Glorious Goodwood 2018: Lightning Spear bolts up in the Sussex Stakes
After several near misses the seven-year-old gained his first Group 1 win in brilliant style
LIGHTNING Spear finally struck at Group 1 level with an impressive win in the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.
The seven-year-old has been knocking on the door at the top level for several seasons and blew away the opposition under Oisin Murphy.
In scooping the £1,000,000 feature, David Simcock’s runner gained compensation for an agonising loss in a photo finish to the Lockinge Stakes in May.
The 7-4 favourite Without Parole cut out the early running under Andrea Atzeni, but the Italian was sending out distress signals with around three furlongs to race.
Murphy, meanwhile, was oozing confidence in behind runners aboard the 9-1 shot Lightning Spear.
He was forced to wait for a gap until inside the final furlong, but once in the clear he left his rivals for dead.
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Expert Eye (4-1) ran well to take second for Sir Michael Stoute ahead of Lord Glitters (10-1) in third, but Without Parole trailed home in seventh.
It was an emotional win for Simcock, whose dad passed away two days ago.
Simcock said: “He’s done very little wrong apart from win a Group 1, until now.
“He’s a lovely horse to train. He’s been placed in six Group 1s and has never really let us down.
“That was the horse we see at home all the time, it’s just getting it to click (on a racecourse). I’m more pleased for the horse than anybody.
“For the horse to get his nose in front in a Group 1 like that, it’s great.”
Murphy is having a memorable season, having also won the Eclipse Stakes aboard Roaring Lion, and he spoke of his pride in the horse.
Murphy said: “I never ever get nervous before Group 1s, but I was nervous today and was trying to hide it down at the start. He’s deserved to win a major Group 1.
“He loves travelling behind heels and I was sure Expert Eye was going to fade away at some stage.
“What a horse, what a training performance. At seven years of age, outstanding.”
John Gosden, trainer of flop Without Parole, put the colt’s performance down to him having to lead early.
He said: “I knew very early on he was beat. I just hoped one person would go on (and make the running).
“I didn’t have a pacemaker to put in. To that extent, you are stuck there (in front) and that just isn’t his style of racing.
“There was no pace and that is not his style of racing, being in front, so he was not going to perform to his best like that.”