Kyprios continues resurgence with Goodwood Cup stroll | Racing News

Kyprios cemented his status as the best stayer in the land with a comprehensive victory in the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup.

Aidan O’Brien’s six-year-old was the dominant force in the division in 2022, winning the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, the Goodwood Cup and the Irish St Leger before rounding off an unbeaten campaign with a jaw-dropping 20-length demolition job in the Prix du Cadran.

A career-threatening injury restricted him to just two outings last term and he was beaten on both occasions, but he had roared back to his best this season, winning each of his first three starts, including a successful defence of his Gold Cup crown last month.

With regular partner Ryan Moore in the plate, the son of Galileo was an 8-13 favourite to regain his Goodwood title and his supporters will have had few concerns for the duration of the two-mile contest.

After being briefly nudged along rounding the home turn, Kyprios soon came back on the bridle and was cantering all over his rivals halfway up the straight.

Gold Cup third Sweet William did his best to make a race of it, but he was not in the same league as the winner, who had four lengths in hand at the line and was value for more.

Sweet William’s stablemate Gregory was just a head further behind in third, with popular veteran Trueshan – winner of the Goodwood Cup in 2021 – staying on for fourth.

Audience delivers rousing performance in Lennox Stakes success

Lockinge hero Audience got back on the winning trail with a dominant display in the HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes at Goodwood.

John and Thady Gosden’s charge was a shock winner of the first Group One of the season at Newbury, where he made every yard of the running to upstage his fellow Cheveley Park-owned stablemate Inspiral.

Having since finished fifth in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot, the five-year-old was eased in grade and distance for this seven-furlong Group Two and was visually impressive in the hands of Robert Havlin.

In a race in which only two horses were ever really in contention, 4/1 shot Audience sat in the slipstream of the pacesetting Art Power before being unleashed entering the final furlong and the race was soon over as a contest as Havlin’s mount sprinted four lengths clear.

Art Power boxed on to fill the runner-up spot, with 7/2 favourite Kinross – bidding for his third victory in the race following previous triumphs in 2021 and 2023 – making late headway to finish third.

Of the winner, Havlin said: “After he won the Lockinge, I told everyone it was no fluke and they laughed.

“He’s always had a lot of ability. We used to ride him without the hood on but I sat on him on Saturday and he absolutely flew so we thought this was the right time to try him without it.

“He wasn’t very competitive in the Lennox round here last year (finished sixth) but, with the hood off, it really sharpened him up. He’s so controllable now, as well.

“I didn’t think we were going overly quick up the hill but I let him go at the three (furlong marker) and by God, he was fast.”

Audience now looks set to stick at the seven-furlong distance for the City of York Stakes on the Knavesmire next month. Paddy Power cut his odds for that lucrative prize to 7/2 from 12/1.

“Plainly he didn’t quite stay the stiff mile at Ascot,” said Cheveley Park’s managing director Chris Richardson.

“We’ve stuck with Rab (Havlin) the whole way through and the horse continues to thrive and they have a great relationship.

“I was thrilled that Pat Thompson was there at Newbury when he won and I’m sorry that they are not here today, but defying a penalty has certainly given everyone plenty to think about.

“We’ll probably go to York for the City Of York Stakes, where he doesn’t carry a penalty, then it’s all to play for. We’ll look at all those races over his favoured seven furlongs.”

John Gosden added: “He’s matured and the mile’s too stiff at Ascot. He’ll go to the City Of York, he was second in it last year to Kinross. He’ll go there, no penalty. That’s the plan.

“We’ve put him in the Prix de la Foret, last year’s ground would be perfect as it was good to firm. He wouldn’t want traditional Parisian turf.

“He has the speed for a race like the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar. He could be a horse for it. Travelling would be no problem.

“Rab knows him really well. He rides him most mornings and every time he nearly takes him home!”

Tim Easterby was proud of the performance of the admirable Art Power, saying: “He’s wonderful. He’s a pony, but he’s wonderful and tries like hell.

“He’s got an unbelievable temperament. We thought he’d run well. We wanted to run him over a fast seven somewhere; he ran well at York over seven.

“If it had been softer, it would have been better, but he goes on any ground.

“We want to go for the big race at Ascot in October (Qipco British Champions Sprint), but where we go before then, I don’t know. We’ll get him back home first. But he’s a wonderful horse.”

