GOODWOOD (10 Sep 2005)

Good To Firm

3:40 Mirror Image Stakes (Handicap) (2) (3yo+,0-100)

[off 3:41] £12,475.80, £4,732.20, £2,366.10, £1,075.50, £537.75, £322.65 1m1f

Comments In Running OR TS RPR

1 Nero´s Return (IRE) (13) M Johnston 4 8-11 R Havlin 10/1 87 — —

2 nk Impeller (IRE) (2) W R Muir 6 9-6 S Drowne 7/1 96 — —

3 nk Red Spell (IRE) (12) R Hannon 4 8-12 D Kinsella 20/1 88 — —

4 nk Little Good Bay (5) J H M Gosden 5 9-4 v Dane O´Neill 10/1 94 — —

5 nk Norton (IRE) (15) T G Mills 8 9-2 I Mongan 10/1 92 — —

6 ½ Freeloader (IRE) (11) J W Hills 5 8-7 M Hills 12/1 83 — —

7 ½ Humble Opinion (16) B J Meehan 3 8-4 J F McDonald 16/1 86 — —

8 nk Krugerrand (USA) (6) W J Musson 6 8-10 P Cosgrave 25/1 86 — —

9 ½ Sky Crusader (4) R Ingram 3 8-10 O Urbina 16/1 92 — —

10 1¼ Salinja (USA) (1) Mrs A J Perrett 3 8-12 S W Kelly 8/1 94 — —

11 1¼ Blue Trojan (IRE) (10) S Kirk 5 9-0 R Mullen 33/1 90 — —

12 hd Grosvenor Square (IRE) (14) Saeed Bin Suroor 3 8-8 K McEvoy 11/2J 90 — —

13 ¾ Eden Rock (IRE) (9) Sir Michael Stoute 4 9-5 p D Holland 11/2J 95 — —

14 10 Skidmark (8) Miss J R Tooth 4 9-6 P Fitzsimons 50/1 96 — —

15 1 Umniya (IRE) (3) M R Channon 3 8-9 E Creighton(3) 50/1 94 — —

PU Glen Ida (7) M L W Bell 3 8-13 Hayley Turner(3) 8/1 98 — —

16 ran TIME 1m 54.34s (slow by 2.84s) TOTAL SP 127%

1st OWNER: Mrs Christine E Budden BRED: Philip Brady TRAINER: M Johnston

2nd OWNER: D G Clarke & C L A Edginton

3rd OWNER: Mrs John Lee

TOTE WIN £15.10 PL £3.90, £2.00, £5.20, £2.30; Ex £91.70; CSF £78.21; TRICAST £1463.03

ANALYSIS: A typical Goodwood handicap, with traffic problems and a bunch finish, the first nine being covered by less than three lengths.

NERO'S RETURN ran well here earlier in the season and had slipped to a lower mark than when successful at Pontefract inthe spring. He came from off the pace up the inside rail and got up in the last 50 yards or so. He picks up a 7lb penalty for the Cambridgeshire, for which Victor Chandler introduced him at 25-1.

Impeller goes well here and remains at the top of his form. He too came from off the pace, but on the outside, along with Little Good Bay, who avoided the traffic problems this time but remains highly frustrating.

Red Spell divided the last two, but he had raced much handier and had got upsides the winner before failing to find as much as he might have done.

This trip possibly stretches front runner Norton, but he gave his all as usual.

The eye-catcher, without a doubt, was Freeloader, who was trapped behind horses all the way up the straight and enjoyed no luck at all, yet still finished right on the heels of the winner. He appeared to have plenty in the tank at the finish and will be well worth considering next time if the ground is on top again.

Humble Opinion was always close up and kept going pretty well, despite being a bit short of room. Sky Crusader and Krugerrand also finished right up there, but they were never seriously involved.

Salinja dropped away disappointingly, and there were also very disappointing efforts from Eden Rock, who wore first-time cheekpieces, having become desperately frustrating since his impressive win here in the spring, and Umniya, who was slowly away and never went a yard.