1.50pm Coral Kincsem Handicap

Marquand gains Approval with Coral Kincsem Handicap win

Tom Marquand and trainer William Haggas registered their first wins of the 2024 Qatar Goodwood Festival as Approval charged home to take the Coral Kincsem Handicap.

The 11/2 chance, who carried the colours of Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, was positioned in midfield of the ten runners in the straight, and when the 18/5 favourite Midnight Gun moved off the far rail, Marquand saw that as the best route home.

Approval quickened into the lead with half a furlong to run and held the challenge of Brioni by a neck, with Midnight Gun another neck back in third.

The winner was last seen finishing unplaced in Royal Ascot’s Golden Gates Handicap, although he had been an impressive winner at Windsor on his previous start.

Marquand said: “We kind of felt going into Ascot that Approval had won his novice at Windsor in impressive fashion from the front, so that day I almost made the running by default. We tried to repeat the tactics at Ascot, but he just did far too much and, at that track, you can’t get away with it.

“Going down today, he gave me a completely different feel. He was more relaxed and I won’t say he was easy on the way round but, after going a couple of furlongs, I knew we were going to be half in business.

“Once I took him out to challenge, he just leant into the right and, Goodwood being Goodwood, sometimes you just have to go with it. We got the most beautiful run behind the favourite and the splits came after, so it worked out great.”

Assistant trainer Maureen Haggas said: “Approval would have been unlucky if he had got beaten because he tried every gap. He did well to win. He won at Windsor making the running and he went too free at Ascot. “Today we thought there would be plenty of pace, so we dropped in and then they slowed it down considerably. I thought maybe he was in trouble, but actually he accepted it, and he has done really well to run a really nice race.

“Where he goes is William’s department, but he was much more mature in the prelims.”

Brioni’s trainer Alan King said: “I am delighted with that. The gelding has helped him and I thought Vincent [Ho] gave him a great ride. I thought at the furlong pole that we were going to finish third or fourth, and he’s run on again.

“A bit of easier ground would suit him, but we got away with it today. I think we might give him a little break and bring him back for the slower ground in the autumn. I’ve always thought he had a bit of class, but at Sandown all he wanted to do was chase the fillies at the start, so he had to be gelded, and I think it’s helped him.”

Vincent Ho added: “Close; not good enough! Brioni kept kicking, so there was always hope until the line, but Tom did a good job on the inside. The horse ran well, first time back after being gelded, and he will be better.”

Approval wins the Coral Kincsem Handicap (credit: Goodwood Racecourse)

1.50 pm Coral Kincsem Handicap

1 Approval (Highclere Thoroughbred Racing) William Haggas 3-8-10 Tom Marquand 11/2

2 Brioni (Mrs M Sweeney & Alan King) Alan King 3-8-05 Vincent Ho 22/1

3 Midnight Gun (Wathnan Racing) Hamad Al-Jehani 3-9-01 James Doyle 18/5F

10 ran

William Haggas – 26th Qatar Goodwood Festival winner

Tom Marquand – 14th Qatar Goodwood Festival winner