Paul Cole enjoyed a welcome return to the Qatar Goodwood Festival winner’s enclosure when Duke Of Hazzard (3/1 favourite, PJ McDonald) came from off the pace to beat Turjomaan by half a length in the G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes.
Only a handful of trainers have saddled more Goodwood winners than Cole, whose first at the track was in 1973, and Duke of Hazzard was his 37th winner at the Qatar Goodwood Festival. He is not quite such a regular these days, although he won a maiden on the final day last year with Duke Of Hazzard.
Cole said: “He’s like Too Darn Hot – he’s a cover up and pounce ride – and for me he was just get going at the end there. He’s tough and has got a great turn of foot. He’d have been unlucky to lose.
“There’s a bit of controversy in most races here – you get a run, you don’t get a run – but it’s great to have a good horse again and [owner] Jim Hay has been a wonderful owner for me.”
He added: “He was going to go for a Group 3 in Deauville and that may still be on the cards and it may not. These things need discussing, but it will be good prize money and he’s a horse who can handle anything. He’s extremely tough and nothing fazes him. He doesn’t go unsound, although he did have a seedy toe which he was feeling. It was when we found that out that he sprung into form.
“I think he’s on the upgrade because he takes everything so well. It’s a team effort though, as always, and what the team have done for him is absolutely fantastic.”
MCDONALD TAKES THE JOCKEYS’ LEAD FROM DETTORI
PJ McDonald’s victory aboard Duke Of Hazzard in the G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes means that he has overtaken Frankie Dettori in the Racing TV Leading Jockey Award, with four wins at the 2019 Qatar Goodwood Festival to Dettori’s three.
McDonald came with a fast, late run on the Paul Cole-trained 3/1 favourite Duke Of Hazzard to beat Turjomaan by half a length.
McDonald said: “I think the last couple of years have been my best times down here; I’ve been riding for the right people and getting the right opportunities, which is what you need. Coming down here when you haven’t got the ammunition is not a nice place to be – it can be very disheartening.
“Nothing really went right for me in the race. I managed to get him dropped in, which was always the plan, but the pace wasn’t great me for me and you could see up the straight that everybody was tight on top of each other. The good thing was that my horse was travelling so well that when the gap came, I was able to take that opportunity to quicken, and he saw the trip out lovely.
“He’s a horse who has just found himself again now, probably. He’s always promised to be very good and I just hope he’s on the right track now.
“It was a horrible race to ride in. I was always going to take my time, but this lad over-raced with me a bit today. I did not feel we went that quick and he was travelling so well up the straight that he was taking me into gaps that I did not want to be going in. You are just trying to manoeuvre yourself through the race as safely as possible and when you are that tight, there is not much point in shouting because there is nothing anybody can do.
“I like the way this horse picked when I switched him – he really found a leg for me and has got himself out of trouble.”
TURJOMAAN SECOND TO THE DUKE
The Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned Turjomaan (15/2) was the half-length second to 3/1 favourite Duke Of Hazzard in the G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes.
Turjomaan’s last two runs were on the All-Weather, but the change in surface didn’t inconvenience the War Front colt with his trainer Roger Varian reflecting: “He ran a good race. It was his biggest test so far and he showed his inexperience, but he is a bright prospect for the future.”
Jockey Jim Crowley added: “He ran very well.”
RESULT
2.25pm Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes (Group 3), 1m
1 Duke Of Hazzard (Fitri Hay) Paul Cole 3-9-01 P J McDonald 3/1 fav
2 Turjomaan (Hamdan Al Maktoum) Roger Varian 3-9-01 Jim Crowley 15/2
3 Momkin (Prince A A Faisal) Roger Charlton 3-9-01 Oisin Murphy 6/1
9 ran
Time: 1m 35.7s
Distances: ½, 2
Tote Win: £3.60 Places: £1.40, £2.70, £2.00 Exacta: £28.90
Breeding: b c Lope De Vega (IRE) – With Your Spirit (FR) (Invincible Spirit (IRE))
Breeder: Runnymede Farm Inc & Catesby W Clay
Paul Cole – 108th Goodwood winner (37th at Qatar Goodwood Festival)
P J McDonald – 11th Goodwood winner (7th at Qatar Goodwood Festival)