THE GURKHA STRIKES GOLD

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AN old score was settled on the Sussex Downs when The Gurkha turned the tables on Galileo Gold in the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.

The last time the pair locked horns was in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, where Galileo Gold came out on top when given an inspired ride by Frankie Dettori.

In contrast, Ryan Moore had asked The Gurkha an impossible question when giving Galileo Gold too much rope and finished all too late.

“Ascot did not work in our favour,” said Moore. “I didn’t want to be where I was at Ascot today. The way the cards fell that day, there were pacemakers that also missed the kick so Frankie was able to get to the front and I had a lot of horses in front of me. Dettori, again pinched a ® couple of lengths when they came out of the stalls, but Moore was clearly not going to make the same mistake.

Always in the slipstream of Galileo Gold, it was just aquestion of when Moore was going to release the brakes.

“Frankie got the run of the race and was able to dictate terms but I was in a good position,” said Moore. “And when I asked him [inside the final furlong] he did it easily.

“They are both very good colts. My horse has not run a bad race. He hasn’t stood still all this season.”

Ribchester, who could be considered unfortunate not to have finished closer, came from a long way off the pace to snatch third place.

Aidan O’Brien, who was winning the race for the fifth time, said: “He’s very fast – he’s all speed. Sandown [second in the Eclipse] on soft ground, over a mile and a quarter up the hill, just dragged him a bit, but Ryan gave him a masterful ride today.

“We were worried coming here after Sandown, but the lads said he was thriving. I was worried because he’s had such a big career crammed into a short space of time.

“He didn’t race last year, but he’s danced every dance since. He has a lot of options. He has the mile races in France, the Champion Stakes and York [Juddmonte International].”

Hugo Palmer, the trainer of Galileo Gold, was after a rematch with The Gurkha.

“There’s nothing between them really,” he said. “It’s hard when you’re sitting in front like that for so long, but nobody else wanted to go on.”