Dubai: Sultanina’s win in the Nassau Stakes at Glorious Goodwood provided ample evidence that you can’t keep a good man down, as trainer John Gosden notched his third Group 1 victory in less than a week.
Seven day’s since the brilliant Taghrooda won the King George at Ascot the Gosden bandwagon gathered pace as Kingman stormed home to capture the Sussex Stakes on Thursday and hit a high-spot on Saturday.
Sultanina, who scored by a length and a half from the French-trained Narniyn, was also providing Gosden with a fourth victory in the Nassau Stakes after Winsili (2013), The Fugue (2012) and Ryafan (1997).
Buick, who earlier in the season partnered The Fuge to win the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot, told Channel 4 Racing: “I’m absolutely delighted for everyone — over the moon. This filly has really stepped up to the plate.
“It was only the fourth run of her life so it was a good training performance.
“We’ve always held her in high regard, but no one as high as her owner.”
Buick was also generous in his praise for the Gosden team saying: “It’s great to come to these big meetings and to ride big winners. I feel absolutely privileged.
Gosden was his usual calm and collected self and said: “This filly is very classy and Philippa [Cooper, of owners-breeders Normandie Stud] bred her down the road, just 11 miles from here, and she always told me this filly was the best and I could never work it out.
“I didn’t run her until this year as a four-year-old. She’s gone and won a maiden, a Group Three, second in a Group Two and now won a Group One, so it’s unbelievable.
“We’re going to enter her on Tuesday in the fillies’ and mares’ race on Qipco Champions Day in October.
“I might just freshen her for that and go straight there and bring a fresh filly for the autumn.”
Meanwhile, Intrinsic won the 32Red Cup (Stewards’ Cup) as favourite Muthmir could only finish fifth.
Dane O’Neill who was aboard the William Haggas trained Muthmir, said: “He ran OK. He was drawn on the outside and they didn’t go a very good pace.
“They’re deciding whether five or six furlongs is his best trip.”
Ninjago was second and Alben Star a neck away third.
Winning jockey Hughes said: “He was a Group horse in a handicap. The bigger the field, the bigger the certainty. He’s so much class, this horse.”
Robert Cowell was delighted with the result and added: “We knew he was good. I was very hopeful he’d run a huge race.
“It’s come together, but it’s always very difficult to win a huge handicap like this.
“We’re thrilled. I think he’s pretty good and he showed it today.”
