Ribchester is beaten by a neck
● 8-13 favourite is edged out by 20-1 shot at Goodwood
Here Comes When got the better of hot favourite Ribchester to run out a shock 20-1 winner of in the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
Having already won the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury and the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot this season, Richard Fahey’s Ribchester was unsurprisingly a warm order to complete a Group One hat-trick, especially after the late withdrawal of dual 2,000 Guineas winner Churchill.
The 8-13 favourite made much of the running in the deteriorating conditions, but William Buick was hard at work in the saddle with two furlongs to run and the Andrew Balding-trained Here Comes When battled his way to the front in the hands of champion jockey Jim Crowley.
Just when it looked as though Ribchester was fading, he rallied to the cause, but while he was making ground again at the finish, Here Comes When held on by a neck. Lightning Spear was third. Crowley said: “That was fantastic. Fair play to Andrew and Dr Hay (owner) for supplementing him and running him in the race. It was a brave shout and it’s really paid off.
“The rain came and he’s always been a very good horse on soft ground. Before the race I was ticking off the horses I didn’t think would go on the ground and I thought he’d definitely be in the first three.
“He got a nice tow into the race and the weather has played to his strengths. It’s heavy ground and he just loves it. It’s nice for him to get his head in front in a race like that.”
A philosophical Fahey said of Ribchester: “William just felt he was dropping away there two down and then he came back again. It’s extreme conditions out there, I was very worried – it’s not for a Flat horse to be racing on, but he’s run a mighty race and he showed good heart to nearly get back up. Maybe he was a bit lonely in front and half-pulled up a bit, but that’s racing, we live to fight another day.
“If you could back winners you’d be a genius, that’s why bookmakers love conditions like this. They get results.”