Racing: Glorious double for Cecil

FRANKEL’S younger brother Noble Mission and the admirable mare Chachamaidee combined to give Sir Henry Cecil a Group-race double on the opening afternoon of Glorious Goodwood.

All that was missing was the master trainer himself, who has been susceptible to illness due to his ongoing treatment for cancer, but the Warren Place runners had been perfectly primed to cover themselves in glory.

Noble Mission continues to establish himself as a useful performer in his own right with a courageous victory over Encke in the bet365 Gordon Stakes.

He will forever be overshadowed by his exceptional sibling, who lines up in today’s Qipco Sussex Stakes, but an opportunity of a Classic challenge in the Ladbrokes St Leger remains in the pipeline.

Noble Mission may have to re-enact his compelling battle with Encke in the Neptune Investment Management Great Voltigeur Stakes on 22 August before being allowed a shot at Camelot at Doncaster, and the Godolphin runner emerged with great credit himself as he was only beaten by a nose.

The hooded Noble Mission (11-4) needed to be stoked up by jockey Tom Queally before he took aim at Encke, but they were alongside each other for almost two furlongs and scarcely separated at the post.

Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager for owner Prince Khalid Abdullah, said: “I think Henry would want to take him to the Great Voltigeur at York just to test those [Leger] credentials, but in principle I think that 
[the Leger] would be the idea, yes.

Chachamaidee had ‘previous’ with the meeting after winning a Group 3 fillies’ race last year.

Mark Johnston notched his 51st Glorious Goodwood winner in the opening bet365.com Stakes, when Landaman (12-1) overcame a stumble exiting the gates to forge home clear under Darren Egan.