Percy Puts Down Classic Marker

Sir Percy staked an early Classic claim with a battling victory in the Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes on the second day of Glorious Goodwood.

Marcus Tregoning´s youngster got home by a neck and a short head from Cool Creek and Black Charmer in the Group Two contest to earn quotes ranging from 25-1 to 40-1 for the 2000 Guineas.

The Lambourn trainer said: 'I´m comfortable about any distance for this horse - he´ll stay really well. His mother (Percy´s Lass) was a middle-distance mare and the signs suggest we are not talking about the 2000 Guineas here, we are talking about distance races.

'Who knows? He might be good enough for the 2000 Guineas anyway, but he´s a middle-distance horse for next year.'

Totesport and William Hill go 33-1 about Sir Percy´s chances of success in the Vodafone Derby, while Paddy Power are longer at 50-1.

Kieren Fallon is 4-7 with totesport to be champion jockey at the five-day meeting after scoring on Afrad in the Goodwood Stakes over a stamina-sapping two miles and five furlongs.

The Nicky Henderson-trained gelding clearly relished the soft going to win by one and a quarter lengths from Ten Carat.

It was Afrad´s first attempt at a marathon trip and his victory has now earned him a tilt at the totesport Cesarewitch.

Henderson said: 'Kieren said that the Cesarewitch was the obvious race to go for.

'As you can imagine it was a bit experimental stepping up in trip by more than a mile but he did look as though he wanted to go further last time over a mile and a half.'

The weather was far from glorious with the Downs shrouded in mist and the visibility for the closing Zuhair Stakes was drastically reduced due to fog.

As they emerged from the gloom, it was Sierra Vista who held an advantage which she maintained to the line to hold on by half a length from Pomfret Lad.

The victory continued the hot streak of North Yorkshire trainer David Barker, who has now had 23 winners from just 20 horses.

Sierra Vista could be seen out again tomorrow in the consolation race for the Vodafone Stewards´ Cup.

Basingstoke trainer Pat Chamings saddled his first winner at Glorious Goodwood when Foxhaven routed his rivals on his first attempt at 12 furlongs in the cantorspreadfair.com Stakes.

Chamings gave much of the credit to winning jockey Seb Sanders.

He said: 'Seb Sanders was absolutely adamant we should try him over a mile and a half so that´s why we had a go.

'He´d ridden him twice at a mile and a quarter and he said try the horse over a mile and a half and that´s what we did.'

Rosinka became the easiest winner of the meeting so far when she ran away with the Findon Maiden Fillies´ Stakes.

The 6-4 favourite was confirming the promise she had shown when second on her debut at Newbury last month by scooting seven lengths clear of Best Double.

Paddy Power priced Rosinka up at 40-1 for the 1000 Guineas, although trainer John Dunlop dismissed the quote as 'an irrelevance'.

Strawberry Leaf (3-1 favourite) ploughed through the mud to run out the convincing winner of the Weatherbys Bank Fillies´ Handicap for jockey Steve Drowne and trainer Roger Charlton.

? PA Sport