Hoping for a Celebration at Goodwood
Qatar Racing will have runners in no fewer than seven Stakes races over the weekend.
Group One performers Arod and Lightning Spear (pictured below) are among the septet, and will meet in Goodwood's Gr.2 Celebration Mile (16.30), which has attracted just five runners.
They were also in opposition on their latest starts when unplaced in the Gr.1 Prix Jacques Le Marois won by Ribchester, but while Lightning Spear finished ninth of the 11 runners he was only three and a half lengths behind the winner.
Arod was one place further back, but trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam feared the worst when he saw the course at Deauville being liberally watered in advance Arod likes a firm surface, and if the rain keeps away and he reproduces the form which saw him finish second in last year's Gr.1 Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood he cannot be ignored on his return to the course.
Jimmy Fortune rides Arod for the first time in public, while Oisin Murphy renews his partnership with the David Simcock-trained Lightning Spear.
Simcock also runs Goldmember at Goodwood in the Listed March Stakes (15.55). He came up against the smart Ulysses on his latest start in Goodwood's Gr.3 Gordon Stakes, and now steps up in trip by a further two furlongs.
Murphy also rides Goldmember, and is on Suzi's Connoisseur in the Goodwood Revival Handicap (15.20) trainer Stuart Williams is hopeful a draw in stall 13 will give the horse room to operate and if so he should acquit himself well.
The least well-known member of Qatar Racing's team at Goodwood is Rich Legacy, who surprised a few people trainer Ralph Beckett included when winning in fine style on her debut at Newmarket last month. Beckett felt she would need a mile to begin making an impression, yet she showed plenty of speed to win over seven furlongs on that occasion, and stays at that trip for the Gr.3 Prestige Stakes (14.45).
Key rivals among the nine-strong field include Grecian Light, who was runner-up in the Gr.3 Sweet Solera Stakes, and Kilmah the last-named is a Mark Johnston runner at Goodwood, so enough said.
Opal Tiara, who won a handicap in good style on her latest start, returns to Stakes company for Sunday's Gr.3 Supreme Stakes (16.20) at Goodwood, while Holy Cat and Velveteen have been declared for the Gr.3 Tower Stakes at the Curragh. Holy Cat won on debut at Leopardstown for Michael O'Callaghan's stable, while the Ger Lyons-trained Velveteen found five furlongs just too sharp on her latest outing at the Curragh. Returning to six furlongs should suit better.
Photo of Lightning Spear: Laurence Squire