Sport | Horse Racing

Behind the stable door by George, Harbinger is the king of Ascot

Inside UAE horse racing with Brett Williams

  • By Brett Williams
  • Published: 00:00 July 29, 2010
  • XPRESS

Astounding, gob-smacking, eye-watering, or simply awesome, they are just a few superlatives to describe the performance from Harbinger in Saturday's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

Many billed it as a two-horse race, and most assumed it would be one-way traffic back to Sir Michael Stoute's Freemason Lodge Stables in Newmarket, but which horse would continue the trainer's domination of the UK's mid-summer racing highlight?

This year's King George was a fabulous advertisement of what racing has to offer and it's an honour to be involved in a sport of this nature when you see races like that. Surely even the fair weather race goers would have struggled not to be moved by such an outstanding display of equine talent.

Surprise margin

I've always been a fan of the four-year-old, but to be honest, I couldn't really see him beating the likes of Workforce, Cape Blanco or Daryakana let alone leaving them with mouthfuls of the Ascot turf left in his wake.

Harry Herbert, Highclere Thoroughbred Racing manager, is a real credit to our sport. It does however look a great way to get involved in racehorse ownership and Herbert is doing a cracking job of attracting new people to the game.

The way he displayed careless emotion after the mile and a half Group One showed us all that while our industry may be facing tough times at present, it's days like this which make it all worthwhile and proves there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

Harbinger's annihilation of a stellar group of top thoroughbreds was nothing short of amazing and while it might be a little hasty in placing him on a par with the great Sea The Stars, he's certainly on the right track.

After the race I actually found myself feeling a little sorry for Ryan Moore. He picked the wrong horse in the King George and is currently trailing in the race to secure the Jockeys Championship, a ridiculous suspension handed out at Epsom last Thursday has hardly done him any favours, but on reflection the no-nonsense rider has certainly enjoyed a vintage season so far, winning three Classics, and has achieved what many jockeys can only dream of. Yes it might have been a bad day at the office on Saturday, but he's not doing a lot wrong, is he?

Glorious racing

It's my favourite meeting of the whole year at Goodwood this week as the most picturesque racecourse on the planet hosts five days of glorious racing. Funnily enough, I attended the meeting last year and had a little interest on a certain animal called Harbinger who won the Gordon Stakes; little did I know at the time that I was witnessing a potential great taking his first steps towards stardom.

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