Less than an hour after his heroics on Bow Echo, Billy Loughnane’s day got even better as he steered French Affair (14/1) to an unlikely success in the Coral Charlton Handicap.
Loughnane found himself behind a wall of horses at halfway of the six-furlong contest. However, he managed to thread a passage and get his mount up close home to score by a neck from Under The Twilight (13/2), with Wreck It Ryley (28/1), Mae Amor (50/1) and Cashbox (18/1) filling the minor places.
French Affair was making his first start for trainer Jennie Candlish, having been purchased for 55,000 guineas from Richard Hannon’s yard at Tattersalls earlier this month.
Alan O’Keeffe, assistant trainer, said: “We have not had this horse for very long. The lads [Pompey Ventures & JPS Ltd] picked him out at Newmarket and they really liked him. Gary White, who is JPS Ltd, owned the winner when this lad was second at York, so that was a nice run as we thought the winner was a good one that day. The lads came on board, and they are a great bunch, so between them they picked him out and moved for him at the sales.
“We have just tipped him over with a couple of little breezes, so I cannot say we have known a lot about him, but everything we have asked of him he has done well. He has a lovely attitude. One thing about him at home is that he is laid back and takes it all in when we breeze him. He has done everything we wanted him to do at home, and the lads were keen to come here and have a go, so it is great that it worked out. It was touch and go whether he would get in or not, but we thought a fast-run six would suit him. He had been running over seven, where it looked like this would suit, and what can you say? Billy [Loughnane] gave him a fantastic ride. He held him up and knew he would come home strong. It was an unbelievable ride.
“It was great to watch. He had his game plan going out, to try to hang on to their coattails and come home strong, and once you saw him get to the rail, he really started to pick up. Billy is a jockey riding with confidence, and the horse seemed to enjoy it. It is great to come to Goodwood with horses like this.
“It is our first winner here. We have not been here much, so it is great for the yard. We are getting bigger and getting a better quality of horse, so it is fantastic. We have got a great team behind us picking these horses. There are people behind the scenes looking at the form, and it is working for us. It is the owners’ first horse with us, but I have heard they can celebrate well, so I would say it is going to be a late night tonight!”
Michael Blake said of Under The Twilight: “It was a cracking run. We have finished second in a photo finish here with her for the second year running. She is a difficult filly because you have got to hold her up and come through, and she probably got carried a bit wide, but the best horse won. If she is alright, we will have a go at the Fitzdares Final at Windsor in a couple of weeks.”
Ray Dawson said of Wreck It Ryley: “It was a great run. I am delighted but it’s agonising as well because we were in front for half a furlong before the line. It was a great run, though. We didn’t think he handled this ground, but he does now, maybe because he’s a bit older.”