They call it Glorious Goodwood and it never seems to let the racing world down with another week of exciting racing, close finishes and an atmosphere which few sporting events around the world could match. The final day of Glorious Goodwood brought about the 17th group one winner of an amazing season for Aidan O’Brien. Few remember that life has not always been easy for O’Brien but now he is the undisputed king of the turf and looking for yet more scalps in the weeks and months ahead.
Today saw Johnny Murtagh ride Halfway to Heaven like a dream to pip the even money favourite Lush Lashes at the line by a head. While all of the plaudits will rightly go to the O’Brien team there has to be some respect for Lush Lashes who was blocked in on the rails on a number of occasions, saw doors open and then close before finally sneaking through a tiny gap to push the eventually all the way to the line.
Those who have not sampled a day at the races will never understand the power and athleticism of these massive beasts. While racing is often described as the sport of kings, it is the horses that make the sport what it is today. These finely tuned animals are trained and bred to perfection often primed for just a few races a year, but when they decide to go there is literally no stopping them!
