The Goat really is the greatest for Balding at Goodwood

Molly Hunter
August 2, 2023 4:57 pm

Kingsclere trainer in double form on day two.

Andrew Balding’s The Goat routed the opposition in the curtain-raising Coral Handicap to spark a double on day two of Goodwood for the Kingsclere handler.

Despite being placed in three of his four previous races, the Cracksman colt was a 25-1 chance stepping up to a mile and a half in the hands of Jason Watson and clearly relished the testing conditions.

Amleto, the 5-2 favourite, did his best to bridge the gap inside the final furlong but The Goat was away and gone and passed the post with 12 lengths in hand.

Balding said: “The Goat stands for the ‘greatest of all time’ – the greatest in this race, anyway!

“He loved the ground and he’s a horse who’s just had a tough spring and took a couple of runs to hit his form at home.

“He was very good – I thought he might be in a bit of trouble, but I’m very happy with the way he pulled clear. He’ll love the autumn ground and there might be something for him.”

Balding completed his brace when Flora Of Bermuda (5-1) made a mockery of her poor draw to land the British EBF 40th Anniversary Alice Keppel Fillies’ Conditions Stakes under Oisin Murphy in similarly emphatic style.

Having tracked across towards the stands rail early, the Andrew Balding-trained daughter of Dark Angel powered home in the five-furlong contest and had the race won at the furlong pole.

Having been unlucky when runner-up in the Hilary Needler at Beverley and again when first of the far-side group when drawn on the wrong side in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, she gained just compensation, surging clear of Juniper Berries to score by four lengths, with a further three lengths back to Indispensable.

Balding said: “We think a lot of this filly, and it was a bit of a bump on the ground, but we felt we’d learn something if it didn’t work, but she took to it and she’s pretty tough.

“In a way, the draw was a plus because we didn’t get involved in any barging to hold our position. She has a lot of talent, enjoyed the ground and would have no problems getting six (furlongs). He couldn’t pull her up, by the looks of it.

“As long as she stays in one piece, black type won’t be a problem for her. She’s in the Lowther and that was always the plan.”

Proven mudlark There’s The Door (6-1), dropping back in trip, outstayed her rivals in the 10-furlong British European Breeders Fund EBF Fillies’ Handicap.

In a race where David Egan was unshipped by Decoration coming out of the stalls, the David Evans-trained three-year-old tracked Chips And Rice and took it up from the dogged La Isla Mujeres inside the final furlong, having enough to hold the staying-on Persist by half a length.

Winning rider Richard Kingscote said: “She loves this ground so we were delighted when the rain came for her.

“I felt last time at Ascot just stretched her a little bit, but a mile and a quarter on heavy ground is spot on for her.

“She has a good attitude and we had a lovely smooth run.”

Murphy completed his own double when Rhoscolyn (2-1 favourite) defeated Wobwobwob by a lengths as the pair drew clear of the remainder in the concluding seven-furlong World Pool Handicap.

The David O’Meara-trained five-year-old had been steadily dropping down the weights and the heavy ground played to his strengths, with Murphy’s mount grinding down the gutsy Wobwobwob to gain a fifth career victory.