Lady Bowthorpe storms to Goodwood success

Lady Bowthorpe silenced the doubters who claimed her stamina could be an issue as she won the Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood. 

The five-year-old failed to place last time out, finishing fourth in the Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket earlier this month, but William Jarvis showed faith in his stable star and stepped her up to 10 furlongs on Thursday.

And she repaid him immediately to hand the trainer his second Group One winner.

Jockey Kieran Shoemark celebrated his first Group One success after guiding her home as the duo finished ahead of Zeyaadah and Joan Of Arc. 

Shoemark seems to have found his best form since a six-month ban in 2018, and he revealed it was a special moment to steer her home. 

He told reporters: "I'm pretty speechless. This means so much, not just for me but for Emma and William Jarvis, too. I feel very lucky to be part of it. 

"She deserves it — she's done nothing but improve with age, and she's a credit to Emma, who fills me with absolute confidence. 

"I know the filly so well and I can tell what form she is in cantering to the start. She was taking a bit of a hold with me, I knew she was in good form, and she appreciates a bit of give in the ground." 

Asymmetric pounces in Richmond Stakes

Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer Alan King was all smiles for the second time this week as he watched Asymmetric win the Richmond Stakes on Thursday. 

King watched Trueshan win the Goodwood Cup under Hollie Doyle earlier this week and he was celebrating again as Asymmetric romped to victory in the Group Two contest.

Richard Fahey's Khunan and Richard Hannon's Gubbass chased him home but the duo failed to close the gap before the finishing line and King admitted he could now head to France. 

He said: "He has an absolutely wonderful temperament, he's horizontal, he's so laid back. 

"He has a pretty lethal turn of foot when he does go, they looked to go pretty steady early and we always take a lead and then drop back. They probably weren't going strong enough. 

"He's in the Gimcrack — he is entered in the Group One [Prix Morny] in France — we'll see what the team want to do." 

Murtagh makes his mark yet again

Irish trainer Johnny Murtagh showed his runners mean business yet again as Ottoman Emperor battled hard to win the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes at Goodwood.

The three-year-old only made his debut at Dundalk in March, and he has since won at Cork, Gowran Park and Navan, before Thursday's success at Goodwood. 

Ben Coen was Murtagh's choice of jockey and the St Leger is now on the radar, with Murtagh's charge beating Sir Lucan by half a length. 

All eyes on Battaash

Charlie Hills' Battaash will be back in action today as the fan favourite bids to win his fifth King George Qatar Stakes.

The crowds should return to Goodwood at the right time, with the seven-year-old ready to add his name to the history books yet again. 

Only a handful of spectators watched him win the race for a fourth time last summer and connections will be confident he has learned from his fourth-placed effort at Ascot in June, when he lacked fitness during the King's Stand Stakes.