Twilight Calls (6/1) may have been the joint-oldest of 23 runners in the Coral Rewards Shaker Handicap but that did not stop the eight-year-old capturing the five-furlong cavalry charge under a well-timed ride from Saffie Osborne.
Twilight Calls, who made his move nearest the stands’ side, got up in the final strides to deny Naana’s Sparkle (8/1) by a head. Glamorous Breeze (12/1), the other eight-year-old in the field, was a half-length further back in third, with Democracy Dilemma (22/1) and Toca Madera (11/1) filling the minor places.
Twilight Calls has now won three of his four starts since trainer Richard Spencer applied a visor and could take his chance in Saturday’s Coral Stewards’ Cup, while Osborne continues a fine run of form after riding a treble at Ascot last weekend.
Osborne said: “Twilight Calls loves coming from off the pace and does not like being in front for too long. Luckily, he seems to be getting to know where the line is at the ripe old age of eight. I knew there was going to be plenty of pace on. He just needs that. He needs them to go fast and set it up like that, and that is exactly what happened today.
“It was a great plan by Richard to try and win today to get him into the Stewards’ Cup, and that was a race he ran so well in last year. He won his side by about four lengths, so hopefully, with a good draw, he should go really close on Saturday.
“I said in my interview with ITV that I think, with an older horse like this, failing last year has probably helped him. He has dropped down to a mark of 80, and this is a horse that was running in Group 1 races a couple of years ago.
“He is probably not as good a horse as he once was, but running in those lower-grade races has allowed him to gain confidence and he just seems to be thriving. Last year I felt he could sulk a bit, but he has gained confidence and is coming back through the grades.”
Spencer said: “Twilight Calls came here well handicapped after being in Dubai. He is in a very good spot and we were unlucky not to have won at Yarmouth [when second last month], when the race did not go to suit. I thought he was one of our better-fancied runners for the week.
“The team at home have done a great job. I think he enjoyed the winter sun in Dubai, while he has definitely been keeping a bit up his sleeve. We have been waiting to put the visor on to get him on a roll and get him where we needed to be for Saturday. I think he was only rated 80 when he was entered in the Stewards’ Cup, so he needed to win. I thought we would have done that already by now! He will be going straight there and hopefully that win will secure his place.”
Lemos de Souza, trainer of Naana’s Sparkle, said: “He did not get the cleanest of runs at all. He got stopped a couple of times and I thought he was going to get up, but the other horse just flew home and got him on the line. It was a great run though and I am delighted with that. We know he is probably a bit better on slightly slower ground, but if we wait for that slow ground, we probably would not be able to run him all year. There are plenty of options for him and he has shown us he can be competitive in those big handicaps.”
4.10pm Coral Rewards Shaker Handicap
1 Twilight Calls (Phil Cunningham) Richard Spencer 8-8-12 Saffie Osborne 6/1
2 Naana’s Sparkle (Bruiser Boyz & Partner) Lemos de Souza 4-9-00 Kieran O’Neill 8/1
3 Glamorous Breeze (Robert & Nina Bailey) Chris Mason 8-8-11 Gina Mangan 12/1
4 Democracy Dilemma (Fitri Hay) Robert Cowell 6-9-04 Tom Eaves 22/1
5 Toca Madera (L Bond & Sheikh Aymen Jawad Al Hamandani) David O’Meara 5-9-03 Danny Tudhope 11/1
23 ran 11/2 fav Rapper’s Delight (8th)
Richard Spencer – 3rd Qatar Goodwood Festival winner
Saffie Osborne – 2nd Qatar Goodwood Festival winner
4.45pm British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes
Agrippa makes it third time lucky in British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes
Agrippa (11/1) was a snug winner of the six-furlong British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes for Richard Hannon, despite receiving a bump from eventual runner-up Dorigo (12/1) close home.
Beaten a neck on his previous start at Newbury, Agrippa was coaxed into contention by Pat Dobbs and finished best to edge ahead and score by a head. Launch Sequence (5/2) was third as the front pair pulled a length and a half clear.
Hannon said: “We loved him when he went to Doncaster first time and then he ran extremely well at Newbury. The way he behaved today looked like we could probably leave him alone for a bit.
“This is good for Michael [Pescod, owner]. He was my last yearling to sell, and Michael came in and said, ‘I’ll have that Naval Crown’. I am delighted that he has been rewarded.”
On the horse’s name, he said: “There is a guy who walks his dogs on our gallops who said, ‘That must be something to do with a Greek god’. I said, ‘No one else has ever said that’. So he backed him today, and I am delighted for him and Michael.
“He has had three runs in pretty quick succession. He is a good horse. There will be lots of nice races in the autumn for him. You know me, he will not sit around for long!”
Dobbs said: “Agrippa is a lovely horse who has always worked well. I thought he would win at Newbury. I made the running on him and the winner of the race is probably okay; she was cantering all over me, but my horse had over-raced.
“I dropped him in today to give him something different. It worked out nicely. We went quick, so I would sooner have been three or four lengths off them, and he travelled lovely.
“I would say he will get seven. Doncaster [for the sales race] would be perfect for him, and it is a nice flat track too. I think he needs a flat track; he carries his head a little bit low and I think undulating tracks probably will not suit.”
Dorigo’s trainer Kevin Ryan said: “It was a great run and he is a really good horse. He is learning on the job and probably got a little bit lonely up front there. He is a proper two-year-old and is going to be very progressive until the end of the season and into the autumn. We think a lot of him. We will keep him busy and aim him at some nice races.”
James Doyle, rider of Launch Sequence, said: “Disappointing not to win. He got into a bit of a tangle first time and learned on the job, but he was pretty raw today. He looked like he’ll learn again from today’s experience.”
4.45pm British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes
1 Agrippa (Michael Pescod) Richard Hannon 2-9-02 Pat Dobbs 11/1
2 Dorigo (Mrs J Ryan) Kevin Ryan 2-9-02 Kevin Stott 12/1
3 Launch Sequence (Wathnan Racing) Karl Burke 2-9-02 James Doyle 5/2
15 ran 2/1 fav Final Objective (4th)
Richard Hannon – 25th Qatar Goodwood Festival winner
Pat Dobbs – 7th Qatar Goodwood Festival winner