From the Shadows: Best Secret Unleashes Late Burst
Despite being sent off the 7/2 favourite, Best Secret looked anything but a sure thing through the early stages. The Stephane Wattel-trained colt broke sluggishly, leaving Doyle with plenty to do. Switched wide rounding the final bend, the pair stormed home with a withering run, collaring Marhaba Ghaiyyath in the dying strides to win by a neck. Fort George (15/2) and Daiquiri Bay (9/1) filled the placings, but the front two had clearly outclassed the field.
The win helped heal wounds from Royal Ascot, where Best Secret had finished a luckless third in the Golden Gates Handicap. This time, Doyle ensured he got the split and capitalized on the colt’s explosive late gears.
Relief and Reward for Wathnan Racing
“We had a hard-luck story at Ascot and we nearly had another one today,” said Richard Brown, racing advisor to Wathnan. “After two furlongs, Best Secret wasn’t travelling. James said he had to be brave, and that was pretty impressive in the end.”
Brown acknowledged the pressure building within the camp: “It is a relief we’ve had a winner. You pile the pressure on yourself because Goodwood is important to us. There are Qatar flags everywhere.”
With 12 runners over the first two days and four beaten favourites, the breakthrough was timely. “The plan was Ascot, and that went wrong. We realigned, and this was the plan. He might only run twice more this year, but he’ll be a much better horse next season.”
Wattel: “He Finishes Like a Ferrari”
Trainer Stephane Wattel was visibly emotional after the win. “I am still sweating because it was a hell of a race,” he admitted. “We tried to have him break faster, but that’s just him. He’s a diesel, he needs time to warm up, but when he gets going, he finishes like a Ferrari.”
Wattel hinted at bigger targets to come, potentially across the Channel. “Going a longer distance will help. He learned a lot today at Goodwood. I’ll give the owners some ideas for French racing as well, but he likes coming to England, so everything is open.”
James Doyle’s Patience Pays Off
“He was very unlucky at Royal Ascot, I just couldn’t get the gaps,” Doyle reflected. “Again, he was sleepy through the first half today. But once I got him into the clear, I knew he wouldn’t let me down.”
Doyle had called Best Secret his “banker of the week,” and his confidence was vindicated. “When you target meetings like this, Ascot, and the Arc, the team expects winners. I was getting twitchy, so it’s a huge relief to get on the board.”
Marhaba Ghaiyyath Denied Again
Runner-up Marhaba Ghaiyyath looked poised for victory in the closing stages but couldn’t fend off the surging Best Secret. Trainer Charlie Johnston said, “The start was messy and we ended up further back than planned. In hindsight, maybe that helped, but the winner came from even further back.”
Johnston remains optimistic: “He’s a very good horse and has bumped into slightly better ones the last two times. Hopefully, his turn will come.”
As the Qatar Goodwood Festival unfolds, Wathnan Racing’s confidence will be buoyed by this gritty success in the Coral Kincsem Handicap 2025. With Doyle, Wattel, and Best Secret now clicking into gear, the journey from frustration to fulfilment might just be beginning.
For more action from Goodwood, check out our International section for previous and up-coming coverage.
