Fire too hot at Glorious Goodwood

A round-up of the rest of the action from the opening day of Glorious Goodwood, as Fire Fighting took top honours.

Mark Johnston made the perfect start to this year’s Qatar Goodwood Festival after Fire Fighting swooped late to give him a sixth success in the Matchbook Betting Exchange Stakes.

One of four runners representing the Middleham trainer in the mile-and-a-quarter handicap the 8/1 co-favourite gained a first win of the season – and first on turf since winning last year’s Zetland Gold Cup – after being lifted home by Adam Kirby.

Approaching the final quarter of a mile it looked as though Johnston’s best chance lay with the prominently-ridden Stars Of The Sea with the five-year-old appearing to be full of running.

But although keeping on he could not quite match the finishing kick off his stablemate, who moved on around a furlong from home before holding off the late challenge of Oasis Fantasy by a neck.

Johnston said, tongue in cheek: “This horse is a bit special – we wanted him so much we took him to the sales and couldn’t sell him. Thank goodness, because of what he has done since – it’s wonderful.`

“I think there are a lot of horses out there that could be like this. You have to wonder whether is he tough and that what makes him able to race a lot or is it the fact that he races a lot makes him tough.

“We gave him a couple of months off in the winter and his first run back was the first time that he has ever come back lame from a race. You have to remember that time off doesn’t always do them good.

“He’s obviously quite a character in his races and things have to go right for him. Adam has found a bit of the key to him and I think he rides the horse with a lot of confidence. He had this reputation of needing to be covered up and hitting the front late and Adam has torn that book up. He hit the front quite a long way out here and showed no sign of stopping.

“I was delighted with Stars Over The Sea. I was confident that he would run a good race but he gets a bit edgy and wears earplugs to the start. He is a very strong horse and Franny [Norton] said he was just doing a little bit too much.

“It’s a great credit to him that he keeps on despite that – he would probably be better on his own and allowed to settle a bit, which he didn’t get today. Even so, he stayed on all the way to the line.”

Elidor joined the list of horses to have triumphed …

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