Another Celebration Mile is Sir Michael Stoute’s main aim
Sir Michael Stoute has a good record at Goodwood, with a 21% strike-rate, but his track record in the Group Two totesport.com Celebration Mile is exceptional.
He has trained six winners of the race in the last 10 years and Main Aim can make it seven this time. The field of four is a disappointing turnout from what had been still engaged in the race at the five-day declaration stage and Summer Fete and Vitznau look likely to be rewarded with no more than place money judged on previous form.
The main danger should be Poet’s Voice, the winner of last season’s Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. However, the only time he encountered anything as soft as the ground will be at Goodwood, he put up a tame effort in a Group Three race in France last month.
The ability of the two-year-old fillies to handle such ground in the Group Three Chichester Observer Prestige Stakes has to be taken on trust that they will follow their pedigree. Date With Destiny, the only progeny of George Washington to make it to the racecourse, is already creating headlines but she also created favourable impression when she made a winning debut at Newbury last month.
This is a step up in class and she is an unknown quantity on slower ground but her sire did win with cut in the ground and her dam is by Rainbow Quest, whose stock have proven to be capable in such conditions, while Drunken Sailor – who has winning form in soft from when he was trained in Ireland – can underline his credentials as a possible for the Melbourne Cup in November by winning the Listed Windflower March Stakes.
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