Marienbard gets Godolphin off mark

Godolphin opened their account for the season in Britain when Marienbard got up close home to win the Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket today.

After Maniatis had cut out the early running, first Zindabad then Millenary went for glory but Jamie Spencer had them all in his sights.

Bringing Marienbard (9-1) to make a challenge on the outside, Spencer`s urgings paid off as the five-year-old got up by a neck from Millenary, the 9-4 favourite.

Storming Home (5-1) was a further length and a quarter back in third.

Godolphin narrowly failed to strike with their first runner of the year in the Pearl And Coutts Newmarket Stakes.

Their runner Moon Ballad led after three furlongs in the mile-and-a-quarter contest, only to be caught close home by Highdown who got the photo-finish verdict by a short head.

The winner was having his first run for trainer Marcus Tregoning, who said: 'That was a good performance and I was very pleased with that.

'We felt a mile and a quarter would suit him really well and he might get a bit further.

'He is not in the Derby but we will give him three weeks before his next run and then he may go to Goodwood for the Predominate Stakes - that will give us a good idea how good he is.'

Tregoning is looking forward to running Nell Gwyn Stakes winner Misterah in Sunday`s 1000 Guineas.

'She is in good form and we are very happy with her,' he said. 'It would be fairly optimistic to think she would win but she should run well.'