Glorious Goodwood: Whirl dances through rain after messy flag start

There was nothing too glorious about a ragged flag start for the Group One Nassau Stakes here on Thursday, but much to appreciate about the difference a top-class jockey can make. Ryan Moore seized the initiative aboard Whirl, the 6-5 favourite, and ensured that Aidan O’Brien’s filly was never seriously threatened on her way to a five-length success.

Goodwood’s officials were forced to use a flag start, a first for a Group One race in Britain, as there was lightning in the air during a sustained downpour. That changed the going from good, good-to-firm in places to heavy in less than an hour, with none of the usual stopping-off points in between.

It was an unfamiliar situation for the five riders in the day’s feature event and Moore was first to react as the starter dropped the flag while See The Fire, the second-favourite, was slightly back on her heels for Oisin Murphy. Within a few strides, Whirl had grabbed a useful lead – three or four lengths over See The Fire and at least half a dozen over her stable companion, Bedtime Story. As Moore went through the gears from the two-furlong pole, his opponents were always struggling to land a blow.

Whirl has now won two all-aged Group One events in a row after her narrow defeat by Minnie Hauk in the Oaks at Epsom in June and is an increasingly live contender for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October. Kalpana, the 13-2 favourite with Paddy Power, was a length and a quarter behind Whirl in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh in June and Whirl is now 8-1 (from 10-1) for Europe’s showpiece event.

“Whirl just keeps doing what she says she is going to do,” Moore said. “She has loads of ability, stays well, handles quick ground, handles slow ground. Aidan called her ‘a racing machine’ the last day. He keeps getting these horses to do different things and this filly keeps progressing.

“It is a shame it was the spectacle it was, but she won it very well. She has won two Group One races now against the girls. She will have to step up again against the boys, but she is progressing and Aidan’s horses just keep turning up every time.”

See The Fire is likely to head to the International Stakes at York next month, a race won by her sire, Sea The Stars, in 2009, and her dam, Arabian Queen, six years later.

Whether Field Of Gold, the beaten 1-3 favourite in Wednesday’s Sussex Stakes, also lines up for that race is in doubt as the three-year-old was reportedly lame on Thursday morning.

“We don’t have the full picture yet, but he is lame on his left hind,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for the Juddmonte operation. “Until we have the full picture we can’t fully diagnose it, but the fact he is lame suggests that could be why we didn’t see the true horse we know yesterday.”

Merchant followed up his handicap success at the Royal meeting in June with a narrow victory in the Group Three Gordon Stakes, a contest that is often a trial for the St Leger. Merchant is quoted at around 10-1 for the final Classic after edging out Wimbledon Hawkeye by a nose, but William Haggas, his trainer, has yet to commit the three-year-old to the race.

“My gut feeling is no because I don’t think it did [the 2023 Gordon Stakes winner] Desert Hero much good long-term,” he said. “We had planned to go to the Voltigeur [at York in August] with Merchant, but he has had a race today and will need at least 10 days going very quietly before we decide what to do.”

Asfoora to reign in King George

The King George Stakes, Glorious Goodwood’s traditional test of pure speed, will be more of a slog after the downpour. The Australian-trained favourite, Asfoora (3.05), has several soft-ground wins on her record and looks fairly priced at around 2-1 to improve on her close second last year.

Asfoora was touched off by Mick Appleby’s Big Evs and another three-year-old from the same yard, Big Mojo, is the probable second-favourite after a strong run into second behind the shock winner, No Half Measures, in the July Cup last time out.

A possible vital difference is that Asfoora shouldered 6lb penalty last year after her win in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot. Henry Dwyer’s mare went to the same race this year without the benefit of a prep run, finishing a creditable fifth in the circumstances. She goes to post without a penalty and looks sure to improve for the run.

Goodwood 1.20 Christophe Soumillon is an eye-catching booking for Charlie Johnston’s Align The Stars, a winner at this meeting 12 months ago. He looked a little one-paced over 14 furlongs at Newmarket last time, but ran well to finish seventh in the Ascot Stakes. This return to a marathon trip at a track he clearly enjoys could be just what he needs.

Goodwood 1.55 A disappointing sixth behind Field Of Gold in the Craven Stakes in April remains the only blot on Opera Ballo’s record and he posted another career-best when beating Seagulls Eleven – who reopposes today – at Newmarket’s July festival last time. This step back up to Group Three company looks an obvious next step on the way to even better things.

Goodwood 2.30 While the past two renewals of this handicap have gone to horses from high-numbered stalls, a low draw is always a significant advantage over this track and trip and Oisin Murphy has an ideal pitch in stall two on Greek Order. Michael Bell’s gelding was in front half a furlong out in the Royal Hunt Cup and this switch to a sharper mile should suit.

Goodwood 3.45 A tricky conditions event where the consistent Haunted Dream, last year’s winner, makes most appeal. Hamad Al Jehani’s globe-trotting gelding has a definite liking for this track, having also finished a close second in a handicap at this meeting two years ago. A repeat of his form behind the useful Shin Emperor in a Group Two in Saudi Arabia in February would probably suffice.