Midday wins second Nassau

Thriller: Midday edges out Stacelita

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Midday clinched her second successive Nassau Stakes triumph in a thrilling finish at Goodwood on Saturday.

The Henry Cecil trained four-year-old was sent of 15-8 favourite and travelled strongly under Jockey Tom Queally, who kept her close to the pace throughout.

And when Queally sent her for home two furlongs out, the Oasis Dream filly looked to have the Group One contest more than comfortably sewn up.

But after, streaking clear of the field, Midday appeared to idle alarmingly in front, allowing Stacelita to get back upsides.

But she was just too good for Jean-Claude Rouget's French raider and found plenty to kick on again and score by a length and a quarter.

The pair came together as they battled for the line, prompting a stewards' inquiry, although the interference looked marginal.

Queally made a solid case for his filly in front of the first inquiry to be televised live and, despite the jockey receiving a two-day ban for careless riding, the result was upheld.

Stronger

"They went very slowly and there was no pace," Cecil said. "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."

Disappointing

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."