JIM MO’S ‘EM DOWN
Crowley swoops on Tregoning star in Sussex Stakes thriller
GOODWOOD racecourse has form when it comes to punch-ups between the public and Mohaather managed to survive one when coming out on top in the Qatar Sussex Stakes.
The four-year-old was in danger of being boxed in but jockey Jim Crowley avoided a couple of swings to escape and grab victory.
Circus Maximus clung on for second, with Siskin in third.
“He’s an absolute aeroplane,” said Crowley.
“I rode him a bit more forward today and doing that found myself in a pocket and got shuffled back.
“He’s done it the hard way, was taken out of the race and had to come around them and still won well.
“Everything went wrong and had I sat and ridden him more confidently he would have been more impressive.
“This is a serious win. You’re talking about the best milers in Europe. I’m not saying he made them look ordinary, but he won very, very well.”
Victory was very much a return of the glory days for the popular winning trainer Marcus Tregoning.
“I’ve had to wait a long time but we haven’t quite had the horses,” saidTregoning, who last celebrated Group One glory with Sir Percy in the 2006 Derby.
“When I left Lambourn for Whitsbury, we didn’t have many and had to start again from the beginning.
“Thankfully, Sheikh
Hamdan supported me well and I have to give a big plug to my racing manager Angus Gold who found this horse as a yearling.”
Billed as a contest between the English and Irish 2,000 Guineas winners, Kameko and Siskin, respectively, their trainers both had a different spin on the outcome.
Ger Lyons, responsible for Siskin, took defeat on the chin. He said: “He came to win his race and he was outstayed by two older horses. There were no excuses and that is all I asked for coming into the race.”
Andrew Balding was philosophical about his Kameko’s fourth place.
“I would have to watch it again,” said Balding. “But he looked unlucky.”
“He has finished on the heels of them and Oisin Murphy was a bit unlucky, but it happens round here.”
Murphy said: “Kameko should have won. I was forced to get some cover. No excuses – jockey error.”