Timoshenko wins at The Goodwood Festival

Thu 01 Aug 2019

A Winner at the Qatar Goodwood Festival from TIMOSHENKO - trained by Sir Mark Prescott.

What a training performance from Sir Mark. Timoshenko had been off the track for 355 days and yesterday, he gave a superb winning performance in the £50,000 Class 2 Unibet Goodwood Handicap, to bring up six wins in a row!

The race, over 2m 4 1/2f is quite unusual in that the horses do not start from stalls. The chaotic 'flag' start caught Timoshenko off guard, but he settled well in behind the leaders, although taking a keen hold to start with. In typical Timoshenko style, he looked a beaten horse in the home straight, but Luke Morris kept him interested, and when the gap opened on the rail, he duly took it.

Luke spoke to Lydia Hislop on Racing TV after the race, saying: "There's not a better man than Sir Mark to produce a horse on the day. Timoshenko has a fantastic attitude, but just does enough. He has been expertly placed to win all 6 handicaps"

Sir Mark was also interviewed (you can see this in the link below). He said "He didn't get here by accident! It was very much the plan. Mr Palin, who runs Middleham Park , very shrewdly, stopped his race programme last year and this was the race we were targetting for him. He won't run again now until the Cesarewitch."

The Racing Post said "Prescott back where he belongs"

Stories of Sir Mark Prescott's tail-spinning form in the early part of the season had abated in recent weeks, but they were finally extinguished when Timoshenko gave the trainer his highest-profile winner of 2019 in the Unibet Goodwood Handicap. Big handicap winners are what Prescott has become renowned for, and with the trainer's undeniable ability to ready horses for those types of contest, punters will need to note his entries carefully in the likes of the Cesarewitch later in the season."

Read the Racing TV report and watch the post race interview with Sir Mark here: https://www.racingtv.com/news/cesarewitch-bound-timoshenko-bags-goodwood-prize

Many congratulations to all of Timoshenko's owners. It was lovely to hear Francesca Cumani say on ITV Racing "I met some of his syndicate earlier and they are charming." How lovely is that! Well done everyone. We are very proud of Timo and thank Sir Mark, Luke and everyone at Heath House for 6 wins in a row from him.

The Cesarewitch on the Rowley Mile in October - here we come!

We must also give huge credit to BUCKMAN TAVERN, also trained by Sir Mark. 2nd two weeks in a row at Sandown and suffering Stewards Enquiries that have not promoted him to first, despite suffering interference on both occasions. Next time!

We end July with 15 winners and 18 2nd places - our best ever month for results vs. runners - 64% won or were placed! So we begin August on 54 winners and £811,324 of prize money won. Here's to another great month ahead!