King's Advice wins again

The remarkable King's Advice won his eighth race from his last nine in the Qatar Summer Handicap at Glorious Goodwood on Saturday to earn favouritism for the Sky Bet Ebor Handicap.

The Mark Johnston-trained horse is 11/1 favourite from 14/1 with the sponsors for the £1million race on August 24 after he continued his amazing run of form with a tenacious victory.

Ridden by Joe Fanning, King's Advice - a son of Frankel out of G1 winner Queen's Logic - was the 7/2 favourite and, in seeing off Outbox by a neck, gave his trainer a sixth winner of the 2019 Qatar Goodwood Festival. Johnston is one winner away from his previous highest total at this meeting - seven, which he achieved in 2012.

Five-year-old King's Advice is the winning-most British-trained horse of 2019.

A proud Johnston said: "It's quite incredible. I never really believe that horses know whether they are winning or have their head in front, but if ever there was a horse who wants to put his head back in front, it's him.

"I thought he was beaten so many times today, even inside the final furlong it looked like the second horse was going to get the better of him, and perhaps did even get its head to the front, but he just comes back again.

"Just absolutely incredible. He's gone from a rating of 71 to winning off 108 today, and he's only lost one race for us. That was the Northumberland Plate and he was unlucky there - and he didn't have Joe Fanning. Joe Fanning is unbeaten on him.

"It's got to be the Ebor next. That's going to be very, very difficult because they'll be queuing up for a go at him, but we've got to go there, and the owner has been suggesting a step into Pattern company for several runs now, and we've talked him out of it, but he'll get his shot quite soon. Possibly the Irish St Leger."

Winning jockey Fanning said: "I think he is getting better. I thought Andrea (Atzeni, on Outbox) had me beat when he came to me - it felt like he got a neck up and then this lad just battled back.

"He is very tough. Andrea came by me quite comfortably and he just knuckled down. He is not the biggest of horses either, so to carry that weight and do it like that.

"For one of Mark's, he is a small horse and he has lumped top-weight around. I think his last two races have been his best. It's unreal how he keeps finding this bit of improvement. He's tough, he's game and he is very good."

Fanning, who is 48 and missed five weeks of the summer through injury, added: "You can ride him anywhere, and he's best just wherever he's comfortable. He doesn't move well, but if you leave him alone he's grand.

"He worked well before Lingfield, and he's probably never worked again since. We thought he was well handicapped there off 71, but that's eight times I've ridden him and eight wins. I can't really claim the first few though as he was so well handicapped!"