Sumo Sam storms to Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes win

Jockey Tom Marquand guided Sumo Sam to victory in the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes on the final day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival on Saturday. The five-day event, sponsored by the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) since 2015, has been a success in the full sense of the word. Excellence was there in every single detail, whether in terms of organisation, quality racing and attendance of racegoers throughout the five days.Fahad bin Mohamed al-Kuwari, Cultural Attaché of the embassy of Qatar in the United Kingdom, presented the trophies to the winners of the feature race of the final day, the Group 2 Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes.On the final day, ground was very testing at the Qatar Goodwood Festival due to incessant rains. But Jockey Marquand added another success to his fantastic week with Sumo Sam to claim the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes. Just as he did aboard Quickthorn in Tuesday’s Goodwood Cup, he kept the Paul and Oliver Cole-trained filly in front. Favourite Free Wind seemed to be travelling well, but never answered when Frankie Dettori asked her, on this very heavy ground.Sumo Sam won by eight and a half lengths in front of River of Stars, with a further five and a half lengths back to Time Lock, third. Trainer Oliver Cole said: "Tom’s given her a brilliant ride and she’s a very good filly. Out in front like that, she was not going to be pegged back. I’m not sure what we’ll do next, she’d have a penalty in the Park Hill. We’ve done a lot of stalls work with her since her last run – she’s gone in twice a week. In her last two races she’s been left and that hasn’t been helpful."She takes a lot of pushing in and a lot of cajoling, and the stalls handlers make it look so easy. Full credit to the team at home, and thanks very much to the guys at the stalls who are the unsung heroes. They do what a lot of us wouldn’t do, so full credit to them.”Tom Marquand added: "I’d be lying if I said I did any research into the race, I came back in from the last and was asked can I do 8st 11lb then I jumped aboard. I’ve seen plenty of her and was going to ride her the day I got kicked on Guineas weekend."I watched her finish second and it looked like she needed a trip. Mr Cole and Ollie were very keen to make this a test and - as the other day showed - it’s a hard track to get [front-running] horses back. She’s done well, she was getting a bit lonely in that last half-furlong but the damage was already done.”Meanwhile, Qatari excellence was not limited to organisation and sponsorship. As usual, it has been associated with a victory on the highest level with the Al Shaqab Racing-owned Al Ghadeer landing the Group 1 PA Qatar International Stakes for the fifth year in a row for Qatar; a feat re-confirming Qatar as a world’s pioneer in Arabian horse racing.