John and Thady Gosden made no excuses for Area Of Gold after he was well-beaten in a renewal of the Go to Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood that few may have foreseen.
The Juddmonte-owned gray was the 1/3 favorite as he got here into the race having received each Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes this season, so was bidding for a Group One hat-trick with a brand new rider within the saddle as William Buick changed the suspended Colin Keane.
Juddmonte’s second-string, the Ralph Beckett-trained Qirat, was the mount of Richard Kingscote and employed as a pacemaker, albeit a helpful one, as was Aidan O’Brien’s Serengeti, who regarded set to steer stablemate Henri Matisse into the race.
These two did certainly settle into the lead, however because the race developed it grew to become obvious that the favorite couldn’t shut the hole and he completed an eventual fourth when three and three-quarter lengths behind 150-1 winner Qirat.
Richard Kingscote celebrates aboard Qirat
John Gosden stated: “He is performed nothing fallacious and truly the opposite pacemaker [Serengeti] received left [at the start], he comes spherical and at last they’re going a tempo. We’re sitting a good distance behind, that is life and the pacemaker goes and wins it.
“If you happen to allow them to have these fractions they may do it, he ran on however he did not appear to be balanced on the monitor, it is a totally different kind of monitor to what he has ever run on and he simply received just a little unbalanced popping out of the dip into the bend. I am not making any excuses, you ignore the pacemaker and pay the worth.
“He ran an enormous race within the Guineas [when runner-up at Newmarket] and was flying on the end, however he was not flying on the end so there is a very massive distinction. He wasn’t at his finest so we must see why. He’s having a standard blow so we can have an excellent look.
“William said as soon as he asked him the engine wasn’t there, simple as that. He would have run on to be up there with Rosallion, but he didn’t fire today.”
Thady Gosden added: “Congratulations to Ralph and Juddmonte of course for winning, but obviously it was a messy race and I think we can put a line through it.
“We noticed he quickened up nicely but it surely was too late on, Rosallion was in an excellent place in entrance of us and he did not fairly get there as they’d received a little bit of rope in entrance.
“Hopefully he comes out of it okay, we know how talented he is and today wasn’t a true reflection of his ability. We’ll move on.
“We may see what was unfolding for us a mile out, however clearly it’s nice for Juddmonte to have a home-bred winner.”
Richard Hannon’s 11/2 shot Rosallion was the runner-up below Sean Levey, crushed a neck after giving chase to the runaway Qirat.
Hannon stated: “It’s pride, not frustration, but what does he have to do to win?
“Sean did the best factor and moved nearer to the pacemakers, and he is run a brilliant race however did not win. It is life, is not it?
“He’s a great horse, his day has already come and there are other days to come. He’s certainly not done with.
“He is crushed one of the best three-year-old we have seen for years and likewise the French Guineas winner [Henri Matisse].
“It’s not a great day when you are second in these races but we are very lucky to be part of it. We have an extremely good horse and he went down fighting.”
Henri Matisse, additionally an 11/2 likelihood, was third below Ryan Moore when crushed two and a half lengths, with stablemate Serengeti finally final of the seven runners.
O’Brien stated: “Obviously [Serengeti] was there to make sure it was an even gallop and he missed the break, so Wayne [Lordan] had to let him relax and give him a chance.
“He got here spherical the sector vast after which when he joined up with the opposite pacemaker, the winner, he pulled again off and so Wayne was left making the working, however nicely performed to everybody.
“We are very happy with Henri Matisse. We think we haven’t got him really right yet, but we think we are getting there. Every time he runs we are learning more, and we were happy with him here other than he didn’t win, obviously.
“Sean [Levey’s] horse [Rosallion] simply got here down the skin of him and took a few lengths out of him rapidly, Ryan simply stated that coming down the hill at Goodwood it simply took him just a little time to get organised as he is a child three-year-old. He felt he wasn’t completed with and there is extra to come back.
“We think he’s a miler, but Ryan thinks he’ll stay further. We’ll see how he is but he could go back to France for the mile races and could end up in America for their mile races, or he could go up in trip, although we’ve never thought he was short of pace.”
