Big Guns Have Reason To Celebrate

Godolphin and Coolmore, racing's two superpowers, enjoyed slightly contrasting fortunes at Goodwood as George Washington made a satisfactory return to the track in the Group Two totesport Celebration Mile.

Aidan O'Brien's Classic winner had been sidelined with injured hip muscles since finishing second at the Curragh in May, and he blew away the cobwebs ahead of next month's Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot with a run on the Sussex Downs.

Settled last under Mick Kinane after breaking slowly, the son of Danehill made late headway to take third having been sent off the 5-6 favourite.

The mile contest fell to Frankie Dettori aboard Godolphin's Caradak (6-1), who just got the better of Killybegs by a short head, with George Washington a further length and a quarter adrift.

O'Brien said: 'Mick said he was very rusty when he let him down but his last furlong was his best furlong, he was only starting to get it together then.

'We couldn't be happier with him. It was wasn't about winning ? it was about doing things right and it was Mick's first time riding him.

'He tore all of the muscles off from the top of his pelvis down to his hip. You wouldn't dream about asking most horses to come back from that but he has come back and hopefully he will be OK.

'If he is OK then we can look forward to the Queen Elizabeth. We are so lucky to have him back this far, and if he hadn't come back here there was no point getting him back at all this season.

'He behaved great before the race too, so all of the signs are very positive.'

Although the majority of the post-race talk was of the Irish raider, Caradak performed with credit just eight days after disappointing in the Hungerford Stakes.

Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford said: 'He didn't handle the soft ground last time at Newbury so we decided to bring him back out again.

'He has had two races quite quickly now so we will give him some time off. He has an entry in the QEII but Librettist is our number one hope there so we will probably take him to run in the Hong Kong Mile.'

Rookie trainer Marco Botti landed his first Group-race success when Sesmen extended her unbeaten run in the Normandie Stud Prestige Stakes.

The Italian only has four winners on the board this term, with the successful juvenile being responsible for three-quarters of them.

Victories in a maiden and a handicap were followed up with a profitable foray into Group Three company as the filly was driven out by Oscar Urbina to score by a neck.

The 9-1 shot was pressed close home by Bicoastal, who took second, while 6-4 favourite Cumin could only manage third.

Botti said: 'She will stay a mile so there are plenty of races to go for next summer.

'She is a lovely filly and is improving all the time. She loves her racing and has always shown plenty of ability at home.'

Sesmen was given a 33-1 quote by Ladbrokes and William Hill for next year's Stan James 1000 Guineas.

Michael Hills' decision to launch a late challenge on Silver Dip in the Chichester Observer Fillies' Stakes paid dividends with his mount squeezing out the front-running Creative Mind in a photo-finish.

Hills always had the 14-1 winner close to the pace but looked booked for a minor placing at best once Creative Mind set sail for the judge two furlongs out.

But Silver Dip responded to her rider's urgings to join the pacesetter on the line and score by a neck in the seven-furlong race, with I'm In Love the same distance back in third.

A first-time visor did the trick for Brief Statement as he saw out the mile-and-a-half trip best of all to land the opening Cedars of Lebanon Stakes.

The 5-1 shot battled for the lead throughout with Lunar River, and the pair opened up a useful advantage charging down the home straight.

Frankie Dettori appeared to be going best on the latter but Ed Dunlop's charge found less than expected when push came to shove, leaving Ryan Moore to collect by three-quarters of a length on Mark Brisbourne's four-year-old.

Andrew Elliott made just about all the running aboard the Karl Burke-trained Speedy Sam to lift the Beech Stakes, while Jamie Spencer was at his strongest when driving Mick Channon's Guest Connections home by a head from Libor in the GG Club Stakes.

The concluding Silver Birch Stakes fell to 7-1 chance Lenoir, who was given a confident ride from Dane O'Neill to score by three-quarters of a length from Height of Fury.

? PA Sport