Black Forza lined up for possible Breeders' Cup tilt after Richmond victory

It might have been won by two Irishmen but the Richmond Stakes had a marked American flavour as Black Forza stormed home late to collar The Strikin Viking.

Purchased for $27,000 at Keeneland in November 2022 and then $65,000 at Fasig-Tipton the following summer, the colt by 2018 Grade 1 Champagne Stakes winner Complexity is something of a rare commodity.

Michael O'Callaghan shelled out £220,000 for him at the Doncaster breeze-ups in April and, with the assistance of Dylan Browne McMonagle, the Curragh trainer masterminded his second success at the meeting after Steel Bull's Molecomb strike in 2020.

"It’s fantastic," O'Callaghan said. "To win the Richmond is very special. Goodwood has been lucky for us, I didn’t get to be here when Steel Bull won, but this was kind of the plan before he won his maiden. I’m glad it’s worked out. He’s a talented colt and he loves that ground. 

• Glorious Goodwood day three - as it happened

"I think he has a bit of class, more than raw pace. Dylan said he was flat out for the first half of the race and that he was just getting going through the line and ran through it very strong. He’ll be better in a better race. We’d be hopeful he’d get seven furlongs in time and he might get a mile around a turn. 

"He’s an American-bred horse, so we’ll see how the rest of the year goes. He did a very good breeze, my favourite of the day; he wasn’t slow, but he was a very, very good mover. You’re always taking a chance when you’re buying a dirt horse to go on grass, but they can do it."

Michael O'Callaghan: has unearthed another classy juvenile in Black ForzaCredit: Patrick McCann

For McMonagle, who is one of the brightest young sparks in the weighing room, it was a case of first time's a charm. 

"It's my first ride here, so I've got off to a good start," he said. "These are the kind of meetings you want to be riding winners at and a massive thanks to Michael and connections for giving me the leg up on this fella.

"He's a top-quality colt. He's improving and I still think he's going to come on a lot again. I knew they were never going to keep going the speed they were and he quickened up good when I needed him."

The Eleanora Kennedy-owned sprinter could return to America for the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar in November, and perhaps via the Curragh, as he holds an entry in the Group 2 Futurity Stakes over seven furlongs on August 24.

Marquand strikes

Last year's leading rider Tom Marquand got off the mark for the week with a brave ride on Approval in the Coral Kincsem Handicap before following up in the 5f handicap on Shagraan for in-form trainer Mick Appleby. 

The jockey, who rode four winners at the meeting last season, had to switch the Highclere Racing-owned Approval to the rail after being short of racing room before finishing powerfully to deny Brioni by a neck, with the favourite Midnight Gun a neck behind in third.

"We felt going into Ascot that Approval had won his novice at Windsor in impressive fashion from the front, so that day I almost made the running by default," said Marquand. "We tried to repeat the tactics at Ascot, but he just did far too much and, at that track, you can’t get away with it.

"Once I took him out to challenge, he just leant into the right and, Goodwood being Goodwood, sometimes you just have to go with it. We got the most beautiful run behind the favourite and the splits came after, so it worked out great."

Dreamy (white cap) collars Bouvier in the 7f fillies' maiden at GoodwoodCredit: Edward Whitaker

Dreamy comes true

Not content with scooping two of the day's three Group races, Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien also landed the 7f fillies' maiden with Dreamy.

The juvenile has a stunning pedigree, being by the Triple Crown hero American Pharoah out of the Yorkshire Oaks winner Tapestry, and she showed class to match by reeling in Bouvier to make a successful debut.

O'Brien and Moore teamed up to win the same race with the triple Group 1 winner Rhododendron in 2016. That filly finished second to Enable in the Oaks and Dreamy was introduced as a 40-1 shot for the same race.

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