Kings Fete lands Goodwood opener

Kings Fete gained compensation for his luckless run at Royal Ascot by claiming victory in the Betfred Glorious Stakes at Goodwood.

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained five-year-old, who missed the whole of last season through injury, looked to have been produced with a race-winning run by Ryan Moore in last month's Duke of Edinburgh Stakes but was badly hampered by eventual winner Kinema in the closing stages and had to make do with minor honours in third.

Stepped up to Group class for the first time since contesting the 2014 St Leger, the 5-2 favourite was always travelling strongly and picked up well for Moore in the final furlong to get the better of the front-running Ayrad by three-quarters of a length.

Moore said: "He's had his difficulties so it's a big effort to get him back at all, really.

"Everything went smoothly through the race, it was a good performance. A lightly-raced colt, he's improved, for sure."

Stoute said: "He was pretty smart. This horse got an injury in the Leger in 2014 and they (the vets) did a great job and got him back in fantastic condition.

"He's much more relaxed now."

The winner is owned by Khalid Abdullah, whose racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe said: "Kings Fete had a soft tissue injury. Bones heal pretty quickly whereas soft tissue injuries take a long time.

"We gelded him over the winter just to take bit more weight off his neck and shoulders and his rehabilitation went well. He's gone through everything smoothly.

"You never really know how these horses are coming back from an injury until you put your foot on the pedal but he has taken it really well so well done to everyone."

Asked about the possibility of a trip to Australia for the Caulfield Cup in which Abdullah's Snow Sky was fifth last year, Grimthopre said: "I love the Caulfield Cup, we were a little bit unlucky with Snow Sky last year.

"The whole Australian scene is so brilliant, it is hard to take your eye off it but whether Prince Khalid wants to submit the horse there I don't know, it's up to him.

"There will be various different options for the horse depending on how far he could go. There are various foreign mile-and-a-half races including Group Ones to look at running him in."

Connections of Ayrad were more than satisfied with the run.

Roger Charlton's son Harry said: "We are very happy with him. He is gutsy and has improved with each run this year.

"Frankie (Dettori) thought that a mile and a half was better than a mile and a quarter. He stayed well, but the winner just had a bit more speed than us. Hopefully we can win a Group race with him this year."

David Simcock said of the third horse home Majeed: "I am very pleased with him but he was treading water in the last half furlong. A mile and a half on turf just stretches him.

"He will be a hard horse to place now but hopefully we can pick up more prize-money with him. There are certain races at certain times of the year for him. We will make lots of entries for him where the fields are small."