Goodwood reports: Kinross regains his Lennox crown

Frankie Dettori opened his account at this year’s Qatar Goodwood Festival as Kinross gained a second success in the World Pool Lennox Stakes.

It was a case of experience prevailing over youth as the six-year-old Kinross pulled clear with the three-year-old Isaac Shelby.

Having won the race in 2021 and finished second 12 months ago, seven furlongs with cut in the ground are the ideal conditions for Ralph Beckett’s Kinross.

When the split came up the inside, Dettori took advantage as Audience weakened but Isaac Shelby still looked a danger.

Despite a 6lb pull at the weights, Isaac Shelby, runner-up in the French Guineas, could not quite do enough and the 10-11 favourite began to pull away at the line to win by a neck.

Dettori said: “He tries, he loves the ground and loves the track. I think seven (furlongs) is his best but he can do six and a mile. He’s my ATM machine!

“From the Prix de la Foret he might go to somewhere else, maybe Doncaster and I think Marc (Chan, owner) is keen to run him in Hong Kong. I promised I’ll go.”

Beckett said: “We’ve never had one like him. He’s spent most of the last 48 hours with his left fore in a bucket because he trod on a stone, he’s got very thin soles and he feels every pin prick. He should have won it last year really, he got trapped in and got there too late.

“What a horse to train, he’s a joy to train.

“We’ll take the same route again with him and try to dance every dance. Santa Anita again and in between he might go to York for the City Of York and Doncaster for the Park Stakes. I hope he’ll go to Longchamp for the Foret and the sprint at Ascot.

“We’ll dance every dance again – he’s a gelding, he’s got to dance every dance.”

Of a possible Hong Kong challenge, Beckett added: “There is an idea that might happen, we might have to duck one of the races here to ensure he gets there – it’s a good problem to have.

“He needs no work, he’s very clean winded and you really don’t have to gallop him at all. He is very easy to train but he wasn’t initially, he didn’t get his act together until he won the Hyde Stakes but once he’s in a groove, he stays in that groove and you don’t have to do anything to keep him that way.”

Should Kinross line up in the Foret at ParisLongchamp in the autumn, he could well clash again with Isaac Shelby.

His trainer Brian Meehan said: “I am disappointed he got beat but pleased he got that close to showing himself to be a genuine Group One horse, which I’m sure he is.

“I’m where I want to be with him and he will only get better.

“I shall talk to the owners and see what they want to do and they will ask the same about me.

“But the ground has never been a factor. Sean was very happy and I guess the cutaway helped Kinross somewhat.

“The Foret is the obvious race for him, but let’s see.”

Haatem held off the late lunge of Iberian to win the Nicholson Gin Vintage Stakes at Goodwood.

Second to 2000 Guineas favourite City Of Troy in the Superlative Stakes last time out, albeit beaten six and a half lengths, Haatem was finally enjoying his moment in the sun after several respectable efforts this season.

Sean Levey rode him with confidence and was never too far from the pace, but the same could not be said of Charlie Hills’ Iberian, who was slowly away.

That left William Buick with no choice but to drop in at the rear and when push came to shove, that allowed Haatem (9-4 favourite) to get first run.

Haatem quickened up stylishly away from Witness Stand and Golden Mind, and while Aidan O’Brien’s Mountain Bear briefly looked a threat, it was Iberian who threw down the last challenge.

He could never quite get on terms, however, and went down by a length.

It was a first win in the race for Hannon, a Group Two his father won five times.

He said: “I’m very pleased, he’s a lovely horse and he ran so well in the Coventry and the Superlative. He was very unlucky in the Woodcote, he didn’t get any luck on the inside. That was our day and I thought it was all going wrong, but on days like today you realise you get your luck back.

“I thought this was his day, it was almost his Derby but he will get better as the year goes on. He’s a horse that’s big enough for next year, it’s not about being a two-year-old.

“He ran here first time and he’s improved all year. He’s a Group Two winner now so obviously we have to aim high, but he’s getting better.

