Yorkshire-based Scotsman Mark Johnston trained his 81st Qatar Goodwood Festival winner, setting a record for wins at the famous midsummer meeting.
It was also his 150th winner at all Goodwood’s meetings.
Johnston, whose landmark victory came courtesy of Nayef Road in the G3 Qatar Gordon Stakes, had shared top spot with Sir Michael Stoute after equalling the Newmarket handler’s record yesterday. After welcoming in the Silvestre De Sousa-ridden Nayef Road, Johnston said: “Sir Michael has been around longer than me, so that’s quite good. We target the meeting and it’s nice to be up there making records, but I would swop them for a few of John Gosden’s Group One wins.
“At an early stage in my career we latched onto the great opportunities here at Goodwood, we really enjoy it, the owners really enjoy it, and we have some overseas owners here this week and they are really enjoying it. There is no better place to come to advertise British racing.
“My Scottish side means I firmly believe in racing horses for money, not racing them at home. People are always saying our horses run a lot, but a horse like Nayef Road won’t have galloped since before his first run of the season. We save the effort for the racecourse.
Yesterday Johnston set a new highest score for wins in one month by a trainer of Britain when saddling his 50th success in July. When reminded of his good run, he quipped: “Yes, but I’ve only trained one in August!”
Nayef Road (9/1) beat Constantinople (2/1 f) and Spanish Mission (11/2) by a neck and a head. Johnston said of his winner: “Even in defeat, he’s been running well and we’ve always thought highly of him.
“The St Leger has to be the target and we’ll keep an open mind on that. We think he’s better over further than today’s trip [12 furlongs], so while the Voltigeur Stakes [12 furlongs] is a possible he could go straight to the Leger. We could have more than one St Leger runner. I’ve won both Guineas, but never won a Derby and never won a Leger, although we’ve had a couple of placed horses in it.
“Sir Ron Priestley is fine after his run and win here yesterday [in the Unibet Handicap], but he has a way to go before he’s up to that level. He is in the Leger, though.”
NAYEF ON A ROAD TO SUCCESS IN QATAR GORDON STAKES
Whilst his rivals struggled to handle the undulations of Goodwood, 9/1 shot Nayef Road kept straight and true under jockey Silvestre de Sousa to land the £175,000 G2 Qatar Gordon Stakes, which made trainer Mark Johnston the winning-most trainer in the history of the Qatar Goodwood Festival with 81 successes.
The three-year-old son of Galileo displayed guts and determination, characteristics routinely associated with Johnston’s horses, in the closing stages of the 12-furlong event to register a neck victory over the Aidan O’Brien-trained 2/1 favourite Constantinople.
Winning rider De Sousa remarked: “Nayef Road answered every question. It was a real battle out there and he put his heart into it.
“I always had a handy position and was quite happy with the way he travelled.
“I had him settled and then the pace picked up from just going by the bushes when they switch courses, but I was always happy.
“Mark Johnston’s horses are so well trained. They come here to win and give everything for you.”
Unibet make Nayef Road a 14/1 shot for the G1 St Leger at Doncaster, the final Classic of the season on Saturday, September 14.
CONSTANTINOPLE STILL A BABY
“Babyish” was how trainer Aiden O’Brien described the run of second-placed 2/1 favourite Constantinople in the £175.000 G3 Qatar Gordon Stakes, who came home a neck adrift of the 9/1 Nayef Road.
Often a pointer for the last Classic of the year, the G1 St Leger, when asked about the chances of the Constantinople running at Doncaster O’Brien said: “The reality is that he is a horse for next year. He is a baby which is why we have always been going gentle with him. We have been trying to underface him rather than overface him.
“We will see how he is in a couple of months, I am not sure he will stay far enough to be a Cup horse.
“You can see how babyish he is by the way he runs, even when he got there he wandered about.
“He is massive, a very big horse. We will go gentle and see.”
3.00pm Qatar Gordon Stakes (Group 3), 1m 3f 218y
1 Nayef Road (Mohamed Obaida) Mark Johnston 3-9-01 Silvestre De Sousa 9/1
2 Constantinople (Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor) Aidan O’Brien IRE 3-9-04 Ryan Moore 2/1 fav
3 Spanish Moon (Honorable Earle Mack & Team Valor LLC) David Simcock 3-9-04 Jamie Spencer 11/2
9 ran Time: 2m 35.67s Distances: nk, hd
Tote Win: £10.10 Places: £2.90, £1.20, £1.70 Exacta: £35.30
Breeding: ch c Galileo (IRE) – Rose Bonheur (GB) (Danehill Dancer (IRE))
Breeder: B V Sangster
Mark Johnston – 150th Goodwood winner (81st at Qatar Goodwood Festival)
Silvestre de Sousa – 28th Goodwood winner (15th at Qatar Goodwood Festival)