Soccer

The five fastest King George Stakes wins at Glorious Goodwood

The King George Stakes at Goodwood is one of the standout sprints of the summer, where the fastest horses descend on the south coast to rocket down the five furlong course.

There's few top sporting events over in less than a minute but the King George provides all the excitement of the sport of horse racing in a blink and you'll miss it sixty seconds and under.

The 2022 renewal of the King George Stakes looks like an open race with several top horses battling for favourtism. You can view the full racecard here.

Planet Sport is on hand to count down the five fastest King George Stakes wins at Glorious Goodwood.

5. Hever Golf Rose (1995 - time: 0.56.25)

This specialist sprinter was named after a golf club and came with swing to the King George of 1995.
The Joe Naughton trained four-year-old was priced up a tasty 10/1 for the Goodwood Sprint showpiece which seemed a fair price in the first couple of furlongs with Hever Golf Rose short of room.
Jockey Jason Weaver switched Hever Golf Rose to the near side and went from back to front in the space of a blistering final furlong which broke the race record in a time caressing the magic 56 seconds mark.
Hever Gold Rose was clearly a smart type, going on to win the Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp and being named European Champion Sprinter in 1995.

4. Battaash (2019 - 0.56.20)

The Charles Hills speed merchant was made for the downhill dash at Goodwood in the King George Stakes, winning the race a record four times.

The 2019 renewal saw Battaash going for the hat-trick and a heavy 1/4 on favourite to do the job under Jim Crowley.

The Shadwell Stud star sprinter didn't disappoint, travelling strongly and claiming a three quarter length win from the Martyn Meade trained Houtzen.
The time of 0.56.20 was close to the magic 56 seconds but no cigar, yet Battaash was to return with a smoking run in 2020.

3. Muthmir  (2015 - 0.56.08)

Another Shadwell speed guru, Muthmir won the Prix du Gros-Chene on soft going in the build-up to his tilt at King George glory.

The bay gelding by Haydock Sprint Cup winning Invincible Spirit arrived at Goodwood as the 3/1 favourite and was to engage in a thrilling battle with 20/1 outsider Take Cover.
Off the pace in midfield, Paul Hanagan switched right and delivered Muthmir up the rail to take a nail biting win by just a head from the David Griffiths trained Take Cover.
In all the hubbub it was barely noticed that Muthmir had delivered a rapid time of 0.56.08, the third fastest in the race's history.

2. Rudi's Pet (1999  - 0.56.01)

David "Dandy" Nicholls wasn't known as the "Sprint King" for nothing, making short distant contests his stock in trade and he had a speed machine with Rudi's Pet.
Performing well all summer in 1999 handicaps, Rudi's Pet made the step up to group company in the King George and was sent off the 6/1 favourite.
Seb Sanders guided Rudi's Pet to the near side rail with two furlongs to go at Goodwood then hit the turbos as the five year-old rocketed to a one and a quarter length win from Imperial Beauty in second.

The time was just point one of a second short of breaching the 56 second mark, a quite magnificent training performance from an unfashionable northern yard at the fashionable southern track, that saw the Sprint King live up to his name.

1.Battaash (2020 - 0.55.62)

To win the King George at Goodwood four times on the bounce is a remarkable feat and the beastly Battaash took speed-freakery to a whole new level in the 2020 renewal.

Arriving as the 2/7 favourite, it wasn't a case of whether Battaash would win but by how far and which horses would get within viewing distance of the sprinter's fast disappearing backside.
In the end it was Glass Slippers, the Prix de L'Abbaye winner who managed to get to within two and a half lengths with 100/1 shot Ornate a further half length back in third.
Jim Crowley had steered Battaash through a race in which he was in a class of his own, not just pipping the 56 second mark but digging some way under in a breathtaking time of 0.55.62.
Any sprinter aiming to beat it may have to be launched out of a cannon and it may well be Battaash himself that is capable of topping such a quick time.

More Articles