“Something like the Dewhurst (will be the aim), he’s got to improve to take on the big guns but he’s doing that with every run.

“This horse has won a very good race, (Ascot winner) Rosallion might be the best we’ve had for years. This fella is a quiet achiever, he gets better every day.

“This lad is your mate, he tries every time and he’s just getting better.”

Hills will also look towards the Dewhurst with Iberian.

He said: “William was very impressed with him. He was drawn nine and has run a great race. It’s nice to know you have a horse you can target the top races with, and we will look at the Champagne Stakes and if that goes to plan the Dewhurst.

“I think the softer surface just blunted the speed out of him and he floundered in the going.

“But he’s a good horse for the future and could be a Guineas horse.”

Ancient Rome shone on his first start for new connections when pouncing late to land the Coral Chesterfield Cup Handicap on the opening day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

The Charlie Hills-trained War Front colt was previously trained by Andre Fabre for Coolmore, but changed hands earlier in the season and then moved yards after three more runs for Fabre.

Last seen coming home third in the Group Three Prix Messidor at Chantilly, the four-year-old was a 33-1 chance under Jamie Spencer and had most of the field to pass approaching the two-furlong pole.

Spencer is a jockey who thrives in such situations, however, and the pair picked off their rivals to lunge over the line and win by a length in the end.

Hills said: “I haven’t had him very long, he’s only been with us a couple of weeks, but he’s a very laid-back individual.

“Jim and Fitri Hay are big supporters of this meeting, so we thought we’d give him a go and it’s paid off.

“When we saw the draw (stall 16) I thought it didn’t look good, but there was only one way to do it, which was to give him a chance and try to keep down the middle.

“He’s got some very good form from last year, he was fourth in the French Guineas, and while he’s obviously come down the handicap we’ll probably aim a little bit higher with him.

“That should have given him some confidence now.”

John Quinn’s Lord Riddiford flew to a third success in the Coral Handicap in the hands of Andrea Atzeni.

The eight-year-old landed the contest in both 2021 and 2022, but had been well beaten in two efforts this season.

Back over his favoured course and distance, the 8-1 winner cruised down the inside rail to cross the line a convincing three and a quarter lengths ahead of Stuart Williams’ Existent.

“He really, really likes this track, he ran quite well in the Dash (at Epsom), but the ground was a little bit quick for him,” Quinn said.

“We thought as he’s an old horse we’ll freshen him up for here and hope that he gets a bit of cut in the ground.

“We were more than hopeful. With these older horses, they need conditions to be ideal.

“Two-year-olds will probably go on ground a bit quicker than is ideal, but older horses need it ideal.

“When I was driving down yesterday there was rain all the way to London, which was lovely! It stopped a bit further on, and then when we got to Goodwood it was raining again and I thought, ‘lovely’. It’s great to see an eight-year-old bounce back and I’m delighted.”

Diego Dias’ first runner in Britain was a winning one as Mansa Musa claimed a hard-fought triumph in the British EBF 40th Anniversary Maiden Stakes.

The former jockey, who hails from Brazil, has been heavily involved in the bloodstock industry for some time and only recently switched to training.

Based on the Curragh, Dias has held his licence for four months but had a good deal of well-placed confidence in his runner, who started at 20-1 under Rossa Ryan, standing in for sidelined Hong Kong ace Vincent Ho.

Array, the 4-6 favourite, battled Mansa Musa all the way to the line but it was the latter who prevailed by a short head.

“We always liked this horse at home. We know he improved from the run and there’s a lot more to come from this horse.

“He’s a really nice horse, we always did like him even when he went to the breeze-up sales in Dubai.

“We didn’t sell him and had to bring him back, he’s just proven for us now how good he is.”

Of his background and journey into training Dias added: “I’m from Brazil, rode back home in Brazil in Rio and rode in Ireland as well.

“The past few years I’ve been doing breeze-ups, I just took out my licence this year and that’s my second winner. It’s great.

“I’m based at the Curragh, best place to be – the gallops are the best in the world!

“It’s going better than I imagined, but I came here very confident that he was going to put on a good show.”