Day 2 at the 2025 edition of the Qatar Goodwood Festival was one of the most incredible in the long history of the summertime highlight. Initially, it appeared that Ryan Moore would steal the headlines with wins in the opening three races. However, Moore was upstaged by a trainer who not only registered a dead heat with two of his own runners but also caused an almighty shock in the Sussex Stakes.
Following a quiet opening day, Kimpton-based Ralph Beckett exploded into life on Day 2, with three winners from seven entries. A solid performance that was made remarkable by the fact that two of those winners were successful in the same race, and the third defied astronomical odds of 150/1!
Tabiti and Saqqara Sands Split Oak Tree Spoils
Ralph Beckett had yet to win the Group 3 Oak Tree Stakes but sent a strong two-pronged attack into battle in the shape of Tabiti and Saqqara Sands. Of that duo, the market preferred the Juddmonte-owned Tabiti, with the mount of Ryan Moore sent off as the 9/2 joint second favourite.
Good enough to take her place in the Group 1 Fillies Mile as a juvenile, she looked to have a solid chance. However, arriving with career form figures of 21221, Saqqara Sands caught the eye of many each-way punters at odds of 16/1.
Once underway, the Beckett duo grabbed the initiative, with Tabiti making the running from Saqqara Sands in second. And there they remained. Briefly looking like being swamped at the furlong pole, the pair found more to move clear and fight it out to the line. 100 yards from the finish, the market looked to have it right, with Tabiti holding a half-length advantage over her stablemate. But back came Rossa Ryan and Saqqara Sands with a late thrust. Heads up, head down at the line, and, following extensive scrutiny from the judge, the pair could not be split.
A delighted Beckett confirmed what most assumed when stating, “I’ve definitely not been in a dead heat with two of mine.” Few trainers have, although a trawl through the record books reveals that this wasn’t a first, with previous examples including:
- 1949: Charles Semblat – Coronation and Galgala in the French 1000 Guineas at Longchamp
- 2012: Tim Easterby – Deauville Flyer and Mirrored in the Paddock Package Handicap at Pontefract
- 2013: Stan Moore – Seville and Amelia Hull in the £50 Free Bet At coral.co.uk Handicap at Wolverhampton
- 2017: Michael Dods – Holmeswood and Intense Romance in the Betfred Apprentice Handicap at York
- 2022: Keiran Burke – The Height Of Fame and Maroochi in the Pertemps Network Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle at Newton Abbot
Indeed, that so many of these have occurred relatively recently, when photo-finish technology makes dead heats rarer, suggests that there are probably many more examples way back in racing’s earlier days. Nonetheless, this Goodwood dead heat is certainly the most recent one!
Qirat Stuns Sussex Stakes Field
With “two” winners on the board, Beckett was free to relax and enjoy an afternoon headlined by Field Of Gold in the Sussex Stakes. Well clear of the field on ratings, brilliant in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes, the John & Thady Gosden star was fully expected to continue his ascent.
If there was a horse in the field to upset the favourite, it surely wouldn’t be the Ralph Beckett-trained Qirat. Here we had a horse who had beaten only three of his 30 handicap rivals last time out in the Royal Hunt Cup, had never won at the distance, and stepped into Group company for the first time. Going in the same Juddmonte silks as Field Of Gold, the mount of Richard Kingscote arrived with the task of making the running for the 1/3 market leader.
All went as expected for much of the contest, with Qirat sharing pace-making duties with the Aidan O’Brien second string Serengeti. However, turning for home, alarm bells began to ring. Had the jockeys aboard the more fancied contenders allowed the trailblazers too much rope?
Whilst Serengeti followed the script and dropped back to the pack, Qirat well and truly tore it up. Staying on resolutely as those behind asked for everything, the four-year-old held on by a neck to deny the charging Rosallion, with Field Of Gold failing to make the frame.
At odds of 150/1, Qirat caused the biggest shock in Sussex Stakes history – and became the longest-priced winner of any Group 1 race ever run in Britain. Some afternoon for Beckett!
