Yeats shows why he’s one in a million
Yeats took his career earnings past the £1m mark with a superb performance to win the Goodwood Cup for a second time
The triple Ascot Gold Cup winner powered his way past 33-1 shot Tungsten Strike in the closing stages to repeat his 2006 success for trainer Aidan O’Brien.
The clear 8-15 favourite handed jockey Johnny Murtagh his second winner of the day, to add to his hattrick on Wednesday. “He’s a great horse and a true warrior,” Murtagh said. “The crowds turned out to see him and he didn’t let them down. He’s often done more at home on the gallops.
“He was a little fresh at Ascot and today was much better. He’s got a very high cruising speed – when he gets into top gear he can maintain it constantly. He’s truly a great stayer.” While all eyes were on Yeats’s stablemate Honolulu to provide the main threat, it was Darryll Holland’s outsider Tungsten Strike which made all the running.
Indeed, a major upset looked on the cards six furlongs out when Amanda Perrett’s stayer had forced his way into a commanding five length lead.
But Yeats found another gear and soon ate into the lead before finally hitting the front a quarter of a mile from the finish.
He eventually came through to win by seven lengths with 33-1 shot Sagara trailing Tungsten Strike in third.
Murtagh had earlier enjoyed success on Enticing at 9-1 in the Audi King George Stakes, pipping Masta Plasta and Frankie Dettori’s Dandy Man into second and third respectively
Another jockey who enjoyed double success yesterday was Alan Munro, who came home on 9-2 shot Gravitation in the opening race of the day, the Moet Hennessy Fillies Stakes, before later steering Indian Days (5-1) to victory in the Heritage Handicap.