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totesport Celebration Mile 2006 |
Caradak Claims Celebration Mile
28/08/06
GEORGE Washington could manage only third in the Totesport Celebration Mile at Goodwood yesterday as Caradak benefited from a strong Frankie Dettori ride to continue Godolphin's glittering run of success.
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Caradak, sent off a 6-1 shot, was involved in a protracted battle with
50-1 runner-up Killybegs but fought bravely to deny the Barry Hills-trained
colt in a thrilling finish.
Aidan O'Brien's 2,000 Guineas hero George Washington, a strongly-fancied 5-6 favourite, was slowly away and held up towards the rear before finishing strongly, but never looked like overhauling the first two.
River Tiber fulfilled his role as pacemaker to George Washington by setting a furious gallop throughout the early stages. He opened up a considerable lead on his five pursuers entering the home straight but those exertions inevitably took their toll and he folded entering the distance.
At that point, Dettori pushed Caradak into a narrow lead over Killybegs and the pair engaged in a rousing battle to the line. Killybegs lost little in defeat, only going down by a short head, while George Washington, who was very keen in the early exchanges, found his stride late on to claim third.
Dettori said: "The pacemaker went a bit too quick and I used him as a target. I really expected the two good horses (George Washington and Soviet Song) to come through at the furlong marker, but I realised when I had a quick look that they were a good bit behind, so me and Michael (Hills, on Killybegs) made the best of it to the winning post.
"I must say he is a tremendous battler, he really gets his head down and tries."
High-class Field In Prospect For Totesport Celebration Mile
22/08/06
George Washington could face the exciting Iffraaj and crack mare Soviet Song, who will be returning to the scene of her greatest triumph, should he make his eagerly-anticipated racecourse return in the £100,000 totesport Celebration Mile on Sunday, August 27.
A classy 11-strong field remains at the five-day confirmation stage
for what is potentially a spectacular renewal of the prestigious Group
Two contest.
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The Saeed bin Suroor-trained Iffraaj revealed his liking for Goodwood
in the Group Two Betfair Cup at the Glorious Goodwood Festival on August
2, when he took that seven-furlong contest in scintillating style, sprinting
clear of his field to record a four-length triumph over second-placed
Jedburgh.
Iffraaj previously failed by a head to catch Les Arcs over six furlongs
in the Group One Darley July Cup at Newmarket. The totesport Celebration
Mile will be the five-year-old Zafonic horse's first attempt at a mile.
Godolphin could also be represented by Group Three winner Satchem who
was runner-up to stablemate Echo Of Light in the Group Three Ladbrokes
Summer Mile at Lingfield in July, while Caradak, third behind Welsh Emperor
in the Group Two Hungerford Stakes at Newbury on August 19, is also engaged.
Godolphin racing manager, Simon Crisford, reported today: "It all
depends on the ground as to which one might run. A lot hinges on what
happens with the weather over the next two weeks - not just for Goodwood.
"The plan was for Iffraaj to go to Haydock (for the Betfred Sprint
Cup) but it depends on what the forecast predicts there in two weeks
time, and what the ground is like at Goodwood. He wouldn't want it too
soft.
"All options are open for the three entries from our stable, and when we get towards the middle of this week we'll work out what we're going to do."
The James Fanshawe-trained Soviet Song, successful in the 2004 Group
One Cantor Spreadfair Sussex Stakes at the course, and runner-up in that
contest for the last two seasons, behind Proclamation and Court Masterpiece
respectively, could bid for her second course and distance triumph.
The six-year-old, a five-time Group One winner, will be bidding for
her second Group Two success of the season after emphatically securing
the Windsor Forest Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.
Sir Michael Stoute has taken the totesport Celebration Mile on six occasions
and saddled Chic to victory in the last two renewals. The master of Freemason
Lodge is represented by Cantor Spreadfair Sussex Stakes third Rob Roy,
who landed the Group Two Betfred.com Mile at Sandown in April.
Alongside the awesome George Washington, Aidan O'Brien may also run Arabian Prince and River Tiber. The former was a length and three quarters third to King Jock in the Group Three Desmond Stakes at Leopardstown on August 20, while the latter was last seen when 10th behind Araafa in the Irish 2,000 Guineas.
Nayyir, runner-up to Chic in 2004, could represent trainer Gerard Butler,
while the Barry Hills-trained Group Three winner Killybegs may also run,
as could Mark Johnston's Prince Of Light, successful in the Listed Vodafone
Thoroughbred Stakes over a mile at Goodwood on August 5.
Goodwood Racecourse is renowned for producing superb going and Clerk of the Course, Seamus Buckley, reports that a fresh strip of ground will be unveiled for Sunday.
Buckley revealed today: "We are looking forward to a busy and exciting
weekend of racing with the main event on Sunday being the Group Two totesport
Celebration Mile, which looks like having an outstanding field.
"The going is currently Good to Firm but if the predicted rain arrives it should be Good by the weekend. We have dolled out the last six furlongs of the Mile course by approximately eight metres for Saturday, and this rail will be removed after racing on Saturday night, thus providing a fresh strip of ground for racing on Sunday."
