Stewards’ Cup glory for magical Dettori at Glorious Goodwood

Mount Logan won the opening race of Glorious Goodwood on Tuesday, and with his retained rider Adam Kirby in the saddle it silenced the doubters about possible strains in the relationship between the two men.

It is then the turn of Ninjago in the Qatar Stewards’ Cup and Hairdryer in the Qatar EBF Stallions Maiden Stakes, with both horses hailing from the Hannon yard.

Settled in just behind the early pace which was cut out by Shore Step, the four-year-old gelding burst through with a well-timed run to collar Go Far inside the final furlong. He looks very much on the upgrade and will get the race run to suit. But this afternoon I’m going to side with a horse that finished behind him that day.

“You can never be over-confident of such an upgrade but there is no seven-furlong Group 1 race in Britain so we would be hopeful”.

“Fantastic, over the moon”.

“I’m relieved – and wet”, Hughes laughingly reflected on becoming an ex-jockey. Wednesday’s 17,000-plus crowd was also marginally up on previous year. “With these kind of horses, though, there is more prize-money in these type of races”.

“I didn’t really mind which filly won although, having said that, I would have preferred this filly to win – I think she deserves it. I like to think the well-bred fillies can do the trick”.

Friday’s win on Belvoir Bay was particularly Hughes-esque and the sight of him arriving alongside the leaders, motionless while all other jockeys were rowing away, is one that will stay with his followers for evermore.

This has been a memorable European season for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid and a second Group 1 race inside a week is in the offing when Lady Of Dubai takes her chance in the Nassau Stakes on Saturday night.

That race was won in impressive fashion by Legatissimo, the 1,000 Guineas victor whose reputation had since been slightly eroded by two narrow defeats.

He said: “Aidan tells me Diamondsandrubies has been in great form since her Pretty Polly Stakes success”. “I’m overcome by the whole thing. I am delighted to go out on a high”. There won’t be anything like that.’ And it almost was.

“That’s five winners for the week and I am halfway there”. The next time it will be in evidence will be as trainer to one of the 60 or more horses he plans to install at his new base in Hampshire.

“She went left a little in the final furlong, but she wasn’t idling, just being on her own”.

It’s the British Horseracing Authority who decide whether particular races should be moved up or down the Group ranking system and they do not do it lightly. He’s a great jockey and it is a shame that he is going to retire. I have been riding him at home a lot and he is in a good place now – he was a bit hot and a bit temperamental but he enjoys it now and it makes one hell of a difference.