3 minute read
One of Glorious Goodwood's showcase races, the £200,000 Group One Markel Insurance Nassau Stakes was won by a 20/1 longshot called Winsili.
She upstaged a pair of Classic winners and a number of other better-fancied rivals to score for her owner/breeder Prince Khalid Abdullah, who was landing the contest for the fourth time in five years, following a trio of wins for Midday from 2009-2011.
Trainer John Gosden was winning the race for a second year in succession following victory for The Fugue 12 months ago, while for jockey William Buick it was a first win in the race. He is sponsored by Markel Insurance, whose name appeared in the race title.
Winsili was running in just her fifth race having been unplaced over 12 furlongs in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot on her previous outing.
Gosden said: "It's not a fluke - I didn't bring her here for the Sussex air.
"I thought Sky Lantern was the one to beat, because she's a gorgeous filly, but didn't quite get the rub of the green today. We were drawn outside, which does have dreadful disadvantages, but does mean you are unlikely to get boxed in - you have to go the long way around, but you can avoid trouble. That was a big help to us."
Asked about Winsili's character, Gosden said: "She cannot stand still. She's happy in perpetual motion. You do meet people who are like Roadrunner, with a bottle of water and they are always running or jogging, and they don't have pinch on them. They die at 40 or live to 100. She's like that. If you have a conversation with her she goes around you.
"I had to saddle her on the move and when she goes for a canter in the morning she has to go with one other and then trot past and go away, but if she has to wait she will throw herself on the ground with sheer frustration. She's quite strong minded with lots of talent.
"She came back this year and won a Listed race, and then quite simply didn't stay in the Ribblesdale Stakes. She's done this well from a difficult draw.
"She will be running in nice mile and a quarter races and I will probably keep her with fillies. She will make a lovely broodmare one day and could be a possibility for the Breeders' Cup but she would have to get there a week in advance and be schooled in the paddock at Santa Anita. I might leave that decision to the owner, Prince Khalid."
James Doyle, the rider of neck second Thistle Bird, was thrilled with the five-year-old Selkirk mare who is trained by Roger Charlton for Lady Rothschild.
He said: "I was really delighted with her. She is tough, settled well and finished good. She gets that trip on a sharp track."
Lady Cecil was happy with the third, three-year-old Hot Snap, who finished well to be two lengths behind the runner up.
She said of the Pivotal filly: "I am delighted with her - she was doing well at the end."
Lord Grimthorpe, racing manager for Khalid Abdullah, Hot Snap's owner, added: "I was very pleased with the way she came back - she didn't really come down the hill terribly well and was a little bit slow beginning but ran on really nicely and she is obviously back on track.
"Hopefully, the curve will be upward rather than downward from now on. I would think a mile and a quarter will be right for her on nice Flat galloping track.
"We will look at the mile and a quarter races, the Prix de l'Opera and Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf."
His owner also had the winner Winsili and the racing manager declared: "Absolutely chuffed. We always had a very good opinion of her - we supplemented her for the Fillies' Mile - and she came out and won a Listed race nicely over a mile and a quarter at Newbury and then did not stay in the Ribblesdale. So we brought her back in trip."
Saeed bin Suroor was pleased with the fourth Sajjhaa who will now be brought back in trip. He said: "It was for her first run since Hong Kong and she probably needed the race but I don't think she stayed a mile and a quarter. We will drop her back to a mile for the Sun Chariot at Newmarket and there is a mile race in America we are looking at in October."
Richard Hughes, who finished fifth on the 7/4 favourite Sky Lantern, said: "It was just bad luck - I was going well and just about to come out and I got nailed back in again."
Seamie Heffernan, jockey of sixth Just Pretending, said: "She ran a very good race - she has been running good races in Ireland."
Ryan Moore, rider of seventh Integral, said: "She ran OK I think - she is probably still a little inexperienced. She had a gap but couldn't quicken - she just doesn't really know enough."
Johnny Murtagh, on board ninth Ambivalent, said: "I missed the kick - she didn't jump great and then I was chasing all the way. It didn't happen for her today."
Neil Callan, on Semayyel (11th), said: "She wasn't good enough."
Charlie Hills, trainer of Just The Judge who finished 12th, said: "She has pulled a shoe off and has taken half of the bulb of her heel away. She stumbled coming out of the stalls and that is obviously where she has done it and then she stumbled again. Hopefully if nothing else has happened it will just put us back a couple of weeks."