Charlie Hills ends Glorious Goodwood by winning Saturday’s Stewards’ Cup and Friday’s King George

The victory came 24 hours after Battaash became the first three-time winner of the King George Stakes at the Sussex racecourse to give Hills a big race double to bookend this year’s festival.

The Steward’s Cup again entertained a large field of 27 entrants and it was the three-year old Khaadem who surged home by two and three-quarter lengths to become the shortest-priced favourite to claim the famous six-furlong sprint.

Having finished third in Friday’s King George Stakes, Ornate started superbly and sped into a four-length lead but the exertions of the day previous perhaps impacted in the closing stages as the horse running out of steam with a furlong to go and eventually finished 18th. Open Wide took second, with outsider Raucous third.

Khaadem was 10 lengths behind Advertise when seventh at Ascot in June and one and three-quarter lengths back in second behind Waldpfad at Newbury last month. However, when Jim Crowley moved him up along the far rail to make his challenge, a fourth win in seven starts was never in doubt.

Earlier King’s Advice, son of unbeaten champion horse Frankel, recorded his eighth win of the year with victory by a neck in the Summer Handicap over a mile and six furlongs.

The five-year-old race favourite, beaten only once this year when ridden by this week’s leading Goodwood jockey PJ McDonald, continued his 100% record with Joe Fanning in the saddle.

In the Lillie Langtry Stakes, also over a mile and six furlongs, John Gosden’s Enbihaar, ridden by Crowley, produced a storming finish to win by five lengths after Aidan O’Brien’s Flowering Peach had led on the far rail until the furlong marker.

Hills also had cause to celebrate as James Doyle steered Persuasion to victory in the Qatar EBF Stallions Maiden Stakes. Celtic Art was second in the seven furlong contest half a length back, with Great Ambassador a neck’s distance further back in third.

Twenty four earlier on the penultimate day of the festival, Battaash became the first three-time winner of the King George Stakes with a third successive victory in the five furlong sprint. Beaten into second by the now retired Blue Point last time out at Royal Ascot in June, the favourite atoned for that defeat in some style winning by three-quarters of a length.

The dominant Battaash had been expected to challenge the course record of 56.01 seconds set by Rudi’s Pet in 1999, but recorded the fastest of his three winning times with 56.02 as the Hills-trained five-year-old, ridden by Crowley, coasted through from over a furlong out.

Australian mare Houtzen, making her first start for Martyn Meade, came from out of the pack to briefly threaten, but had to settle for second as Battaash held on for his ninth career win.

Speaking afterwards, Hills said, “”He seemed to be idling there in front today, which is a good sign.

“”He’s taking his racing much better and there are a good few races we can target towards the end of the year.””

Battaash will now bid to make it third time lucky in the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes at York on 23 August, having finished fourth on the Knavesmire track in each of the past two seasons.

“”[Owner] Sheikh Hamdan is very keen to go to York with him and it’s good timing for that race,”” Hills added.

“”Obviously he hasn’t won there before, but I sort of scratch my head because there’s no reason why he shouldn’t handle a track like that.””

Earlier Beat Le Bon, ridden by Pat Dobbs, made it four wins from six starts this year by heading a field of 20 to claim the Golden Mile in a new course record time of one minute 35.28 seconds; Richard Hannon’s three-year-old bay colt surging to win by a length.

Frankie Dettori was out of the placings as favourite Mojito finished sixth, this after the jockey came away unscathed after falling past the finishing line from his fifth-placed mount Royal Intervention in the first race of the afternoon.