Exciting racing action continues at Qatar Goodwood Festival

The penultimate day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival saw some exciting racing action with several blac-type races, including the Qatar King George Stakes (Group 2), which was won by Battaash.The curtains will fall on the 2019 edition of the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC)-sponsored Festival Saturday at Goodwood, which has been home for racing for over 200 years. The finale of the five-day Festival will be a seven-race card, including six races sponsored by Qatar.On Friday, Battaash, with Jim Crowley in the saddle, had a record-breaking third successive win in the £312,000 Qatar King George Stakes (Group 2). The winning margin over the Martyn Meade-trained Houtzen was just three-quarters of a length, but it was a yet another impressive performance from the Charlie Hills-trained gelding. David Griffiths-trained Ornate was third. QREC CEO Nasser bin Sherida al-Kaabi presented the trophy to Battaash owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al-Maktoum.Mohamed bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Attiyah’s Baghdad came very close to give the Qatari contingent a victory Friday in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Glorious Stakes (Group 3).Mark Johnston-trained Baghdad had led the throughout the race but was beaten in the last few strides as David Simcock-trained Desert Encounter, ridden by JP Spencer, and Sir Michael Stoute-trained Mirage Dancer, took the first two spots in the £100,000 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Glorious Stakes (Group 3).Under Frankie Dettori, Baghdad made it to the frame in third.Billesdon Brook, winner of the 2018 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, took the £80,000 Theo Fennell Oak Tree Stakes (Group 3) for trainer Richard Hannon and jockey Sean Levey. The four-year-old filly broke the Goodwood track record for seven furlongs in the process in a time of 1min 23.75s. She beat David O’Meara-trained Perfection by a neck, with the Stoute-trained Jubiloso in third.Paul Cole-trained Duke Of Hazzard came from off the pace under PJ McDonald to beat Roger Varian-trained Turjomaan by half a length in the £100,000 Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes (Group 3). Roger Charlton-trained Momkin was third.  Beat The Bon’s victory in the £150,000 Unibet Golden Mile Handicap gave trainer Hannon the second leg of a double on the day. The three-year-old colt, ridden by Pat Dobbs, broke the course record for a mile in 1min 35.28s. He finished a length ahead of the Johnston-trained Vale Of Kent. O’Meara-trained Escobar was third. Homespin’s victory in the £25,000 Unibet Nursery Handicap was a fifth of the 2019 Qatar Goodwood Festival for trainer Johnston, and means Johnston has now trained a record 83 winners at the meeting in total over the years. Homespin was ridden by James Doyle and finished a length and a quarter in front of the Richard Fahey-trained Dylan De Vega. The Richard Spencer-trained Born To Destroy was third.Varian-trained Aktau, ridden by Andrea Atzeni, won the £25,000 TDN Australia Handicap (Class 3). The Johnston-trained Sapa Inca was second while John Gosden-trained Harrovian was third.