English Racing/Goodwood report: A rare excursion into the world of handicaps brought valuable dividends for Godolphin when Ancient World ran out a popular winner of the £100,000 William Hill Mile at Goodwood yesterday.
Despite being burdened with top weight of 9st 10lb in the competitive 21-runner contest, the 9 to 2 favourite was strongly supported in the run-up to the race and landed some good bets as he led a furlong out under Frankie Dettori to take the spoils.
In the process, Ancient World became the first winning favourite in the 17-year history of the race. He had a length and a quarter to spare over Impeller (10 to 1), with early pacesetter Tuning Fork (80 to 1) keeping on to be third and El Coto (33 to 1) filling the frame for each-way punters.
Jimmy Fortune took the riding honours as he completed a treble sparked by Alkaased's neck victory over First Charter in the opening Glorious Stakes.
Fortune, who has recovered from a back injury that sidelined him for 10 months, had to be at his strongest as he drove out the 11 to 4 favourite to hold off Kieren Fallon's mount, the first two pulling six lengths clear of third-placed Alkaadhem.
Fortune looked set to complete a quick double when Nyramba hit the front in the following Group Three Oak Tree Stakes.
But it was her John Gosden-trained stablemate, Phantom Wind, who came fast and late to land the spoils under Steve Drowne. The trainer completed a double and Fortune a treble (after Montgomery's Arch in the Richmond Stakes) when Jonquil landed the EBF Trundle Maiden.
David Nicholls saddled no fewer than 11 of the 26 runners in the closing Stewards' Sprint Stakes and his block entry yielded the winner Merlin's Dancer (10 to 1), ridden by his son Adrian, and the fourth Albashoosh (12 to 1).
Merlin's Dancer had finished fourth here on Wednesday and made all the running under the stands rails to hold High Ridge (9 to 1) by a length and a quarter, with Dame De Noche (16 to 1) a half-length back in third.
Nicholls said: "Eamon Maher (the owner) and I went and had a look at him after racing on Wednesday and there was not a scratch on him. I went to see him the next day and he was having a buck and a kick so I said to Eamon, we'll take our chance."
