the Sussex downs delivered a thrilling climax on Friday as Mick Appleby’s three-year-old Big Evs hurtled down the hill and then held the late charge of Asfoora by a short-head to take the King George Stakes, and tee up a rematch with the Australian trained runner-up in the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes at York later in August.

Three of the 10 runners in Friday’s Group Two had a top-level win to their name already and the pace was extreme from the off as Ponntos, a rare Czech trained runner in the UK, opened an early lead.

Within a furlong, though, Big Evs had assumed his familiar position at the head of the field and while his immense natural speed was just enough to get him home on one of the fastest five-furlong tracks in the country, it could easily be a different story if he renews his rivalry with Asfoora on the Knavesmire on 23 August.

Big Evs, after all, beat only two of his 15 rivals to the line in last year’s Nunthorpe, when he was a rare juvenile runner in the race, and the lightning fast sprint course here did not suit Asfoora’s strong-finishing style.

Asfoora, meanwhile, was also carrying a Group One penalty here for her win in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot, when Big Evs was a length-and-a-half behind her in third, and she is now a marginal favourite for the Nunthorpe at around 3-1 with Big Evs available at 9-2.

“Big Evs is one in a million, the best I’ve trained by a long way,” Appleby said. “I thought they were going to come and do us at the end, but he’s very tough and found a bit more. At Ascot, the ground probably was perfect for us and the stiff finish is completely different to here.”

Henry Dwyer, Asfoora’s trainer, has high hopes of reversing today’s form if the two horses meet again at York.

“She is a quick mare but they went a bit quick for her early,” Dwyer said. “Big Evs was able to control his own destiny, whereas we were stuck behind a couple and got a bit of a bump at around the 300 [a furlong and a half out]. I think that’s probably cost her the win, but she’s run great.”

There have been more disappointments than big-race victories for Kieran Shoemark since taking over from Frankie Dettori as the No 1 rider at John and Thady Gosden’s powerful Newmarket stable this season, but he added a welcome Group-race success to his tally earlier on the card as Lead Artist took the Group Three Thoroughbred Stakes under a well judged front-running ride.

“Kieran controlled the race and dominated it very well,” John Gosden said. “The horse has improved greatly and hopefully he’s good enough to come back here for the Celebration Mile [on 24 August].

“There are seven retained jockeys in the stable already, retained by their owners, to that extent it does limit what Kieran can ride. He hasn’t had the rub of the green on some of them and some of them have been slow to come to themselves, but that’s normal.

“We are still only halfway through the year, so there’s a long way to go. We had two winners at Royal Ascot, they were both by retained jockeys, so Kieran couldn’t have ridden them if he wanted to.”

The low numbers generally have a big advantage in the Golden Mile Handicap but it was a different story this year as Toimy Son, from the widest draw of all in a 16-strong field, came home a couple of lengths in front of Dutch Decoy, from the stall next door.

“When I saw the draw a couple of days ago, I kind of lost all hope,” said David Menuisier, who trains Toimy Son a few miles from Goodwood at Pulborough. “Oisin [Murphy] rode an absolute peach. He’s won a massive race so we’ll enjoy this one, big time.”

Rumstar stands out on Saturday

Last year’s rain-drenched meeting has seemed a distant memory so far this week as Glorious Goodwood has been blessed with hot weather and fast summer ground, and Saturday’s Stewards’ Cup, the feature race of the final afternoon, promises to be a much better spectacle than the 2023 renewal on all-but-unraceable ground.

That does not make it any easier to solve, however, and there is also pace on both sides of the track, so it is hard to be dogmatic about the possible effect of the draw. Among the early favourites, Dark Trooper has an obvious chance if he can build on his second-place finish in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot, although he was 3lb lower in the weights there and still came up a little short. Purosangue, a Listed winner as a juvenile who ran in Group One company at the royal meeting, could also go close on his handicap debut for all that an opening mark of 101 does not look overly generous on the balance of his form.

Neither appeals as offering much value at a single-figure price, though, and Rumstar (3.35) catches the eye as a solid each-way alternative at around 25-1. He is without a win since taking a Group Three as a juvenile but finished fifth in the Group One Commonwealth Cup last season, has edged down the weights this season and a repeat of his form when second at Newbury in May would take him very close.

Goodwood 1.50 Not the strongest Group Three of the season and there are familiar doubts around the ability of top-rated Al Aasy to get the job done so this could be the day when Aimeric gets a first win on the board outside handicap company.

Newmarket 2.05 Art Design took a big step forward to finish second in a well-run race at Thirsk last time and may have been let in lightly off a mark of 71 for her nursery debut.

Goodwood 2.25 The consistent Dancing In Paris seems likely to get the decent gallop he needs at this trip and looks overpriced at around 12-1 to add to his win at Ascot last month.

Newmarket 2.40 John and Thady Gosden are going for a hat-trick in this Listed contest and the lightly raced Place Of Safety could be the pick of their two runners.

Goodwood 3.00 The trip seemed to stretch Caius Chorister in the Gold Cup at Ascot last time but she had been much-improved in decent company earlier in the season and has an obvious chance dropping back in trip and grade here.