7.30pm Tony McCoy wins Galway Plate for the first time
Tony McCoy brilliantly recorded his first victory in the Galway Plate with a gutsy success aboard Finger Onthe Pulse.
Wearing the Grand National-winning colours of JP McManus, McCoy was at his strongest to take the valuable handicap chase at odds of 22-1.
The perennial champion jockey only came in for the ride after his original mount, Dancing Tornado, was a late withdrawal.
He got the verdict on Tom Taaffe's charge by half a length from the brave Themoonandsixpence.
Majestic Concorde, the 3-1 favourite, finished third, while top-weight The Fonze ran a huge race in fourth.
4.05pm Verdant holds off Mataaleb in photograph
Ryan Moore was at his brilliant best to force Verdant home by a short head from Mataaleb in the Racing UK Handicap.
Sent off the 5-1 second favourite, Moore played a waiting game in what was a messy affair but Sir Michael Stoute's Singspiel colt was pulled out and forced home inside the final furlong. Mataaleb (40-1) loomed up on the outside with the line approaching, but Moore got his mount's head down where it counted, with Contract Caterer (13-2) a further one and three-quarter-lengths behind in third.
Moore said: "He's going the right way. I think the extra two furlongs have helped him. I was a bit further back than I wanted to be but the pace steadied and when I moved through we were in a nice spot."
Winning owner Prince Khalid Abdullah's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe said: "We think a mile and a half is just about his right trip. He didn't have a great draw but he quickened at the right time and to give 10lb to the second is not a bad performance. We'll have to have a think now, but valuable handicaps are worth more than Listed and Group races."
Jeff Pearce said of the runner-up: "He missed a bit of work with a pulled muscle but that is a really good run. It's his first run for me so I'll take him back and assess our options."
3.30pm Canford Cliffs runs down Rip Van Winkle
Will Hayler: You've got to hand it to him. Part-owner Nick Freud hailed Richard Hughes as "the best jockey in the world" and it was a fine ride that saw Canford Cliffs (4-6 fav) delivered to lead right where it mattered in the Sussex Stakes (3.25).
Rip Van Winkle (9-4) had the race run perfectly to suit and shot to the front a furlong and a half out under Ryan Moore at which point he traded at 1-8 on Betfair's in-running betting, with Canford Cliffs having three lengths and more to find. But when Hughes went for top gear on the market leader, Canford Cliffs produced his trademark burst of acceleration and led inside the final strides for a cosy neck success. The pair finished three and three-quarter lengths clear of Premio Loco (17-2) in third.
Hughes is proving a fine advertisement to the benefits of taking a mid-season holiday, having been off for a week earlier this month in order to avoid any bans and to be at his peak for this week. "I just wanted him to take me there rather than trying to make him do it - I learnt that from Newmarket," said the rider. "He came on the bridle at the three pole and although Ryan quickened up I always thought we were going to get there."
2.50pm King Torus follows up Superlative Stakes success
Will Hayler: As Aidan O'Brien gets ready to saddle Rip Van Winkle in the Sussex Stakes, the trainer received a boost to his pocket when the Richard Hannon-trained King Torus (11-4) ran away with the Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes (2.45).
O'Brien bred the colt, a son of Oratorio, whom he trained to win the Coral-Eclipse Stakes and will collect a £5,600 breeders' prize for this success.
King Torus seemed to appreciate the lead he was given by Stentorian in the early stages, but quickened clear at the furlong-pole under Richard Hughes, who was extending his advantage at the head of the standings for the prize for the meeting's top jockey with a third winner of the week after just nine races.
Richard Hannon junior said: "He seems to be getting better and better. He was very impressive there with his 3lb penalty. Very good. He hung in the Chesham Stakes but we've got him sorted out now and he could just be our Dewhurst horse." Paddy Power quote him at 20-1 for the 2,000 Guineas.
2.15pm Ghimaar gets favourite backers off to a winning start
Will Hayler: Goodwood's longest race of the week saw jumps trainer Nicky Henderson once again poach another decent staying prize on the Flat as well-backed 6-1 favourite Ghimaar took the opening Sportingbet.com Goodwood Stakes (2.10) over two miles and five furlongs.
As pacesetter On Terms drifted off the rail over two furlongs out, Eddie Ahern darted up the inside to snatch the advantage and his mount kept galloping all the way to the line to reverse recent Royal Ascot form with runner-up Junior by one and a half lengths.
