Gallic Glory For Godolphin

Godolphin's trips to France have been hugely profitable this season and Sheikh Mohammed's operation kept up the excellent work with a Group-race double on the opening afternoon of Arc weekend at Longchamp.

Remarkably, all five runners the boys in blue have sent across the channel have been victorious ? all having come in Group races, three of them at the highest level courtesy of Librettist and now Caradak, who struck in the Prix de la Foret.

On a strict reading of the formbook Caradak was the good thing of the day in the seven-furlong event.

The five-year-old was pipped in the corresponding race 12 months ago by Ed Dunlop's Court Masterpiece when in the care of John Oxx, but it was his performance in winning the Celebration Mile at Goodwood that took the eye.

He comfortably beat George Washington and despite that rival being below his best that day, he was clearly going to take the beating if reproducing that running and so it proved.

Taken along by Tom Tate's admirable Welsh Emperor, who stuck on to dead-heat for second with Linngari, Frankie Dettori was never far from the pace and quickened up for a cosy success.

Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford said: 'He is a horse who deserves a Group One. He's been around the top table for the last two years.

'We will look at the Breeders' Cup, but we also have a race in Hong Kong in December in mind.

'Frankie had him in the box seat and it was a supreme effort from a tricky draw.'

The mercurial Echo Of Light scored in Group Two company for the first time and followed up an easy win in the Strensall Stakes at York on his last start in fine style, although it was not without some alarm.

Dettori took up the running on the bridle with a furlong to run in the Prix Daniel Wildenstein and did not look in any danger until the son of Dubai Millennium decided to swerve violently to his left.

The rider breathed a sigh of relief when he finally brought him under control and was pleased to continue the team's 100 per cent strike rate on French soil, which was supplemented by a double at Newmarket courtesy of Satchem and Army Of Angels.

'He prefers to go left-handed,' Dettori told BBC Sport. 'As soon as he saw all the marquees he just shied away from them all.

'He has got lots of talent but he is still such a baby.'

Crisford said: 'He'll get better, he is a very talented colt. It's taken a long time for him to grow up and he will stay in training next year.

'He was always Sheikh Mohammed's favourite yearling and he singled him out and said ?this is what a real quality horse looks like'.'

Other riding honours on the card went to Olivier Peslier, who also had a double thanks to Montare in the Prix de Royallieu and Soldier Hollow in the Prix Dollar.

Montare certainly was not winning out of turn after a frustrating run of four seconds, including when chasing home Mandesha in the Prix Vermeille.

The British challenge proved disappointing with Oaks runner-up and third Rising Cross and Short Skirt unplaced.

Trained by Jonathan Pease, the winner came wide and late to collar John Hammond's Lahudood, who had looked the likeliest scorer for a long way.

Owner George Strawbridge said: 'I was quite emotional when she won because she has been so close so many times. At least she is no longer a bridesmaid.

'It's great that it happened on such a weekend as this. To win a race is great. It's good for Jonathan and it's good for the family.'

Hammond said: 'It wasn't Frederic Spanu's fault, he had to go early because the gap was there.

'If we had got the gap later I think it would have been a different result.'

Soldier Hollow's victory over the odds-on Manduro confirmed his third in the Arlington Million last time to be no fluke.

Trained by Peter Schiergen in Germany, the six-year-old globetrotter deserved his moment in the spotlight.

'He's a tough horse and I knew he could hold out even though we went early,' said Peslier.

'That is not to say it was an easy race but even though it was the second finishing post his acceleration is such that I was confident of winning it.

'I'm absolutely delighted to have made it a double.'

Elie Lellouche's Vendangeur won the Prix Chaudenay for Stephane Pasquier, who made what turned out to be a decisive move early in the straight.

Lellouche said: 'It's a long-awaited and much-deserved victory. Stephane Pasquier rode a great race. This horse has still got potential and he will probably stay in training next year.'

Pasquier added: 'I decided to push the button early in the straight because I have always believed that when horses are coming into the straight you should go for it immediately. The horse has got great acceleration and he displayed that today.'

(C) PA Sport