Alexander Is Pure Gold

Alexander Goldrun confirmed her status as one of the best 10-furlong horses around with a resounding victory in the Vodafone Nassau Stakes at Glorious Goodwood on Saturday.

The four-year-old was sent off the 13-8 favourite for the #200,000 fillies´ feature and always looked like justifying the heavy support.

Kevin Manning dropped Alexander Goldrun out at the rear of the field as Magical Romance and Secret History vied for the lead, but there was an uncomfortable moment for the market leader at the three-pole when she took a bump from Red Bloom just as she was beginning her run.

However, she hardly lost her stride and swept into the lead over a furlong from home.

Alexander Goldrun only had to be nudged along to stamp her authority on the race and at the line she was a length and a quarter too good for Cassydora (16-1), with another length back to Red Bloom (9-1).

Jim Bolger´s globetrotting filly was adding this Group One success to her wins at the highest grade in her native Ireland, France and Hong Kong.

And she could be going on her travels again for her next start with a view to a 2006 campaign that could lead to the Prix de l´Arc de Triomphe.

Bolger said: 'She did it with great authority and she´s very reliable in that regard, especially at 10 furlongs.

'Kevin obviously elected to take his time bearing in mind the going but I was a little concerned when she got the bump, I thought it just might knock her off her stride, she´s not very big and fortunately it didn´t.

'Then I was a little worried that she might have been in front too soon, but all´s well that ends well.

'I will have a chat with Noel O´Callaghan (owner) and I´ll be pressing for the Prix Vermeille. We don´t think she´ll have any bother with the mile and a half in France.

'Maybe we´ll aim for the Arc next year, the Vermeille is a scouting mission for next year rather than this year.

'It´s not definite that she´ll be in training next year, but it´s a definite that I´ll be looking for her next year.

'She´ll go back to Longchamp on Arc day for the Prix l´Opera and after that we´ll await the invite to Hong Kong and hopefully we´ll get it, and if we do it will be `have mare, will travel´ - they are always saying `go East young man´.'

It was Bolger´ second Nassau success following Park Express in 1986, but he would not be drawn on comparisons.

He said: 'It´s not fair and it´s not possible to bring the generations together.

'I´ve had some brilliant fillies, I had one of them here in Park Express, she was brilliant, she went on to win the Champion Stakes and Give Thanks, Flame Of Tara, Polonia and Park Appeal were other top-class fillies.'

John Dunlop, trainer of the runner-up, was delighted with his filly´s effort and he added: 'Until the winner came along it looked like we were going better than anything.

'It was a really good run and I will have to start thinking about where we go now.

'It would be nice to find another mile and a quarter Group One for her, and I think there is one in France later in the season.'

Richard Hannon has suffered several disappointments this week, including Mutawajid´s dismal showing in the Richmond Stakes on Friday, but his luck changed when Forward Move (14-1) took the Vodafone Thoroughbred Stakes.

The Queen´s colt benefited from a drop back to a mile and a positive ride from Ryan Moore to take the Listed contest by a length from Oude.

'It´s been a struggle this week and I was so disappointed yesterday with Mutawajid,' admitted Hannon.

'It wasn´t the ground with Mutawajid. Horses don´t get beaten that far because of the ground and we found this morning that he had dislocated his palate.'

And of Forward Move, he added: 'We´ve had this race mapped out for some time and we´ll have to make up another plan for him now.

'We´ve always thought he was pretty good and I don´t think a mile and a quarter will be out of his way.'

Hannon´s son-in-law Sylvester Kirk broke his Glorious Goodwood duck in style with a 181-1 double thanks to wins with Group Captain (25-1) and Opera Cape (6-1).

The former was returning to form in the opening Vodafone Stakes after a below-par effort last time and Kirk, who trains in Upper Lambourn, said: 'He won a nice race at Sandown a few weeks back and then disappointed at Windsor, so it´s nice to see him back in form. He´s a decent horse when he´s right.

'I´ve had a quiet time over the last couple of months and to pick up a winner at a high-profile meeting like this is very important.'

Opera Cape put up an impressive performance to take the Vodafone European Breeders Fund Maiden Stakes by a length and a half from True Cause.

After greeting his second winner on the card, Kirk said: 'He´s had to do it the hard way from stall two but he´s won it very well.

'Hopefully he´s good enough for some fancy entries now.'

The Chris Catlin-ridden Tiber Tilly (14-1) turned in a game front-running performance to win the Vodafone Racegoers Club Nursery by a head from Grantley Adams.

Saleem Golam, one of the rising stars of the weighing room, once again demonstrated his talents when bringing James Caird with a perfectly-timed run to take the Vodafone Apprentice Stakes by two lengths from Adoration.

Trainer Mark Tompkins is now considering a hurdling campaign for the well-backed 7-2 favourite.

He said: 'I don´t have many jumpers these days but this is a big, strong horse, who will make a hell of a jumper, and he could be a Cheltenham horse.'

? PA Sport