Cumani toasts drunken sailor
FORMER Galway Festival winner Drunken Sailor shone at Goodwood yesterday to claim the Glorious Stakes after a thrilling finish.
When in the hands of Paul Flynn, trainer of Thursday's Guinness Hurdle hero Moon Dice, Drunken Sailor took the feature handicap at Ballybrit on the Friday of the 2009 fixture, so he clearly relishes the big summer meetings.
Now in Luca Cumani's care, the son of Tendulkar needed a bit of luck as Kieren Fallon threaded his way up the far rail to help 9/2 shot pinch opening race from under the noses of Harris Tweed and Jukebox Jury.
After missing the cut for the Melbourne Cup last year, Cumani has a retrieval mission in mind.
"He has improved to the point that he shows more turn of foot than he did, so I think that makes him a stronger Melbourne Cup candidate than he was last year," he said.
Harbour Watch soothed some of the discomfort suffered by Richard Hannon and his team from the defeat of Canford Cliffs as he blazed clear in the Richmond Stakes.
The evens favourite gave Hannon and jockey Richard Hughes their fourth consecutive Richmond by two and a quarter lengths, but it would have been more decisive had Bogart not carried him markedly to the right with a couple of furlongs to run.
Frankie Dettori and the Mahmood Al Zarooni-trained Neebras chased down Chef and Western Aristocrat in the Listed RSA Thoroughbred Stakes, having finished fourth to Frankel in the St James's Palace last time.
Henry Cecil was back in the swing of things and was even presented with a Goodwood Panama hat after Chachamaidee (9/2) left her rivals toiling in the Oak Tree Stakes.
Marcus Tregoning made a welcome stroll to the winner's enclosure to collect the totesport Mile.
Boom And Bust (22/1) had already been the most productive member of Kingwood House Stables, contributing three of Tregoning's 10 winners this campaign and he has struck up a helpful association with Hayley Turner.
Year-on-year this £125,000 handicap is littered with hard-luck stories, but Turner capitalised on her draw in stall one and kept out of trouble in front. Her only danger was in the closing stages when Proponent closed up to Boom And Bust's flanks in the final 100 yards, but Tregoning's charge won by a neck.
Irish Independent
