Another Ryan Moore masterclass has Opera Singer dictate the race in order for her to land the feature on the second day of the Goodwood Festival for Aidan O'Brien to get her back into the winning enclosure
Thursday 1 August 2024 16:55, UK
Ryan Moore dictated from the front on the classy filly Opera Singer to secure a second Group 1 in the Nassau Stakes, with Emily Upjohn never really involved in the contest.
Opera Singer benefitted from a fine front-running ride by Moore to oblige at 10 furlongs on the first time of asking at Goodwood.
Last season's champion juvenile filly had a setback in the spring, which delayed her return to action and denied her an outing in the 1000 Guineas.
A daughter of Justify, she made her comeback in the Irish equivalent, surpassing expectations when finishing third, and she came forward again when narrowly beaten by Porta Fortuna in the Coronation Stakes.
Moore was keen to dictate on Aidan O'Brien's charge and she took two lengths out of the field with two furlongs to run.
The closers were gaining deep inside the final furlong, with Andrew Balding's See The Fire running a career-best and getting to within a neck, while French Oaks winner Sparkling Plenty rattled home for third behind the 9-4 winner.
However, the supplemented Upjohn was disappointing, never threatening to get in a serious blow.
O'Brien said: "We're so positive with Justify. When Ryan got off her last year, he said this filly would come back and win the Arc. When he rode City (Of Troy) last year, he said something the same, that he'd never ridden something like it before.
"Ryan gave her an incredible ride, he was so confident about her. We listen to what Ryan says, he tells us and we follow him all the time.
"Ryan said after the Boussac last year 'this filly will win the Arc'. We had an interrupted spring with her, she was barely ready for a racecourse gallop in the spring, when she went for the Guineas.
"We left her after that to go to Ascot and she ran a great race, but what we were wanting to do was step her up to a mile and a quarter all the time and that was here.
"There's every chance she's going to get a mile and a half. Ryan said she was very classy to do that in front of a bunch of fillies like that and Ryan said she fought as well. I'm impressed with her really.
"She could go to one of the fillies' races in France, she could go to the track (ParisLongchamp) and have a look at it. The Vermeille or those kinds of things, but the lads will decide what they want to do.
"I don't think she needs to (run over the trip prior to the Arc), but she could do it; we'll see, I suppose. I don't want to be saying we'll do something and not do it, but she'd have to run once before then anyway.
"She got a mile very strong in the Boussac, she opened up going into the furlong marker and galloped through the line.
"I couldn't believe she was placed in the Irish Guineas, couldn't believe it, she wasn't ready to be placed but she got placed.
"The second day Ryan just felt another horse went to make the running and it just messed up his pace a little bit. He was over the moon with her and she was beaten by a very good filly.
"It always looked like the filly was crying out to go over a mile and a quarter or a mile and a half. Justifys, one thing about them is they keep going. Every one of them is the same, they just keep going."
Speaking further on his jockey, O'Brien smiled: "Ryan? He should keep improving until he's 45 and he's only 40! I always keep telling him, every year he's getting better."
Moore added: "I was very confident she would stay. We always felt when she won the Boussac at a mile last year that, staying on very well, she would be a 10- or 12-furlong filly.
"We're still learning about her but she's shown herself to be top class. She should build on this as well. She does everything beautifully.
"I thought she would take a lot of beating today and hopefully she will improve again. I could absolutely see her being an Arc filly, but there is plenty of water to go under the bridge."
Jan Brueghel showed his quality to fend off Bellum Justum and maintain his unbeaten record in the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes at Goodwood.
The son of Galileo went off as the 4-5 favourite and was stoked up by Ryan Moore to ease past Meydaan's surprise early pacesetting before enduring a two-furlong battle with Andrew Balding's Bellum Justum.
Meydaan burst into a five-length lead in the early stages of the mile-and-a-half contest, but he was usurped by Aidan O'Brien's charge a long way from home.
Jan Brueghel hit the front, but he was not alone as Bellum Justum fought for supremacy and the pair were neck and neck inside the final 100 yards.
However, Moore asked for more and Jan Brueghel delivered to win by a neck and secure the Group Three victory, with more looking to be in the tank.
O'Brien said: "He stays very well obviously, but he's very babyish. Very green. He did an extra lap in the parade ring and Ryan said he was very green going to the start.
"He said he was delighted when a horse went off in front, but he was very green when he was by himself. He's a baby, he's going to improve a lot.
"I'd say time and distance is going to improve him, he's just a big baby and you can really see it now. I'm delighted, we took him to the Curragh twice and I'm delighted we took him over here.
"You'd have to be very happy and Ryan was very good on him.
"He led the other two to the leader and then got left there, then all he was doing was looking around and he wasn't really concentrating because he's a baby. He still fought when Ryan asked him to, you'd have to be very happy considering that.
"I'd say you'd have to (go straight to the St Leger). It was a bit of a crash-course coming here, he had a lot to learn in a short time. It's only his third run but I wouldn't think there'd be time for a run in between.
"He's a lot heavier today than his last run and that's unusual, that usually means that he's maturing a lot. It can mean that they've got unfit but he didn't look lighter, he's obviously maturing.
"We also have the horse that won at Royal Ascot - Illinois - for the St Leger and the Irish Derby winner Los Angeles is a possible."
Moore added: "He'll get better, still. There is definitely more class in there, we just need to get it out."
A fast-finishing Black Forza upset favourite The Strikin Viking to land the Markel Richmond Stakes for Irish handler Michael O'Callaghan.
Much of the pre-race talk was about Wathnan Racing's new purchase The Strikin Viking, who went off as the 11-10 market leader, and he was soon in charge of proceedings of the six-furlong contest.
Despite an early challenge from Tropical Storm, trainer Hamad Al Jehani looked on course for his first ever British turf winner at the final furlong marker when The Strikin Viking moved clear in front.
At this point, Black Forza was off the bridle near the rear and not in consideration before he clicked into top gear and made his move under Dylan Browne McMonagle.
The son of Complexity motored down the inside to cruise past six rivals with only the leader ahead, who he overtook in the closing stages to win at 9-1 by half a length.
O'Callaghan said: "It's fantastic. To win the Richmond is very special, he's a horse we bought at the breeze-ups and Goodwood has been lucky for us.
"I didn't get to be here when Steel Bull won the Molecomb (in 2020). But this horse, to come here was the plan even before his maiden. A loose plan and I'm glad it's worked out.
"He's a talented colt, he loves that ground. He was flat out for the first half of the race but he hit the line very strong. He was better in a better race, we'll enjoy today and then make some plans."
He went on: "He just has a bit of class. It takes class to see out a race like that, we'd be hopeful that he'd see out seven furlongs in time and possibly he might get a mile around a turn.
"He's an American-bred horse, we'll see how he progresses.
"He's a very, very good mover. You're always taking a chance, buying a dirt horse to go on grass, especially a first-season sire.
"He's proved he can go on turf, so it's great, it's all worked out.
"He's got a lot of options, we'll enjoy today first and then we'll make a plan after that."
