Cecil’s Lord Shanakill is up for the Cup in Glorious Goodwood opener
LORD SHANAKILL shocked well-backed favourite Dalghar to win the Betfair Cup – the big race on the opening day of Glorious Goodwood.
Ridden by Tom Queally, the 13-2 shot reeled in the French raider inside the final two furlongs to add to his morale-boosting victory in Listed company at Chester earlier this month.
“He’s a classy horse and people forget he’s a Group One winner, his class showed today when it mattered,” Queally said of the Henry Cecil-trained four-year-old.
“The last day at Chester did his confidence the world of good. He takes a couple of strides to go through the gears, but once he got there he was flying.”
Lord Shanakill was followed home by 33-1 chance Cat Junior, who finished strongly on the outside to claim second with Dalghar settling for third.
Last year’s winner Finjaan and well-fancied Balthazaar’s Gift were never in contention.
Champion jockey Ryan Moore rallied to his 95th win of the season after riding Jermey Noseda’s inexperienced Rebel Soldier to victory in the Gordon Stakes.
The 4-1 favourite held off Dandino and Royal Ascot runner-up Arctic Cosmos as the leading trio finished in betting order in a race marred by a fatal accident to Frankie Dettori’s mount Film Score.
Winning the race for the third year in a row, Moore said: “He travelled nicely the whole way round and quickened up well off a lead.
“He just got a little bit idle and lonely being out in front from the two, but it was a nice performance.”
There were also opening day wins for Kieron Fallon on Start Right in the Summer Season Handicap and a double for Richard Hughes on Zebedee and Martyr.