A total of 28 horses remain in the Group Two totesport.com Celebration Mile following the latest scratchings deadline.
The £100,000 contest, run at Goodwood on Saturday, August 28, could see several horses that lined up in the Group One Sussex Stakes last month lock horns once again including Rip Van Winkle, winner of the Sussex Stakes in 2009 and runner-up to Canford Cliffs this time around, the third home Premio Loco,as well as the fourth Beethoven and fifth-placed, Dream Eater.
Trainer Chris Wall has revealed that he intends to send Premio Loco back to Goodwood for the totesport.com Celebration Mile. The six-year-old clearly relishes visits to the West Sussex venue, having also won the Listed On The House Stakes over a mile in May, 2009, on his only other start at the course.
Wall revealed: “As things stand, the totesport.com Celebration Mile is very much the next target for Premio Loco.
“He got a cut on his leg when he ran in the Sussex Stakes but that has healed up well and hasn’t been a problem for him. He hasn’t missed any training as a result.
“We haven’t actually done that much with him since Goodwood. He had three quick runs which culminated in the Sussex Stakes, so we have been giving him a bit of an easier time at home. He will go back into full training next week with a view to getting him ready for the totesport.com Celebration Mile.”
Lord Shanakill was also in action at Glorious Goodwood, coming with a superb run inside the final furlong to win the Group Two Betfair Cup over seven furlongs and the Henry Cecil-trained four-year-old could return to Goodwood to attempt victory over a furlong further. Another horse to have tasted victory at Glorious Goodwood isCritical Moment, who was successful in the Listed Bluesq.com "For 5 Places In Stewards' Cup" Stakes on July 31 and looks a progressive performer.
The Maktoum family’s Godolphin operation has enjoyed victories in the totesport.com Celebration Mile with Mark Of Esteem (1996), Cape Cross (1999) and Caradak (2006) and has nine entries remaining including Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up Anna Salai, the Group One-placed Emerald Commander and Alexandros, three times a winner at Group Three level.
Sir Michael Stoute is the most successful current trainer in the totesport.com Celebration Mile with eight victories and the champion trainer has left in Main Aim, twice successful in the Group Three Jury Stakes at Haydock and last seen out when a staying-on fourth to Lord Shanakill in the Betfair Cup at Glorious Goodwood.
Other interesting contenders include Finjaan, winner of the Betfair Cup in 2009, the consistent mare Spacious, who was last seen out when runner-up in the Group One Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket in July and Arabian Gleam, twice successful in the Group Two Park Stakes at Doncaster. Trainer Richard Hannon, who carried all before him with nine wins at Glorious Goodwood, could be represented by Vitznau, who ran a fine race when fifth under 9st 5lb in the totesport Mile Heritage Handicap at Glorious Goodwood.
The totesport.com Celebration Mile forms part of a seven-race card on Saturday, August 28. The day also features the £40,000 Group Three Prestige Stakes, a seven-furlong contest for two-year-old fillies which often throws up Classic clues and the £40,000 Listed Windflower March Stakes, a mile and three-quarters event for three-year-olds and upwards which may provide some pointers towards the final Classic of the season, the St Leger at Doncaster.
Goodwood also stages a new six-race evening fixture on Thursday, August 26, while there is another high-class raceday on Sunday, August 29, when the £57,000 Group Three Supreme Stakes takes centre stage.