4.40pm Lady Jane Digby wins Group One for Johnston
Mark Johnston's Lady Jane Digby gained a valuable first success at the highest level over in Germany by winning the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis Bayerisches at Munich.
Kirsten Rausing's mare was taking on colts in the Group One event but given a positive ride by Greg Fairley she fairly bounded clear in the straight. Godolphin's Alexandros gave chase but eventually had to settle for third.
Speaking from Ascot, Johnston said: "It really is wonderful, obviously it was a little bit of a shot in the dark with her in Group One company but she's been running really well and she's a fantastically tough mare. It's wonderful for the owner who has been so patient. She broke the point of her hip at the end of last season and I think most people would have retired her but Kirsten said to give her another go.
"The E.P. Taylor in Canada at the end of the year was the big aim but we decided to have a shot at this along the way and it has paid off handsomely."
4.20pm Rio De La Plate in dead-heat with Mabait
There was a thrilling dead-heat in the feature race, the Sky Bet Supporting The Yorkshire Racing Festival Pomfret Stakes, as Rio De La Plata (5-2) and Mabait (5-1) could not be split by the judge.
Harrison George took the field along and when Paul Hanagan kicked on turning in, for a few strides it looked as if he had slipped the field. Rio De La Plata quickened well, however, and Daragh O'Donohoe must have thought he had the race in the bag. Fallon could be seen making stealthy headway down the outside though and as the pair flashed past the post he looked to have done enough. However, there was nothing between them on the freeze frame and the pair shared the spoils. Unfortunately for Sir Michael Stoute Zacinto disappointed yet again.
2.40pm Gamble landed at Pontefract
New Planet looked a useful recruit for the John Quinn stable when landing a gamble on his debut in the Maiden Stakes at Pontefract.
Cut to 7-2 from 11-2 on the track after being backed from 20-1 to 7-1 in the morning, the Majestic Missile youngster justified the strong support in sterling fashion. He stormed past the 2-1 favourite Major Muscari in the final furlong to score by two and a half lengths in the hands of 5lb claimer Ian Brennan.
"We bought him at the breeze-ups at Kempton in March. We always liked him but he coughed and had sore shins," said Quinn. "He has been working well at home. When you get them from the breeze-ups they know their job. He's quick and he won't go any further than five furlongs."
2.10pm No French joy for Approve
William Haggas' Approve could finish only third as Spanish raider Irish Field took top honours in the Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte.
The Mauricio Delcher Sanchez-trained youngster was sent off at 9-2 having been narrowly denied in a Group Three at Chantilly on his latest start and was always travelling strongly for Christophe Soumillon.
The hat-trick seeking Broox tried to make a race of it but Irish Field was always doing enough in the final furlong and passed the post in front.
Norfolk Stakes winner Approve looked well beaten at the halfway stage but stayed on strongly in the closing stages to suggest a step up in trip could be in order.
2.05pm Finjaan to defend Betfair Cup
Marcus Tregoning is confident Finjaan can make a bold bid for back-to-back successes in the Betfair Cup at Glorious Goodwood on Tuesday. The four-year-old ran out a half-length winner of the Group Two prize 12 months ago and while he has been off the track since March, Tregoning feels his charge is at the top of his game.
"He's in very good form and we've been targeting this race," he told At The Races. "He's got to get the run of the race and everything has got to go right for him, but he certainly won extremely well last year and a repeat performance will see him go very close.
"It's quite a warm contest but it always is, but he's going into the race in very good form. He's really a seven-furlong-to-a-mile horse and seven furlongs is probably his best. He gets his perfect trip on Tuesday and Goodwood is the perfect racecourse for him."
Twelve runners will go to post, with last year's runner-up Balthazaar's Gift back for more. His trainer Clive Cox also saddles Dunelight, while Lord Shanakill is a leading candidate for Henry Cecil. Air Chief Marshal has already won twice in July and he will bid to complete a quickfire hat-trick for Aidan O'Brien. Queen Anne Stakes fifth Dalghar makes the journey from France, while Main Aim needs to bounce back to form after disappointing in the Golden Jubilee and Red Jazz bids for a deserved win after filling the runner-up spot on three successive occasions.
Cat Junior, Forgotten Voice, Lovelace and Riggins complete the field.
2.00pm Simon De Montfort heads field for Gordon Stakes
Godolphin's Simon De Montfort features among a fascinating final field of 11 runners in the Betfair Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood on Tuesday.
