VIDEO: Gorgon City go down a storm at rain-hit Goodwood

A bit of rain (okay, quite a lot of rain) did nothing to spoil the fun for a huge crowd at Goodwood’s latest Three Friday Nights extravaganza.
Joe Fanning was a winner on Lido Lady / Picture by Malcolm WellsJoe Fanning was a winner on Lido Lady / Picture by Malcolm Wells
Joe Fanning was a winner on Lido Lady / Picture by Malcolm Wells

Gorgon City provided the sounds at the end of an evening’s racing under grey skies on the Downs and no-one was complaining that conditions were not very June-like.

It was the second in a series of three events, with the last one, starring Idris Elba, coming next Friday.

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Goodwood deliberately book three different dance acts every year, never so far having gone for the same artist twice, but there was a definite feeling of deja vu on the track as Richard Hughes notched yet another Goodwood double - making it six wins in eight days there for the course specialist in his final year before retirement.

Both his victories were on favourites but that should take nothing away from another professional performance.

First he took the Gorgon City Stakes on 5/4 shot Dawn Missile for William Haggas, then he rounded off the night’s racing with an stounding run from nowhere on Francisco (7/4) to win the Golf At Goodwood Stakes for Richard Hannon.

One win was by a head, the other by a neck - proving once again how Hughes can master better than anyone the timing needed to prevail at Goodwood. Simply, no- jockey knows the undulating course better, or can ride it better.

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Shock of the night came in the Sir Eric Parker Memorial Stakes as Harry Bentley rode Marcus Tregoning’s 33/1 contender River Dart to the win.

Joe Fanning was a winner on Lido Lady / Picture by Malcolm WellsJoe Fanning was a winner on Lido Lady / Picture by Malcolm Wells
Joe Fanning was a winner on Lido Lady / Picture by Malcolm Wells

Cam Hardie enhanced his growing reputation in the saddle to win the QGF Apprentice Stakes on Scottish Glen (5/1) while another familiar Goodwood duo - rider Joe Fanning and trainer Mark Johnston - claimed the Crimbourne Stud Maiden Auction Stakes with 11/4 starter Lady Lido.

There was no sentimental win for Frankie Dettori in his own race - the Frankie’s 28th Anniversary Maiden Stakes, in honour of his first GB race win, which came at Goodwood in June 1987.

The Derby winner finished fourth on Barreesh in a contest won by Andrea Atzeni on Rocket Punch (4/1).

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Half an hour after the last race, Gorgon City took over the racecourse with a terrific DJ set boosted by some live vocals and a stunning light and laser show, and even the showers that swept over the site in the darkness only seemed to add to the atmosphere.

STEVE BONE

Get all the latest from Goodwood in the Chichester Observer every Thursday

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