Qirat, put in the race to make the running for 1-3 favourite Field Of Gold in the Sussex Stakes, could not be caught as the hot favourite could only finish fourth
Punters were left stunned when a 150-1 outsider pulled off one of the longest priced big race shocks in history in a £1 million horse race on Wednesday.
The Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes is one of Europe’s top mile races which annually provides the first major clash between the Classic generation and the best older horses. This year’s edition was billed as a shoot out between Field Of Gold, the Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes winner, and Rosallion, winner of the same two races 12 months ago.
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Field Of Gold’s owners Juddmonte added the Ralph Beckett-trained Qirat to the field to operate as a pacemaker.
He was priced accordingly in the betting market at 150-1, shorter only than Serengeti, who was in the race to make the running for Aidan O’Brien’s main challenger Serengeti.
The two set off to fulfil their roles but when Serengeti ran out of steam, Qirat moved to the front and stayed there to the delight of a Ladbrokes punter who put a £50 bet on the winner.
Field Of Gold found very little when asked to launch his challenge by William Buick, and only Rosallion came close to catching the leader, failing by a neck. Henri Matisse took third with Field Of Gold, the 1-3 favourite, fourth, beaten three and a quarter lengths.
Winning jockey Richard Kingscote, riding his first Glorious Goodwood winner for ten years, said: “Ultimately we were there as a helping hand to go an even gallop. We were somewhat ignored early, then took a lead. The horse likes the track and even though he was here to help he could do his best.
“I feel like a villain but when I saw it wasn’t a grey nose coming towards me I just kept going.”
Beckett said: “I’m not that sorry. He did his job. That was the plan and he went 12 second furlongs. They didn’t sit close to him and today is the end result.
“He is a real Goodwood specialist and Richard is very good in this role. I’m sorry it didn’t work out for Field Of Gold but it’s a horse race. Anything can happen. He’s always threatened to be a good horse. I just haven’t managed to get that out of him until today.”
The Goodwood stewards held an inquiry into Qirat’s improved form comparted to his previous start in a handicap at Royal Ascot where he finished 27th of 30 runners.
“Ralph Beckett’s explanation that the gelding was not suited by the first-time blinkers in its previous race and raced too keenly as a result was noted,” the report said. “Qirat was routine tested.”
Field Of Gold’s trainer John Gosden suggested that Field Of Gold had not handled the undulating track.
“He’s done nothing wrong. Actually the other pacemaker gets left, he comes round, they finally going a pace. He’s sitting back a long way, that’s life and the pacemaker goes and wins it. If you let them have those fractions they go and do it.
“Field Of Gold ran on but he didn’t seem too well balanced on the track, It’s a different kind of track he’s ever run on. He just got a little unbalanced coming out of the dip into the bend but I’m not making any excuses. They ignored the pacemaker and paid the price.
“He ran a huge race in the 2,000 Guineas and was flying at the finish. He was not flying at the finish today so there is a very big difference.
“He definitely wasn’t at his best today so we will have to see why. William said as soon as he asked him the engine wasn’t there, simple as that. He didn’t fire today.”
While the result was a huge result for the bookmakers, a Ladbrokes customer from Didcot won £7,550 after staking £50 on Qirat.
“Hardly anyone saw that result coming but Qirat’s Sussex Stakes upset left one punter in particular £7.5k better off in one of the biggest shocks we’ve seen at Glorious Goodwood,” said spokesperson Alex Apati.