The totesport Celebration Mile is the feature event on the second day
of Goodwood's two-day August Holiday Meeting. The quality seven-race
card also includes the Group Three Normandie Stud Prestige Stakes over
seven furlongs, which was won last year by subsequent Group One Meon
Valley Stud Fillies' Mile and Group One Coronation Stakes winner, Nannina.
The highlight of the seven race card on Saturday, August 26, is the Listed Windflower March Stakes over a mile and three-quarters, won last year by Mubtaker.
Celebration On Killybegs Agenda
12/08/06
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Killybegs, winner of the Group Three Craven Stakes at Newmarket in April, could take his place in what promises to be a high-class renewal of the £100,000 Group Two totesport Celebration Mile at Goodwood on Sunday, August 27.
The Barry Hills-trained three-year-old enjoyed a break following his 11th behind George Washington in the 2000 Guineas on May 6 before returning in a Group Three mile contest at the Curragh on July 15, when he was just over two lengths fourth to Mustameet.
Killybegs is one of 32 high-class individuals remaining after the first
forfeit stage for the totesport Celebration Mile, with stablemate Short
Dance, fourth to Red Evie in the Group Three Oak Tree Stakes at the Glorious
Goodwood Festival, also engaged.
Hills is bidding for a fourth win in the totesport Celebration Mile
following the back-to-back successes of Prince Rupert (1988) and Distant
Relative (1989), and the victory of Bold Russian in 1991.
The Lambourn trainer's son and assistant trainer, Charlie Hills, revealed: "Killybegs
could well go for the totesport Celebration Mile but I'm not sure that
Short Dance will.
"Killybegs was probably a little bit unlucky in Ireland but he has come out of the race well and Goodwood could be on the agenda. He is also entered in the Desmond Stakes in Ireland but it depends what the owners and Dad feel would be the best race for him."
Explaining the Orpen colt's absence from the course after the 2000 Guineas,
Hills reported: "He had a couple of quick runs, in the Craven and
then the 2000 Guineas, so we decided to give him a little break and then
bring him back. He looks well at the moment and will make a nice four-year-old
too.
"He's a horse who is proven on any ground so I wouldn't be too worried about that, although he probably wouldn't want it too soft."
Killybegs could bid for revenge against the brilliant 2000 Guineas winner George Washington, trained by Aidan O'Brien, who is pencilled in to make his much anticipated return from injury in the Goodwood contest.
O'Brien, Ireland's champion trainer, has a strong hand with Ivan Denisovich,
Hurricane Cat, Arabian Prince and Frost Giant among his seven contenders.
Other possible runners include the James Fanshawe-trained 2004 Group
One Cantor Spreadfair Sussex Stakes heroine Soviet Song and her Britannia
Handicap-winning stablemate Sir Gerard.
Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor may be represented by Group Two Lennox
Stakes hero Iffraaj as well as Caradak, Librettist, Echo Of Light, Satchem
and Belenus, while the Gerard Butler-trained Goodwood specialist Nayyir,
and Mark Johnston's recent course and distance winner Prince Of Light,
could also take their places alongside the Kevin Prendergast-trained
Group Three winner Mustameet.
French trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre has entered Group Three winners
Kentucky Dynamite and Dilek, who were second and third respectively to
Stormy Skye in the Group One Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly on July 9, while
Mick Channon has engaged German 2000 Guineas scorer Royal Power and Yasoodd.
Sir Michael Stoute is the race's most successful trainer with six wins,
and he can choose between Group Three Jersey Stakes victor Jeremy and
Group Two winner Rob Roy, who was third to Court Masterpiece in the Group
One Cantor Spreadfair Sussex Stakes over course and distance on August
2.
The totesport Celebration Mile was first run n 1967 and has been won
by some of the top milers of the last 40 years including Habitat (1969),
the peerless Brigadier Gerard (1971), Kris (1979), Milligram (1987),
Selkirk (1992) and Mark Of Esteem (1996).
The Stoute-trained Chic captured the totesport Celebration Mile 12 months ago, and in so doing, the five-year-old Cheveley Park Stud-owned mare became the only horse in the contest's history to win back-to-back renewals.
Cape Cross is the only other horse to have passed the post first in the race on two occasions, but his 1997 "victory" ended in disqualification for causing interference and the spoils went to the Stoute-trained runner-up Among Men.
Cape Cross gained compensation two years later when, trained by Saeed
bin Suroor, he took the prize under John Reid by a length and a half
from Josr Algarhoud.
The totesport Celebration Mile is the feature event of Goodwood's two-day Weekend Meeting which takes place on Saturday, August 26, and Sunday, August 27.
The highlight of Saturday's seven-race card is the Listed Windflower March Stakes over a mile and three quarters, won last year by Mubtaker, while Sunday's totesport Celebration Mile is supported by six races, including the Group Three Normandie Stud Prestige Stakes over seven furlongs, which last season went to subsequent Group One Meon Valley Stud Fillies' Mile and Coronation Stakes heroine Nannina.
