| Course: GOODWOOD | Race date:03/05/08 | Race time:2:30 | Runners:7 |
| Race distance:1m2f | Going:Good To Soft | Winners time:2m 12.39s |
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Stall | Weight | Age | RPR | OR | Odds | B High | B Ave | B Low | In run | Finished | Dist Behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milne Graden | T P Queally | J Noseda | 6 | 9-4 | 4 | 0 | 86 | 1/2F | 1.24 | 1.13 | 1.1 | 1.01 | 1 | |
| Formax | Pat Dobbs | M P Tregoning | 3 | 9-1 | 6 | 0 | 83 | 15/2 | 2.54 | 2.05 | 1.9 | 1.01 | 2 | ¾ |
| Crossbow Creek | Chris Catlin | M G Rimell | 2 | 8-13 | 10 | 0 | 81 | 20/1 | 5.48 | 3.74 | 3.2 | 1.01 | 3 | 4½ |
| Zero Cool | Shane Kelly | G L Moore | 8 | 9-0 | 4 | 0 | 82 | 20/1 | 4.56 | 3.62 | 3 | 1.21 | 4 | ¾ |
| Robustian | Matthew Davies | George Baker | 5 | 8-11 | 5 | 0 | 86 | 10/1 | 2.22 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 5 | 1¾ |
| Speedy Sam | Fergus Sweeney | K R Burke | 7 | 9-2 | 5 | 0 | 84 | 6/1 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.73 | 1.51 | 6 | nse |
| Invention | Hayley Turner | Miss E C Lavelle | 4 | 8-12 | 5 | 0 | 80 | 50/1 | 30 | 9.57 | 6 | 5 | 7 | shd |
Milne Graden tracked leading pair, not clear run well over 2f out until switched left over 1f out, driven and ran on to lead last 100yds
Formax held up in last, smooth progress on inner 2f out, led entering final furlong, urged along hands and heels, headed and not quicken last 100yds
Crossbow Creek held up in 4th, progress on outer over 2f out, led over 1f out, headed entering final furlong, weakened rapidly
Zero Cool held up in 5th, ridden and no progress over 2f out, struggling after
Robustian held up in 6th, ridden and effort on outer over 2f out, no impression over 1f out, weakened
Speedy Sam led, ridden over 2f out, headed over 1f out, soon weakened
Invention chased leader to over 2f out, soon beaten
The long odds-on favourite was being kept in by CrossbowCreek and long time leader Speedy Sam, but when finding daylight just inside the final furlong he picked up stylishly to mow down Formax, who burst clear on the far rail and for a nano-second looked like pinching the prize.
Ultimately the turn of footTom Queally extracted from Milne Graden was most impressive and confirms the four-year-old - who was gelded during the winter - has the wherewithal to aspire to higher echelons of the ladder. Having done this so easily from an 8lb higher mark than his Doncaster win last October (in which he also encountered traffic problems), it's not difficult to see why Jeremy Noseda took the trouble to put him in the Hardwicke and Irish Leger.
Formax's run should have delighted his connections and proved his flop in the Spring Cup was not a true guide. Restrained in last and seeking a bold run up the fence, he shot through at the cutaway, but by this time Milne Graden was in the clear and had him in his sights. Formax hasn't been the most straightforward to train but this should have done his confidence some good.
Zero Cool probably found the soft ground against him when disappointing on his previous start. He raised his game a tad here, but never looked like winning.
Robustian, another coming off sand, had the race run more to suit than had been the case at Great Leighs but his effort to challenge on the outer was shortlived.
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