Mighty Midday does Nassau double
Midday landed back-to-back runnings of the Blue Square Nassau Stakes at Goodwood for Henry Cecil and Tom Queally.
Always travelling powerfully not far off the pace, the Group One event looked all over when Queally pressed the button with a quarter-mile to run.
The 15-8 favourite shot clear but appeared to idle alarmingly in front, only to find plenty when Stacelita briefly ranged upsides.
The front two came together at one stage and a stewards’ inquiry was called after Midday claimed top honours by a length and a quarter.
Any interference appeared marginal, however, and it was no surprise when the placings remained unaltered.
Queally made a clear-cut case for his filly in front of the stewards in what was the first inquiry to be televised live.
Cecil said: ``They went very slowly and there was no pace.
“It was more like a mile race – she quickened clear and thought she had done enough before deciding to quicken again.
“She is getting a bit lazy and prefers to quicken gradually. She likes a strong pace and thought she had done enough, but quickened when the second came to her.
“She is a good filly and I am so pleased for the Prince (Khalid Abdullah, owner).
“She is stronger than last year and has a heavier shoulder. She doesn’t like quick ground and if it was firm she wouldn’t have run.
“She got jarred up at York last time and took a long time to get over it.
“I have to be careful with her, but so long as the ground is not quick she will hopefully run in the Yorkshire Oaks next.
“Hopefully she will have a good end-of-year campaign and the Breeders’ Cup is in the mix.”
Queally was given a two-day ban for careless riding.
Jean-Claude Rouget said of Stacelita: ``It is always disappointing to be beaten, but when you are beaten by a better horse there is really nothing to say.
“We started her very late to protect her for the summer and autumn, and now she could have two or maybe three more races.
“There is only three weeks to Deauville and then I would like to run her in the Prix de l’Opera on Arc day, but that is just three weeks before the Breeders’ Cup.
“Her main objective is the Breeders’ Cup Filly And Mare Turf, so depending on how things pan out she will either run two or three more times.”
Her rider Christophe Soumillon said: “We were in a good position all the way, when we quickened the winner was a bit quicker than me and when Midday took the lead she did so with a lot of easy feeling.
He added of the televised inquiry: “It is good for the public to see what happens in an inquiry and how it works, and I have no problem with that.”
