Goodwood: Almost 40 years since a horse called Hatta scored a historic victory in the Group 2 Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood in England, Yalta revived memories of that unforgettable triumph when recording a poignant victory at the beautiful West Sussex racecourse.
The year was 1977 and Hatta was recording a first-ever Group success for His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Yalta was winning the prestigious five-furlong contest for two-year-olds which was first run in 1829, in the colours of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.
Winning jockey James Doyle was struggling to conceal his excitment and said: “He’s got course experience having won here before and it all felt so easy. He was first out of the gate, he got into a nice rhythm and was pricking his ears in front, so I was saving plenty, although I was going a good clip.
“I thought it would take a quick one to catch me as he was going through the gears nicely. I had a slight worry as I dropped my rein a furlong out, which isn’t ideal in a sprint like this, but luckily we got it together and he finished off well.
Earlier Godolphin’s Royal Ascot victor Ribchester finished an enthusiastic third in a thrilling renewal of the £1 million (Dh4.8 million) Group 1 Sussex Stakes, one of Europe’s richest and most prestigious mile contests and the highlight of an attractive second day’s racing at Glorious Goodwood on Wednesday.
Ridden by Doyle, who won this contest two years ago aboard Kingman, the three-year-old son of Iffraj was finishing strongly but could not rein in The Gurkha, the mount of Ryan Moore and Frankie Dettoi’s aboard Galileo Gold.
Moore’s mount, a winner of the Poule D’essaid Poulains (French 2,000 Guineas) in May, was extracting revenge on Galileo Gold who had defeated him in the Group 1 St. James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot earlier this month.
Having raced in Galileo Gold’s shadow for most of the trip, Moore produced The Gurkha inside the final furlong to take over the running but it was Ribchester who was finishing best of all, only to find the post coming too soon.
“He’s a very good colt, we think a lot of him and he showed in Deauville that he’s very good,” said Moore.
“Things haven’t been right for him since, (but) I think that was a very good race with some good horses and he deserved his day today.
“I was always very happy because he travels so well and I knew as soon as one horse in front folded an inch he’d be able to find room and make room.
“He has so much pace just to go where you want him when you need him. I was delighted with him today,” he added.
“This is a fast mile and I think when he gets on quicker ground he’ll be better again. He’s finished second in an Eclipse and he’s a two-time Group One winner at a mile now.
“I’m sure we’ll all sit down and work out what’s best for him.”
