Inland Sea (Harry Bentley up) races to victory in The Kish Armstrong Memorial EBF Stallions Maiden Stakes at Goodwood Racecourse yesterday.
By Chris Hoover/Chichester, England
Al Shahania’s Inland Sea (Harry Bentley up) stamped his class with a superb victory in the Kish Armstrong Memorial EBF Stallions Maidens race, run over six furlongs at the Goodwood Racecourse yesterday.
Bentley, who has been retained by Al Shahania for the forthcoming season in Qatar, rode a well judged race on the winner. Coming out well from the gates, Bentley had Inland Sea race a handy second before unleashing the Al Shahania champion in the final furlong. Inland Sea devoured ground in a trice and went away to win in fine style.
“I am looking forward to riding for HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al-Thani in the forthcoming season in Doha. I have had a good beginning with them already having won two races at Newbury on Sunday. Al Shahania trainers Julian Smart and Jassim al-Ghazali have some pretty good horses and I am keen to be on the saddle on them. It has been a great beginning and I wish it continues in the same fashion,” jockey Bentley told the Gulf Times.
Speaking about Inland Sea’s victory, Bentley said. “When I rode Inland Sea for the first time, I found that he was a little bit lazy and slow. He has come out of the race pretty good and I thought that the six furlong trip would be sharp. But he has come back stronger and won very well.”
Inland Sea trainer Richard Hannon said: “I was a bit disappointed with his first run but I thought he would come on a lot from that. He’s got a good pedigree and he deserved to at least win a maiden like that.”
“He could go over six or seven furlongs now and he’s obviously got a fair bit of ability. We could look at something like the Mill Reef at Newbury later in the year.”
