Glorious Goodwood 2016: Thikriyaat ticks all the right boxes

David Metcalf | July 28, 2016

Thikriyaat looks tasty in Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes

Thikriyaat ran a blinder when runner-up last time out, and can go one better to get back to winning ways in the Group 3 Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood this Friday (14:35).

Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, this colt won his first three starts in the manner of a rapidly improving sort and performed with huge credit when stepped up into Group 3 company and finding only Ribchester too good in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot.

After being held-up off the pace by jockey Paul Hanagan, and forced to race virtually alone in the centre, the three-year-old kept on really strongly from the three marker to be gaining all the way to the line and be beaten 2 1/4 lengths.

Terrific effort and more to come

Given how the race panned out, it was a terrific effort as he was drawn out wide and had to race away from the pace on the far side rail.

The track was also favouring those ridden prominently and Thikriyaat was the only one to finish with any purpose from off the pace.

It was a performance which can be marked up form-wise, and it looked a decent renewal of the 7f contest as the winner has gone on to run a stormer to be a fast finishing third to The Gurkha in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at the Glorious meeting earlier in the week.

Stepping up to 1m in this should also suit given how the selection finished off the race, with Thikriyaat clearly on an upward curve and open to further improvement after just four career starts.