Aomori City shows his class with Vintage display

A step up to seven furlongs proved right up Aomori’s City’s street as the promising colt powered home to land the HKJC World Pool Vintage Stakes at Goodwood.

A comfortable winner on his Nottingham debut in mid-June, the Oasis Dream colt was last seen finishing third behind Aidan O’Brien’s Whistlejacket over six furlongs in the Group Two July Stakes at Newmarket.

In the absence of Whistlejacket’s stablemate The Parthenon, Aomori City was a 2/1 favourite to get back on the winning trail on the Sussex Downs and ultimately did so in some style under William Buick.

After sitting on the tail of the pacesetting Cool Hoof Luke for much of the way, Charlie Appleby’s youngster quickened up smartly when the gap came to grab the lead inside the final furlong and he passed the post with a length and three-quarters in hand over the staying-on Wolf Of Badenoch.

“He’s quite a hardy horse and he had to be there because we had to fight for our position around the turn and this fella was brave,” said Buick.

“Once we got into the slipstream of Oisin (Murphy, on Cool Hoof Luke), it was just a matter of getting out and this fella picked up instantly and won going away.

“He will stay a mile, whenever he needs to. For now seven furlongs is a good trip for him.

“He’s come through the ranks this horse and Charlie was adamant that seven furlongs would suit him.

Appleby was claiming the Group Two prize for a second time, having previously struck gold with star juvenile Pinatubo in 2019.

“He’s a horse that we felt coming into the race on the evidence of the July Stakes, stepping up to seven would suit,” said the Moulton Paddocks handler.

“He’s cut it at a decent level there, that was a marked improvement and he’s a horse that’s neat. He had to be brave there, he got tight enough on the turns and there’s no harm in educating him towards the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Turf).

“When you watch him at home, he’s not a work horse. In the past couple of weeks we’ve had horses who are working over him, like Al Qudra and a couple of maidens, but they are working out at a decent level themselves, so he’s not doing much wrong.

“In the pecking order he’s doing what he’s doing. I’m not saying he’s just going to be a two-year-old but he’s neat, he’s professional and he knows what he is now so we’ll just keep pressing on.

“He’s a very straightforward horse. He’s always been a christian of a horse and very professional.”

Aomori City was given an introductory quote of 33/1 for next year’s 2000 Guineas by Paddy Power.

Hugo Palmer was thrilled with the performance of runner-up Wolf Of Badenoch, who won on his only previous outing at Doncaster.

“I am absolutely delighted. He still looks like a work in progress. He was the first one off the bridle and ultimately the winner just got first run on him,” said the trainer.

“He is a horse with a really exciting future and he will stay a mile this year. His dam stayed a mile and three-quarter and he might get a mile and a quarter next year.

“He has some nice entries. We put him in the Group One National Stakes in Ireland and we will put him in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere as well now.”

Andrew Balding said of the third placed Cool Hoof Luke: “It was a good effort. Seven furlongs is probably stretching him at this moment in time so we will probably drop him back to six furlongs for the remainder of the season. Something like the Mill Reef Stakes is possible for him.”

Take Heart shows plenty to land Chesterfield Cup at Goodwood

Johnny Murtagh’s Take Heart may be destined for greater things after landing the Coral Chesterfield Cup Handicap on the opening day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

The grey has been progressing all year, placing in some valuable handicaps before coming up against a wide draw in the John Smith’s Cup at York earlier in the month.

There he was a long way from disgraced when beaten four and a half lengths in eighth and returned to action at Goodwood having been dropped a pound on ratings.

Under Ben Coen he was a 7/1 shot in a field of 17 and always looked to be travelling well, taking up the lead at the furlong pole and holding off a challenge from the fast-finishing favourite Enfjaar to score by a neck.

“He’s not slow, he’s been training very well. I thought going to York that he’d a big chance, but he got drawn on the wide outside which made it difficult,” said Murtagh.

“When he drawn 18 today the owner was going ‘Jesus Johnny, what did you do to get these bad draws?’

“He was only beaten four and half lengths that day (at York), he had a lot of ground to make up in the straight.

“He was a little bit closer today, they went so slow and he was controlling the race at all times.

“He’s probably got a bit quicker, a mile and a quarter is ideal. In fairness to the horse, he deserved a big one like this and we’re delighted.

“There’s big handicap on Irish Champions weekend that he ran very well in last year, he could go there, but he’s probably a stakes horse in the making.”