McDonald outscores O’Brien

THE GOODWOOD Qatar Festival is one of the richest meetings of the year in Britain over five days and it is usually a rich source of income for Aidan O’Brien.

However, the suspicion that all is not well at the Ballydoyle stables was once again confirmed as he came home with just one winner, with Land Force (5/2f) taking the £200,000 Group 2 Richmond Stakes over six furlongs by a length under Ryan Moore.

His three runners in the Group 1 M. De Gheest stakes at Deauville on Sunday never got in a blow and the same could be said for favourite, Bond Street, in the €100,000 final day feature at Galway on Sunday.

Nearly a month has gone by now since O’Brien has won a Group 1, which is a veritable famine by his standards.

Briefly, P.J. McDonald outscored O’Brien as he picked up two wins at Goodwood, Under The Covers at a handsome 16/1 for Ron Harris and Accordance (9/2) on Thursday for Mark Johnston.

Jimmy Quinn from New Ross has limited chances these days but he scored brilliantly at Goodwood on Wednesday on 20/1 outsider, Soto Sizzler, in a £75,000 handicap.

McDonald also won on Artarmon (2/1) at Sandown on Wednesday for Michael Bell and on Cale Lane (5/1) for Jim Bethell at Chelmsford on Saturday.

Over the jumps, Tom O’Brien scored on Three Colours Red (2/1) at Worcester on Tuesday.