Poetic Charm & Glorious Journey bid for Glorious Goodwood G3 success

Three-year-olds Poetic Charm and Glorious Journey go for G3 honours on day four of Glorious Goodwood, Friday, 3 August. 

Both horses are trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick, with Dubawi filly Poetic Charm lining up in the seven-furlong Oak Tree Stakes after staying on well to be the comfortable winner of a Newmarket handicap over the same trip on Saturday, 14 July. 

She finished down the field on her seasonal return in the mile Sandringham Handicap at Royal Ascot on Friday, 22 June, but showed a high level of form in three juvenile appearances over seven furlongs, winning twice and coming home a close fifth in the G3 Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket

Poetic Charm, drawn 18, takes on 17 fillies and mares, with G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas second Could It Be Love and French Listed winner Sequilla featuring highly among the opposition. 

Charlie Appleby commented: “Poetic Charm won well at Newmarket and we feel that seven furlongs is the right distance for her.

“She is taking a step up in class and we are dipping our toe against older opposition to see where we are with her.

“She hasn’t got an ideal draw in stall 18, but she is a hold-up filly anyway, so we will drop her in and ride her for a bit of luck.”

Glorious Journey, unbeaten in two starts as a juvenile, goes after a second G3 victory in the Thoroughbred Stakes over a mile, having made all for an easy win in the seven-furlong G3 Prix la Rochette at Saint-Cloud, France, in September. 

The Dubawi colt was narrowly beaten when third in the nine-furlong G3 Prix de Guiche at Chantilly, France, on Monday, 7 May and steps back up in distance after coming home ninth over seven furlongs in the G3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot on Wednesday, 20 June. 

His six rivals include G1 Coronation Stakes runner-up Threading, G1 Irish 2,000 Guineas fourth Threeandfourpence and Ostilio, who captured the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot.

Charlie Appleby added: “We are hoping that the step back up to a mile will see Glorious Journey recapture some of his best two-year-old form and he goes to Goodwood in good order. 

“He probably did a bit too much in the blinkers in the Jersey Stakes, so we have left them off this time to try and prevent him over-racing.”