Weekend Review: Ascot springs a surprise as 25/1 outsider Goliath gallops to glory
Drama at Ascot was followed by a controversial victory for Lewis Hamilton, while Team GB’s Adam Peaty missed out on gold in the pool by two-hundredths of a second
Saturday’s equine action at Ascot threw up one of the shocks of the summer as 25/1-shot Goliath swept to victory in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Goliath, ridden by jockey Christophe Soumillon, became the first French-trained winner of the Group 1 race since 2006 as the four-year-old cruised into contention at the two-furlong pole before pulling clear to win by more than two-lengths from Bluestocking and Rebel’s Romance.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien had three runners in the form of Auguste Rodin, Luxembourg and pacemaker Hans Andersen, but they could only manage fifth, sixth and last of nine, respectively.
Auguste Rodin had drifted from 6/5 on the day and still went off the 7/4 favourite, yet he quickly weakened one furlong out and finished fifth.
Speaking to ITV Racing, O’Brien blamed the conditions of the track, admitting that he was worried by the ground as soon as he walked it prior to the race.
He added: “It was nowhere near good to firm anywhere. It was cut up on the rails and full of sand.”
While Francis Henri Graffard-trained Goliath received some support – the horse was backed from 28/1 into 25/1 – the upset was a massive result for the bookmakers.
Reflecting on the race, Alan Firkins of Betfred explained: “There was, perhaps fittingly as the Olympic Games began to flex its considerable muscle, an international flavour to Saturday’s King George at Ascot.
“A German-bred gelding Goliath, trained by a French native in Chantilly and ridden by a Belgian, absolutely hosed up in racing’s great midsummer highlight.
“An SP of 25/1 had the racing desk in raptures too, but I felt very sorry for runner-up Bluestocking, who comfortably thrashed the rest but had to watch Christophe Soumillon sitting motionless as he sauntered into the history books in a time over two seconds above standard on the prevailing fast ground.
“Ralph Beckett’s filly has been a revelation at four this term, and compensation surely awaits in the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks on the Knavesmire in a few weeks.
“Talking of that fantastic racecourse, Alflaila took out the Sky Bet York Stakes for a second time and was clipped for the Juddmonte on the opening day of the Ebor Festival. The Shadwell five-year-old is available at 12/1 in a market headed by Betfred Derby winner City Of Troy (evens).”
Kindred’s Ali Gill also addressed Saturday’s highlight and shed light on its impact on the bookmakers, adding: “The King George saw a shock result as 25/1-shot Goliath won comfortably under Cristophe Soumillon.
“With well-fancied favourite Auguste Rodin disappointing back in fifth, a result which left the traders smiling.”
Elsewhere, this weekend marked the opening exchanges of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. After a strong showing in the semi-final, hopes were high that British swimmer Adam Peaty could take home Team GB’s first gold, but he had to settle for joint silver in the 100-metre breaststroke final as Italy’s Nicolò Martinenghi claimed victory by two-hundredths of a second.
Firkins claimed: “Adam Peaty’s bid for three consecutive individual breaststroke golds failed by two-hundredths of a second in the Olympic pool, as he shared the silver spoils in a frantic finish of centimetres.
“After his well-publicised travails, it was an uplifting and quite magnificent effort. It will be interesting to see what business levels are achieved in the coming days and I noticed Wigan’s gifted athlete Keely Hodgkinson is as short as 1/3 for the Women’s 800 metres. No pressure then.”
USA gymnast Simone Biles had the stars in town for her first display of the competition that cemented her status as favourite for the gold.
Firkins continued: “Biles was back in free-flowing action in front of rapturous fans that included Ariana Grande and Tom Cruise. Throw in a bit of Celine Dion at the opening ceremony and it’s been as much a celeb-fest as iconic sporting event. Love it.”
Finally, the Belgian Grand Prix was not short of controversy, with George Russell’s disqualification, which stemmed from his car being under the required weight, handing Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton the victory in Spa.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc filled the podium positions, while the leader in the drivers’ standings, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, was fourth.
It was a result that went down well with Kindred, according to Gill, who explained: “A fascinating race at Spa at the weekend saw George Russell make a brave strategy call and hold on to cross the line first, although later saw himself disqualified and teammate Lewis Hamilton gifted the win. All told, the race was a good result for the book.”