Silent Honor given quiet fright

David so nearly slew Goliath on the opening day of the Newmarket July meeting as Godolphin`s juvenile academy came mighty close to being outpointed by one of the town`s smallest trainers.

David Loder has been carrying all before him with his stable-full of the Maktoum family`s choicely-bred two-year-old talent and his Silent Honor, whom he reckons could be the best filly he has trained, was sent off as short as 30-100 favourite in the Group Two Cherry Hinton Stakes.

But she was given an almighty scare by Lady High Havens, one of just half a dozen juveniles at the command of local trainer Paul d`Arcy and beaten four lengths by the favourite in a maiden on the Rowley Mile course last month.

The 12-1 outsider made the running under Pat Eddery, refused to give in when headed a furlong out and rallied to such good effect that she was beaten just a short-head in the photo-finish and fooled many observers - including Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford - into thinking she had won.

'I thought we had won but that is why we have photo-finishes!' d`Arcy said of the runner-up, whom he rates the best horse he has trained.

Loder is equally keen on the winner, who was making it a remarkable 18 winners from his 24 two-year-old runners, and he blamed himself for Silent Honor`s near defeat.

'I think the soft ground wasn`t ideal and I gave Frankie the wrong instructions,' he said. 'I thought we should hold on to her and she was always travelling too well - we were going to make the running and it is a bad general who changes plans and it nearly cost us the race.

'If we had let her use her stride she would have been a lot better off and Frankie has done well to get her home today.

Dubai Destination had earlier wiped away one of the rare blots on Loder`s marvellous record, having contributed one of the trainer`s six reverses when beaten at odds of 1-2 in a maiden at Newbury on his debut.

The Stg£1.5 million purchase was again prohibitively priced, sent off 1-3 favourite for the Strutt & Parker Maiden Stakes, but this time he rewarded odds-on backers, striding to a two-and-a-half-length victory over Sohaib without Dettori having to ask him a serious question.