Big Evs enhanced Mick Appleby’s already memorable Qatar Goodwood Festival as he became the trainer’s fourth winner of the meeting in the Gr2 King George Qatar Stakes on Friday.
Ridden by Tom Marquand, the 13/8 favourite showed his usual early speed and trademark tenacity to gain revenge on the Australian mare Asfoora, who went down by a short-head in second. Believing finished third, a further three-quarters of a length behind.
Big Evs, who was successful at last year’s Breeders’ Cup, had finished third behind Henry Dwyer’s Asfoora in the Gr1 King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Big Evs (Tom Marquand) wins the battle of the speed merchants (Pic – Goodwood Racecourse)
The son of Blue Point carries the colours of Paul Teasdale’s RP Racing Ltd, who won Wednesday’s Gr3 Jaeger-LeCoultre Molecomb Stakes with the Appleby-trained Big Mojo.
Appleby said: “Big Evs is one in a million – the best I’ve trained by a long way. That was very good. I thought they were going to come and do us at the end, but he’s very tough and found a bit more. It was a great ride.
“At Ascot, the ground probably wasn’t perfect for us and the stiff finish is completely different to here. The ground was a lot quicker here as well, so we fancied him today.
“I’ll have to have a chat with Paul to see where we go. We’ve got the Nunthorpe, possibly the Abbaye if the ground came up quick, which is probably unlikely. I would imagine that whatever happens we’ll be topping it off back in America.
On his week so far, Appleby said: “It is unbelievable really, to think where I was 10-15 years ago to where we are now. We have some great owners now that support the yard – they spend the money and I get results like this. We have a great team at home that work very hard.”
Marquand said: “Big Evs is fantastic. He’s literally got too much speed! Ponntos has exceptional off-the-blocks boot early on and, to be honest, from the three to the two, he was eating up ground. I was trying to get half a breather in before I went and took the race.
“Big Evs just doesn’t want restraining. He’s got so much raw boot and trying to tame that, it almost feels like there is no point, because he grits down for you as well in that last 100 yards. You don’t need to save an awful lot on a track like this for him.
“He’s an exceptional racehorse and, to come back at three as good as he was at two, is pretty special.”
On going for the Gr1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York, Marquand added: “It is another track that suits him beautifully – he has shown that before. He has bounced into his three-year-old career in as good or even better form. He feels like he’s got even faster and even more effective in his gait, so it’s exciting for the rest of the season.”
Dwyer said of Asfoora: “I am very proud of her and very happy with Oisin’s ride. You could just tell about 100m from the start of coming down the hill there, she just came off the bridle. She is a quick mare but they went a bit quick for her early. Big Evs was able to control his own destiny, whereas we were stuck behind a couple and got a bit of a bump at around the 300. I think that’s probably cost her the win, but she’s run great.
“The leaders here just have such an easy time of it early, because they run downhill for the first 400. It levels out a bit after that, but if they’re going quick early, they get an easy time. She’s gone terrific – I couldn’t have hoped for her to go better, just disappointed not to win, having gone so well. Everyone has been so great to us, and we’ve very much enjoyed the experience.”
George Boughey said of Believing: “I am delighted. She is showing her tenacity every time, really. I was a bit worried after a couple of furlongs that she was out of her ground on the fastest five that you run at this grade, but she’s still learning to sprint at this distance. She’s carried a penalty there today and probably didn’t have the easiest of runs – there was a bit of traffic with Ralph’s horse on the side there. All options are open for her. Ryan Moore was pretty insistent that she went to the Nunthorpe, but the Flying Five has always been the plan. There’s enough time for her to do both. She will govern whether we do that, if she’s alright it would be no surprise – it’s only 12 days ago that she won the Group Two in Ireland. She takes her racing so well.”
King George Qatar Stakes (Group 2)
1 Big Evs (RP Racing Ltd) Mick Appleby 3-9-01 Tom Marquand 13/8F
2 Asfoora (Noor Elaine Farm Pty Ltd) Henry Dwyer AUS 6-9-06 Oisin Murphy 11/4
3 Believing (Highclere Thoroughbred Racing) George Boughey 4-9-04 7/1
10 ran
Mick Appleby – 5th Qatar Goodwood Festival winner
Tom Marquand – 16th Qatar Goodwood Festival winner
