Johnny Murtagh’s Take Heart may be on the brink of a breakthrough after his impressive victory in the Coral Chesterfield Cup Handicap on the opening day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival.
The grey has shown consistent progress throughout the year, with notable performances in several valuable handicaps. However, he faced a challenging wide draw in the John Smith’s Cup at York earlier this month. Despite this, he finished a commendable eighth, beaten by just four and a half lengths, and was subsequently dropped a pound in the ratings.
In Goodwood’s Coral Chesterfield Cup Handicap, under the guidance of Ben Coen, Take Heart was a 7-1 shot among a field of 17. He was always in contention, took the lead at the furlong pole, and held off the late charge from the favourite, Enfjaar, to win by a neck.
Murtagh praised his horse, noting he's been training well despite challenging wide draws at York. "He finished just 4.5 lengths behind at York," Murtagh said, "But today he stayed close to the pace and suited a mile and a quarter." He expressed excitement about the horse's win and mentioned potential plans for a major handicap during Irish Champions Weekend, suggesting he could be developing into a stakes horse.