Franklin D pleases his many backers Franklin D clung on grimly to land a monster gamble in the Betfred Mile at Goodwood. Michael Bell's four-year-old bolted up at Newmarket a fortnight ago and after drawing the plum starting berth in stall one and with Ryan Moore on his back, punters piled in to ensure he was sent off a prohibitively-priced 7-4 favourite for one of the most competitive handicaps of the week on the Sussex Downs. A fast start enabled Moore to bustle the market leader into an early lead, but he was soon shuffled back to third as last year's Cambridgeshire winner Third Time Lucky and Godolphin's Carry On Deryck moved up to dispute the running. Franklin D could be spotted travelling well on the far rail as the field moved inside the final two furlongs and although he had to wait a while for the gap to open, when it did the four-year-old quickened up smartly to run to the lead. Master Of The World finished with a wet sail to give favourite-backers a fright, but Franklin D just had enough in reserve to hold on by a head. Donncha and last year's winner Belgian Bill finished third and fourth respectively. Moore said: "I had to sit and probably burnt a bit of fuel at the second furlong. When the gap came I thought he was going to win well, but he just got a bit tired. "I always felt we'd get a split at some point and when we did he quickened up well." Bell said: "He just emptied out in the last 200 yards because they went so hard early. Ryan Moore is arguably the world's greatest jockey and he gave him a superb ride. "This horse has had a few issues, but he's a very well-bred horse by a very good stallion. "The Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury could be an option, but he could be a travelling horse. He's a stakes horse in the making on the back of this. "How far up the ladder, we'll have to see. He is, at long last, fulfilling his potential." Jockey Pat Dobbs said of the David Elsworth-trained runner-up: "He jumped slowly and he didn't travel for the first two furlongs. "I got a dream run, but I had to wait for Ryan Moore to go first. Another two strides and he would have won."
