Maydanny confirms liking for Goodwood

Johnston runner lands valuable handicap prize.

Maydanny notched his second win at the Qatar Goodwood Festival with a facile success in the Unibet Golden Mile.

Mark Johnston’s charge won the 10-furlong handicap on the opening day of the meeting last season. He was due to defend his crown on Tuesday, but was withdrawn on account of the testing conditions.

With the ground having dried out since, the five-year-old was an 8-1 shot to open his account for the year in this GBP 150,000 handicap and ultimately won with something to spare.

Always travelling well in the hands of Jim Crowley, Maydanny quickened through a gap on the far rail before kicking a length and three-quarters clear of David O’Meara’s Rhoscolyn, who finished strongly to beat stablemate Escobar to the runner-up spot.

Johnston said: “”It’s great, it’s particularly special with that family, anything out of Attraction.

“He’s another horse we were very hesitant about this week with the soft ground, we weren’t sure if he could handle it but he’s done it really well, he obviously likes this track.

“Attraction herself was obviously very, very unique due to her action and she was particularly a fast ground horse, but that may have been more physical than in the genes.

“The common theme among the family is that they’re very strong and powerful and muscular horses, clearly some of her attitude comes through as she’s certainly one of the toughest I ever trained.

“We make no secret of the fact that it’s a special meeting for us, I’ve always said that Goodwood and Royal Ascot, we’ll pass easier races to have a go at a race here, which we wouldn’t do otherwise.

“He’s obviously gone back and forward between top handicaps and Group races, each time he wins a big handicap like this it means he’s less likely to run in one again.

“We’ve got no specific race marked out for him, but I’m sure he’ll be back in Pattern races.”

Calling The Wind won the opening race at Goodwood on Friday
Calling The Wind won the opening race at Goodwood on Friday (Francesca Altoft/PA)

Calling The Wind provided Richard Hughes with his first Glorious Goodwood victory as a trainer when triumphant in the Unibet 3 Boosts A Day Goodwood Handicap.

Hughes was prolific at the track as a jockey, taking the Sussex Stakes twice aboard Canford Cliffs and Toronado and also claiming the Nassau Stakes in 2012 with The Fugue.

A victory at Goodwood’s headline event as a trainer has been six years in the making and it was 8-1 chance Calling The Wind who obliged in Friday’s opening race under Pat Dobbs.

“It was brilliant,” Hughes said of the one-and-three-quarter-length success.

“I actually watched it on the owner’s phone, we were stood out the front and there was no big screen. I was tempted to run in but I said ‘what will be will be’, luckily he went well all the way round.”

Calling The Wind was second in the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Ascot on his last run, a performance that was his first foray into the staying ranks.

“I was confident after Ascot,” Hughes added.

“I thought if he could reproduce that, in the same conditions over two and a half miles, he’ll take all the beating.”

Asked where this victory ranked alongside his other Goodwood successes, Hughes said: “It’s probably right behind Canford Cliffs.

“Riding is easy, there’s more disappointments than winners here for sure.

“It’s so unique and the best horse doesn’t always win, tactically some jockeys can make better decisions than others, I just think it’s so exciting and it’s a beautiful setting.”

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