George Baker left delighted after 40-1 shot Get It secures Stewards Cup glory with outstanding performance at Goodwood

The glorious Goodwood ended with a bang on Saturday as Get It won the Stewards Cup, securing the last of the major prizes.

There were 37 races over the five days, with excellent performances from start to finish, and talking points emerged as the cavalry swept across the Sussex Downs in pursuit of Get It, a 40-1 shot trained by the ecstatic George Baker.

SUPER SATURDAY

It’s natural to get excited about Group 1 racing, the pinnacle of flat horse racing, but good old-fashioned handicaps play a crucial part in the calendar, particularly the Coral Stewards’ Cup, first run in 1840 and with a prize fund of £250,000 on Saturday.

Baker had a smile that stretched to the Solent after Get It had made every yard a winning one, and with good reason. He had grown up in these parts and although Get It had run with great credit in Bahrain last winter, this success was hard to put into words.

“I’ve been coming here my whole life, I’ve been watching Stewards’ Cups since I was six or seven — it’s been a long time!” Baker joked. “This is a very, very dear thing to me and the racecourse is a massive part of our lives. It’s always been a special week for me, even before I started training.”

The horse’s trainer, George Baker, was delighted when Get It went all the way on Saturday

HOORAY FOR HENRY

You might think Henry de Bromhead would be thinking of Galway but the top Irish trainer, who lives near Waterford, made his first visit to Goodwood on Saturday and he should have taken the hint as Term Of Endearment won the Group 2 Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes.

This classy mare had won a good race at York in May to give Rachael Blackmore her first Group race success on the Flat, but there is more to come. Jockey Billy Lee is confident the mare will continue to improve and that her owners, the Acheson family, can celebrate success at the highest level.

Henry De Bromhead (pictured) was on hand when Term Of Endearment won the Group Two Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes

KIERAN CONTINUES

Being the frontrunner for John and Thady Gosden is like being a striker for Manchester United: if you don’t score goals, questions arise and criticism increases with every missed opportunity.

Kieran Shoemark has had a baptism of fire since joining Frankie Dettori last year, with criticism of his performances, particularly against Emily Upjohn in the Group One Nassau Stakes on Thursday, causing much debate.

However, it is a testament to the young rider’s attitude that he was able to work it all off and produce a superb front-running ride on Lead Artist in the Group Three Thoroughbred Stakes. This colt could prove to be the best horse in Gosden’s stable and Shoemark is up to the challenge.

Kieran Shoemark (pictured) had a baptism of fire but had a great ride on Lead Artist

GIRLS IN THE FOREGROUND

Thursday was a day to get out the notebooks, because the card could hold the future winner of this year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and next year’s Epsom Oaks. Opera Singer and Dreamy, trained by Aidan O’Brien, are bred in purple and have been given excellent rides by Ryan Moore, the world’s best jockey.

Dreamy got an excellent ride from Ryan Moore (pictured), the world’s best jockey

MAGICAL MICK

Mick Appleby (right) proved once again why he is one of the best trainers in the business

Mick Appleby proved once again why he is one of the best trainers in the business. He sent seven runners to Goodwood and their form figures were as follows — 1, 1, 3, 2, 1, 1, 3. Big Evs and Big Mojo won Group Two events but Appleby, you can be sure, will be winning at the highest level soon.