Battaash settles for seventh as Suesa lands King George Stakes at Glorious Goodwood

History could not repeat itself in the King George Qatar Stakes at the Glorious Goodwood festival as Suesa pulled away to win emphatically for trainer Francois Rohaut.

The three-year-old, under and jockey William Buick, became the first filly to win since Ortensia in 2012, which also marked the last time Buick achieved success in the race.

The Charlie Hill-trained Battaash was going in search of his fifth successive win in the Group 2 race, but he drifted in the final furlong to finish seventh.

All the talk prior the race was about Battaash and whether or not he could find the form of last year, prior to picking an injury over the winter.

The Archie Watson-trained Dragon Symbol ran another solid race to finish second, under Lambourn jockey Oisin Murphy, while last year's runner-up Glass Slippers finished second.

Kingsclere trainer Andrew Balding, who enjoyed a Group 1 winner in the form of Alcohol Free on Wednesday, saw Stone Of Destiny finish in sixth place.

Earlier in the day, Lambourn's Richard Hughes secured his first winner as a trainer at the festival as Calling The Wind won the Unibet 3 Boosts A Day Goodwood Handicap.

"It's brilliant, it's fabulous," said Hughes after the race. "I actually watched the race on the owners phone because we went out the front and there was no big screen.

"I was tempted to run back inside, but I said 'what will be will be' and luckily he went well over there. Pat [Dobbs] settled him lovely and he got a good run around."

The five-year-old was coming into the race with some momentum after he finished second, behind Stratum, in the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.

"I was confident after Ascot," admitted Hughes. "I said that if he could reproduce that, because it was the same conditions and two-and-a-half miles, he'll take all the beating.

When asked what he is like to train at home, Hughes said: "He is easy. We went into the two-and-a-half mile in the unknown at Ascot, but he showed something he hadn't show before."

The Weathercock Stables handler retired as a jockey in 2015, but this is his first winner as a trainer at the Glorious Goodwood festival and he explained why it's so special.

"It's so unique, the best horse doesn't always win and tactically a good jockey can make better decisions than others. It is so exciting and it's a beautiful setting."