Take Heart won at Goodwood for Johnny Murtagh © Photo Healy Racing
Johnny Murtagh’s Take Heart may be destined for greater things after landing the Coral Chesterfield Cup Handicap on the opening day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival.
The grey has been progressing all year, placing in some valuable handicaps before coming up against a wide draw in the John Smith’s Cup at York earlier in the month.
There he was a long way from disgraced when beaten four and a half lengths in eighth and returned to action at Goodwood having been dropped a pound on ratings.
Under Ben Coen he was a 7-1 shot in a field of 17 and always looked to be travelling well, taking up the lead at the furlong pole and holding off a challenge from the fast-finishing favourite Enfjaar to score by a neck.
“He’s not slow, he’s been training very well. I thought going to York that he’d a big chance, but he got drawn on the wide outside which made it difficult,” said Murtagh.
“When he drawn 18 today the owner was going ‘Jesus Johnny, what did you do to get these bad draws?’
“He was only beaten four and half lengths that day (at York), he had a lot of ground to make up in the straight.
“He was a little bit closer today, they went so slow and he was controlling the race at all time.
“He’s probably got a bit quicker, a mile and a quarter is ideal. In fairness to the horse, he deserved a big one like this and we’re delighted.
“There’s big handicap on Irish Champions weekend that he ran very well in last year, he could go there, but he’s probably a stakes horse in the making.”
There was a northern winner of the Coral Racing Club Handicap as Michael Dods’ Tatterstall (9-1) cut loose from the stalls and led the field along, before gamely holding off the challenge of Jack Channon’s Miss Attitude to shade a nose verdict.
“Michael has always had this race in mind. He has won at Epsom, so we always knew the track would suit him,” said David Stone, who owns the four-year-old with Carole Dods.
“He pinged the stalls and got an easy lead, although it wasn’t easy at the end.
“We bought him as a yearling from Tattersalls, his name is a play on that. We will have to ask Michael where we go next, he is the guru.”
There was joy for favourite backers in the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes, as Andrew Balding’s Jouncy (7-4) hit top gear at the right time to open his account at the third time of asking.
Connections had an odds-on favourite turned over in this contest 12 months ago, but there was no mistake this time around, as Oisin Murphy pushed out the homebred son of Wootton Bassett for a three-quarter length success over Archie Watson’s Carrados.
“I haven’t spoken to Oisin yet, but he looks like a horse who is crying out for another furlong,” said Balding. “He’s a classy horse with a bright future.
“To me, he looked like a horse that was always in top gear and his class got him through.”
Charlie Johnston’s Arisaig built on the promise she has shown previously to get her head in front in the Ridgeview Fillies’ Handicap.
Under Jamie Spencer, she was the 9-2 joint-favourite and came good by a neck from James Fanshawe’s Surveyor.
“She’s done well to win there. I think the second and third were at a massive positional bias,” said Johnston.
“Jamie said that after a couple of furlongs, he was further back than he was intending to be, so it’s been a pretty huge effort to make up that ground in the last couple of furlongs.
“She’s always been a filly that we thought could hold her own in black-type company and I’m sure that will be on the radar at some point this year. She’s such a huge filly that there is lots to look forward to for next year as well.”
The concluding HKJC World Pool British EBF Fillies’ Handicap then went the way of 16-1 chance Kitai for Michael Appleby and Jason Watson following a tight finish, with Katey Kontent going down by only a short head and Dance And Romance just a head further back in third.
