QREC GM Nasser Sherida Al Kaabi (third left) during a trophy presentation ceremony for the Qatar EBF Stallions Maiden Stakes - Duke Of Hazzar, yesterday.
GOODWOOD, West ESSEX: It might have taken Tommy G (10/1) 12 hours to reach Goodwood Racecourse from Scotland, but he made the long trip worthwhile after landing the opening £75,000 Qatar Stewards’ Sprint Handicap for trainer Jim Goldie and the in-form Silvestre De Sousa.
The five-year-old son of Makfi was a three-quarter length second in the 2017 renewal but made no mistake in the 2018 renewal of the six-furlong handicap, keeping on in tremendous fashion in the closing stages to score by three-quarters of a length.
Winning trainer Goldie, who saddled Haweyethenoo to victory in the 2012 edition of yesterday’s feature race, the £250,000 Unibet Stewards’ Cup, said: “Tommy G is a home-bred and was second in this race last year, when he ran a blinder.
“We thought the ground might be a bit quick, but I said to Silvestre to just let him roll and when he hit the rising ground, he kicked on
“When Silvestre became available, I thought it was perfect because he is jump and go forward type of horse. Silvestre is very good at that type of ride - he can get the rhythm into racehorses like that.
“Tommy G likes Ayr, but I haven’t run him on fast ground for a while and I thought there was a big one in him. He is in good nick and he is a nice horse.
“I like coming to Goodwood and it’s great having another winner here. Hawkeyethenoo won the Stewards’ Cup and that was a great memory.
“It was a 12-hour journey down here, but we’ve got a great team and I was delighted with the horse coming into the race as he had ate up and travelled down well.
“We came here on Thursday night - it’s great to have a winner.”
