Bargain Buy Two Tribes Strikes Again In Stewards’ Cup At Goodwood

A £30,000 yearling that turned retired to beryllium a Classic victor hooked Phil Cunningham into nan racing crippled 20 years ago, and a likewise shrewd acquisition gave nan proprietor 1 of his champion days astatine nan way connected nan last time of Glorious Goodwood.

Two Tribes, 1 of 3 runners successful Cunningham’s colours successful nan Stewards’ Cup, picked up nan £75,000 first prize successful a valuable handicap astatine Ascot past play and added nan £125,000 cookware for this characteristic title pinch an emphatic two-and-a-quarter magnitude conclusion of Strike Red.

His 2 unchangeable companions astatine nan Richard Spencer gait crossed nan statement successful 4th and fifth. “He was a four-grand foal,” Cunningham said. “That makes it moreover sweeter.”

And amended yet for Cunningham, Two Tribes is by nan stallion Rajasinghe, who won nan 2017 Coventry Stakes astatine Royal Ascot for nan proprietor successful a course-record time. Cunningham was truthful disappointment astatine breeders’ deficiency of liking successful Rajasinghe successful nan early years of his stud profession that he announced this twelvemonth that he would connection his services for free.

“It’s massive,” he said. “We believed successful nan equine but unluckily not galore others have, truthful it’s awesome to spot him commencement getting immoderate results. He’s still a track-record holder astatine Royal Ascot, and astatine 3 expansive [per cover] I couldn’t springiness him away, truthful successful nan end, I did springiness him away. He did 58 covers aft we did nan free woody and astatine slightest I cognize he’s going to person immoderate runners connected nan way successful a mates of years’ time. If we hadn’t made that decision, he’d person been sub-10.”

Waardah, ridden by Callum Rodriguez, appreciated nan measurement up successful travel to outstay her rivals successful nan Group Two Lillie Langtry Stakes. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA

It was Cockney Rebel, nan victor of nan 2,000 Guineas successful England and Ireland successful 2007 and nan first equine that Cunningham owned outright, that gave a immense kickstart to his profession connected nan turf astir 2 decades ago. The colt is remembered successful nan sanction of his Rebel Racing and “it has conscionable sewage bigger and bigger” ever since.

“It’s my passion and fortunately it’s not my job,” Cunningham, nan laminitis and main executive of an security business, added. “That makes it a spot easier to speculate. We changed nan argumentation [two years ago], this is nan 2nd twelvemonth wherever we’ve tried to bargain a amended value of horse, spent much money. I wanted to travel to days for illustration today, you do get spoiled erstwhile you get a sensation for it.

“We’ll beryllium reinvesting again astatine nan yearling income this year. We’ve already sewage six homebreds to travel successful arsenic two-year-olds.”

Waardah could beryllium a equine to look retired for successful nan past 3 months of nan play aft Owen Burrows’s lightly raced three-year-old stepped up to a mile-and-three-quarters successful yet decisive style successful nan Group Two Lillie Langtry Stakes.

Waardah has an introduction successful nan Group One Yorkshire Oaks later this period but nan Fillies & Mares arena astatine Ascot connected Champions Day successful October is simply a likelier assignment.

“I thought she was going to get outstayed, but successful nan past half furlong she was astir apt going distant again,” Burrows said. “She will person nary problem going backmost to a mile-and-a-half either, truthful she is an breathtaking filly.

“She is successful nan Yorkshire Oaks, though I deliberation it’s important that she gets a small spot of juice successful nan ground. We will spot really she comes retired of this, but I deliberation Ascot astatine nan extremity of nan twelvemonth for nan [Group One] Fillies & Mares would beryllium correct up her street.”