Thursday 25 May 2017 16:57, UK
Mori upheld family tradition as she ran out a cosy winner of the Markel Insurance Height Of Fashion Stakes at Goodwood.
The Sir Michael Stoute-trained filly boasts the very best of pedigrees, with her sire Frankel twice counting the Sussex Stakes on the Downs track among his successes, while her dam, Midday, farmed the Nassau Stakes between 2009 and 2011.
Mori (15/8 favourite) had just an Ascot maiden win to her name from two starts prior to this Listed affair, but she stepped up on that in style in the hands of Ryan Moore, who allowed her to race prominently throughout.
Coconut Creme travelled alongside her and it was clear from some way out that the pair would fight out the finish, with Mori eventually poking her head in front with half a furlong to run before going on to win by a length and three-quarters.
Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner Khalid Abdullah, said: "She is bred to win at Goodwood, as her father won two Sussex Stakes and her mother won three Nassaus. If we were ever to breed a winner for Goodwood, this is the one.
"When she won at Ascot, she was doing her best work in the last furlong and really today it was pretty much the same thing.
"I think all being well we will head to Royal Ascot for the Ribblesdale and take it from there. On that, you'd be pretty confident she'd have no problems getting a mile and a half.
"She was green first time out at Newbury, and it was a learning curve at Ascot, but she was quite professional today. She was really well balanced and relaxed."
Masar booked his ticket to the Royal meeting after overcoming trouble in running to make a winning debut in the Matchbook Betting Exchange EBF Novice Stakes.
Although one of the first off the bridle in the six-furlong contest, the Charlie Appleby-trained son of New Approach managed to weave his way to the front to deny Invincible Army by a short head.
Assistant trainer James Ferguson said of the 5-2 winner: "He did it the right way, as he learnt a lot during the race. As you can see by his breeding and the way he won, he wants further.
"William Buick said he was very happy with him. To be honest, with a horse like that, you would look at Royal Ascot. He is qualified to run in the Chesham and if we are going to send him there, that would be the one to go for. We do like him and I think he has got a lot of class."
Gary Moore praised the efforts of his son and leading jump jockey Jamie after 7-2 joint-favourite Gossiping claimed a fifth win since the turn of the year in the Molecomb Blue Handicap.
Having overcome a wide draw to triumph on his last visit to the track earlier this month, the five-year-old gelding, who holds entries both the Wokingham and Royal Hunt Cup, continued his upward curve with a length-and-three-quarter success.
Moore said: "A lot of credit must go to Jamie, who rides him out every day, and to Shane (Kelly) as well. They've done a brilliant job with him. The more racing he has, the more he has learned to relax and race properly and, as time has gone on, he has got better and better.
"I think you want a seven-furlong horse to win the Wokingham. They will go fast early and he loves coming through horses."
Part-owner David Ludlow saw his decision to make the journey from Somerset pay off after Eynhallow (20-1) gained a career first success in the Cigalus Gerard Bertrand Wines Handicap.
Despite finishing out of the frame in three maidens last year, the Roger Charlton-trained three-year-old reaped the rewards for undergoing a gelding operation when taking the step up to a mile in his stride to defeat favourite Secret Advisor by half a length.
Ludlow said: "I own a quarter of the dam. We took him to the sales at Doncaster but because he was a rig, it put a lot of people off.
"We brought him back and the boss (the late Bob McCreery) asked if I wanted to stay involved and as he had not cost me anything, I thought let's go for it. This is just fantastic.
"I nearly didn't come. It just depended on how the morning went back at the stud. I only got here as the race before was running, but this was the important one."
Chris Gordon celebrated back-to-back wins in the Three Friday Nights Handicap as Chartbreaker (16-1) secured his first victory in more than a year when following in the hoofprints of Albahar to win by three-quarters of a length.