The King's Best colt won four times in France for Andre Fabre and will have his first start for Mahmood Al Zarooni in this Group Three prize. The famous royal blue silks will also be carried by the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Film Score.
Paul Cole's recent Newmarket winner Circumvent returns to Pattern company, while Dandino also steps up in class following impressive handicap wins at Epsom and Royal Ascot. Multiple winner Corsica is a major player for Mark Johnston, Aidan O'Brien sends Fencing Master over from Ireland and Jeremy Noseda saddles both Rebel Soldier and the Highclere Thoroughbred-owned Theology.
The latter was beaten just a nose in the Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot last time and Highclere racing manager Harry Herbert is hoping for further improvement. "He's in good form and we are looking forward to the race," said Herbert. "We still hope he could make up into a St Leger horse and we'll see how he gets on at Goodwood."
Arctic Cosmos, Dubawi Phantom, and Very Good Day complete the field.
1.05pm Examination for Workforce
Workforce will undergo examination to seek more concrete evidence for his poor performance in Saturday's King George And Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
The scintillating Investec Derby winner was sent off at odds-on at Ascot but could only trail in a distant fifth behind stablemate Harbinger.
Trainer Sir Michael Stoute and jockey Ryan Moore blamed the fast conditions as a factor in the aftermath.
Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner Khalid Abdullah, said: "I think the ground will have been part of it, but not the only reason.
"He was fine this morning but there's nothing more really to report at the moment.
"Obviously we will check him out over the next few days and if we find anything out, we'll let everyone know."
1.00pm Dick Turpin likely to miss Sussex Stakes
Dick Turpin looks set to sidestep a fourth clash with his stable companion Canford Cliffs in Wednesday's Sussex Stakes at Goodwood due to the likely fast conditions.
Richard Hannon's colt had Canford Cliffs behind when winning the Greenham Stakes and finishing second in the 2000 Guineas, but placings were reversed in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Since then Dick Turpin has gone on to secure his first Group One prize in the Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly and Hannon is keen to keep his top three-year-old milers apart if at all possible.
"Dick Turpin is in great form, but it looks like being too firm for him," the trainer told his website.
"Despite eight millimetres of rain at Goodwood on Thursday, they tell me that the going stick reading was 9.2 on the round course the following day, and the ground can only have got faster since then.
"They will no doubt try and put some more water on, but the forecast is for it to be hot and humid on Tuesday, and I suspect that the ground will be against us.
"I was never that keen for him to take on Canford Cliffs again anyway, but I have spoken to Dick Turpin's owner John Manley, and he is quite happy to give Goodwood a miss, so, in all probability, we will opt out when the final declarations are made.
"Dick Turpin has had a busy first half of the season, what with the Greenham, the English and French Guineas, the St James's Palace at Royal Ascot and then France, so it will do him good to have a break, and there are plenty of nice races for him later on."
Today's best bets, by Will Hayler
Twelve months ago on this same weekend, Orpsie Boy was finishing 10th of 21 runners in the International Handicap at Ascot, beaten nine lengths by some of the best handicappers around.
Today, Orpsie Boy (4.25) lines up at a less exalted level, but he has a far, far better chance of success when he takes part in a lowly six-furlong handicap at Pontefrect.
The seven-year-old was having just his second run for the excellent stable of Ruth Carr when leading close home to score over course and distance nine days ago, and by raising him just 2lb for that success, the handicapper has given him a fine chance of winning again.
Dale Swift, the most improved rider around on the Flat this year, is outstanding value for his claim even though it has recently been cut to 5lb and Carr has shown a real knack for rekindling a flame from the embers of horses who have come from other stables.
Pontefract plays host to some of the best horses ever seen at the track today when Rio de la Plata (3.50) takes on Zacinto and Harrison George – all of whom are legitimate Group-race performers – in the Listed Pomfret Stakes this afternoon.
With Zacinto having produced two rotten efforts and just one good'un from three starts this year, it may be safer to stick with Godolphin's runner who scored quite tidily when beating Balcarce Nov at Nottingham last time and who will appreciate today's drying conditions.
At Ascot, Kanaf (3.25) could make amends for an unlucky second at Doncaster last month by taking the somewhat disappointing £3,886 first prize of the TurfTv Handicap.
Moving back up to six furlongs seemed to be very much in his favour there and if he can just crack his habit of losing ground coming out of the starting stalls, he will be winning soon off his present handicap mark.
