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Harry calls the tune on Verse

A lone three-year-old in the 14-runner line-up, she provided another winner for trainer Ralph Beckett and a welcome success for jockey Harry Bentley, who is now freelancing after completing a two-year stint as second jockey at Sheikh Fahad's Qatar Racing. It was always Sheikh Fahad's intention to use Bentley's services again, and with jockey Oisin Murphy suspended he came in for the ride on Simple Verse, and produced a top-draw performance to negotiate a congested field.

This was Bentley's second winner at this year's Qatar Goodwood Festival, and he said: "It's great to ride a winner for my old boss, especially on one of these big occasions.

"Ralph said try and keep her near the pace and see how you go. I didn't want to set her alight, because she has been a little keen in the past. I was a little bit further back than ideal early on, but she finished well.

"Nine times out of 10 the leaders will make their way across to the rail and there can be a lot of hard luck stories, but I found a bit of a gap, and while she had every right not to go through it she battled hard. She stuck her head out and she's a big scopey filly who could go on.

"She went left a little in the final furlong, but she wasn't idling, just being on her own. I was absolutely delighted to get my first Glorious winner and it's fantastic to get another in a nice race like this."

Happy team - Simple Verse with jockey Harry Bentley and trainer Ralph Beckett (second right) after her Group Three win today

Beckett is eyeing races at Doncaster for Simple Verse, and, having won today's race over nearly the Classic distance of the Ladbrokes St Leger, she could be a contender for that famous race. The winning trainer said: "I'm very proud of her - she's got better with age and experience, and really toughed it out when winning her previous race, the Bibury Cup at Salisbury, which often throws up a good horse. To win that with a filly against colts led me to believe today's race was the right target - there was talk of running in a Listed race here on Saturday, but I was keen to try this because we were convinced she would stay and her pedigree and style of running said she would.

"Harry has given her a peach of a ride and has really come of age as well, so it's great all round.

"The Park Hill Stakes [at Doncaster] is an obvious one, but Mike Dillon [of Ladbrokes] has just collared me and said 'you should put her in the St Leger'. We've been placed with two fillies in the Leger so we might think about it, but if not the Park Hill. There is a lot to look forward to."

David Redvers, racing manager to Qatar Racing, said: "It's a fantastic result for the team as a whole - Simple Verse was trained by Olly and Hetta Stevens, but she was swopped with Lightning Spear because we just felt they would be suited by joining their new respective trainers. It's worked well, and this filly is a real tribute to Ralph's ability with fillies.

"I'm absolutely delighted that Harry rode her today - he is riding out of his skin at the moment, and has twice been champion jockey in Qatar. It was always Sheikh Fahad's intention to give a really promising jockey two years to help them after they lose their claim, and hasn't it worked well in Harry's case."

Photographs from the Qatar Goodwood Festival: Dan Abraham

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