"It was just one of those days where everything worked out," said Ahern. "Tom Queally, Seb Sanders and Frankie Dettori were all around me in the first five, so I was happy with the way things were going - you don't want any muppet around you, do you? He travelled well and when I saw Frankie was getting ready to make his move, I decided I'd better get going and the gap opened up."
Relative Strength (20-1) finished third with Lady Eclair (13-2) fourth of the 20 runners.
12.10pm Lush Lashes entered for the Sun Chariot Stakes
Will Hayler: Eyecatching news is emerging today from Ireland after the name of Lush Lashes appeared among the entries for Newmarket's Sun Chariot Stakes on 2nd October.
Jim Bolger, whose wife Jackie had been part-owner, purchased the multiple Group One winner outright at the end of last year, going to 1.8m guineas to secure her at Tattersalls in November and in the spring he sent the five-year-old to be covered by Sea The Stars. However Bolger revealed today: "Lush Lashes was covered by Sea The Stars and scanned in foal at 42 days but did not hold on to it - she lost the foal.
"She is nearly ready now but I have no definite plan as to where she will run first - I will decide in the next two or three weeks. She is very well and seems to be back to her old self. She is so versatile that it will be fairly easy to place her."
The 46 entries for the Sun Chariot are headed by Goldikova, who has the contest as an alternative option to going to Longchamp on Arc weekend before she bids for a third consecutive success at the Breeders' Cup.
Today's best bets, by Will Hayler
The absence of Beacon Lodge from today's Sussex Stakes robs punters of the chance to get involved in a couple of likely-looking each-way wagers in the big race.
With some bookmakers planning to pay out at a quarter the odds on the first three places until the non-runner was confirmed, I was looking at backing Rip Van Winkle each-way at 3-1 and get three-quarters of total stakes back if he finished second or third. I'm instead going to have to content myself with laying Canford Cliffs to finish in the first three at 1.11 with Betfair - effectively the same as backing him at 9-1 not to be placed.
There was something in the way Richard Hannon was talking yesterday about him "having had a few hard races in the last three months" that made me question the trainer's confidence today and we have seen before this season that Richard Hughes is rapidly becoming the Pat Eddery of his generation - a jockey who makes seemingly minimal efforts to be placed when it becomes apparent that he cant win.
Of course the odds tell you that the most likely outcome today is that Canford Cliffs wins. But if he doesn't, I wouldn't be surprised to see him struggle altogether.
Tipping competition, day three
Drupat has only been playing this game for two days but seems to have got the hang of things, finding both Martyr (7-1) and Lord Shanakill (13-2) yesterday to go top. Millreef also had Lord Shanakill and is second but several others had doubles of one kind or another and there are a lot of people on the tails of the leading pair.
Today, we'd like your tips, please, for these races: 3.25 Goodwood, 4.00 Goodwood, 5.25 Galway.
This week's prize is a £25 bet offered by those kind folks at Blue Square!
As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers. If you have not yet joined in, you are welcome to do so today, but you will start on -6.
In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.
For terms and conditions click here.
Good luck!
Standings after day two
drupat +15.50
millreef +10.50
leviticus67 +9
coma88 +9
Woadboy +8
orso +7.50
snowy81 +7.50
Shrewdette +7.50
diegoisgod +6.50
LeoSayer +6
barrypurchese +6
JD72 +4.50
psbrook +3
MoleMan01 +3
chris1623 +2.63
melonk +2
tom1977 +1.50
Toptrapper +1.50
Ormrod76 +1.50
socialwanderer +1.50
goofs +1.50
pops2 +0
notgethithatonharry +0
chiefhk +0
thegreasedscotsman +0
Brochdoll +0
spiller +0
Viejo +0
JahLion +0
captainbeaky +0
suckzinclee +0
JDK1 +0
mike65ie -1.50
MrPositive -1.50
MauriceNL -1.50
sandiuk -1.50
TeddyFrost -3.37
Copshaw -3.37
chrishol -3.37
moidadembums -3.37
15244 -3.37
Smidster -6
Mai11 -6
xwireman -6
shears39 -6
Moscow08 -6
Akcptgrey -6
TL127 -6
erifder -6
Mulldog -6
WalthamstowLad -6
carl31 -6
MISTERCHESTER -6
keepitdusty -6
slackdad38 -6
Funambule -6
TheSquire86 -6
wordtweaker -6
phillc73 -6
Onmeheadson -6
twig28 -6
Rivercity -6
madman42 -6
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