Goldikova's Deauville joy

Freddie Head's five-year-old wonder mare blitzed the opposition yesterday with another incredible performance. Leading a furlong and a half out in the hands of Olivier Peslier, the 1-3 shot won in brilliant style from Music Show.

Goldikova's stablemate Only Green set the pace from Music Show, with the hot favourite tracking the leaders.

The race was settled as soon as Peslier asked Goldikova for her effort about two furlongs out, and the Mick Channon-trained Music Show tried hard but could not get close enough.

The other British raider, Mark Johnston's Rainfall, threatened briefly under Kieren Fallon but could not maintain her challenge in the final furlong and faded out of the places to finish fifth, with Elusive Wave third.

The victory means Goldikova joins the former Head-ridden Miesque as the only horse to have won ten Group 1 races since the inception of the Pattern in 1970. Like Miesque, she has claimed two Breeders' Cup Miles, and Paddy Power left her unchanged at 6-4 to add an unprecedented third at Churchill Downs in November.

At Galway, Banna Man proved the value of having course and distance form in the book as he took the feature Connacht Tribune Handicap Chase on the final day of the week-long festival.

Fourth earlier in the week over hurdles, Thomond O'Mara's ten-year-old was 6lb out of the handicap - but knows his way around the Ballybrit venue after a win here two years ago, and was given a super ride by 7lb claimer Bryan Cooper.

It looked at one stage as if he would win with ease after the last, however in the end he had to be kept up to his work for a two-length success over Arkendale.

O'Mara said: "He won here on this day two years ago. He was thrown in here off a nice weight."

At Cork, meanwhile, Hen Night gave trainer David Wachman and jockey Wayne Lordan back-to-back victories in the Platinum Stakes.