Stewards hand Special Duty another classic

FAVOURITE backers heaved another huge sigh of relief yesterday when, for the second time in two weeks, the French filly Special Duty won a 1,000 Guineas Classic in the stewards' room.

At Newmarket, Special Duty, the 9-2 favourite, was beaten a nose in the British Guineas by a 66-1 outsider but the stewards reversed the placings, ruling she had been hampered in the closing stages.

Then in yesterday's French 1,000 Guineas at Longchamp, first-past-the-post Liliside (16-1) was demoted to sixth because of interference.

Runner-up by a head Special Duty (the 6-4 favourite), who had made a late run under jockey Stephane Pasquier, was awarded the prize. It took the stewards almost 90 minutes to reach their decision, interviewing various jockeys after a rough race.

Winning trainer Criquette Head-Maarek previously completed the English-French Guineas double with Ravinella in 1988. She said: "I think she was the best horse in the race but what can you do from where we were drawn (in ten of ten]?"

The French 2,000 Guineas went to 10-1 chance Lope de Vega, ridden by Maxime Guyon for trainer Andre Fabre. Elsewhere, Singapore super horse Rocket Man fizzled in the rain as a Hong Kong raider snatched the silverware from under its nose on the city-state's biggest race night for the second year running.

Green Birdie took top sprint honours, the hopes of the 30,000-strong Kranji crowd gurgling down the drain as Rocket Man's thunder in the Group One race was stolen minutes after lightning streaked across the Singapore skyline. Local punters were again left tossing their betting slips away in disgust at the end of the stormy S$1 million (488,000) KrisFlyer International Sprint.

A year earlier Rocket Man had gone off hot favourite to win the Sprint but went down to Sacred Kingdom in another nailbiting finish. "I'm absolutely thrilled," said jockey Mark Du Plessis, who had been dismounted by Green Birdie on the run-up to the stalls. "This is my first international Group One and right now it's the greatest moment in my life."

In the Singapore Airlines International Cup, Lizard's Desire thundered down the home stretch to deny Gloria De Campeao a second successive win in the S$3m (1.44m) race. The win was sweet revenge for Lizard's Desire and jockey Kevin Shea, who had been beaten by a nose by Gloria De Campeao in the Dubai World Cup.

In the United States, Lookin At Lucky, ridden by Martin Garcia, returned to form after a disappointing Kentucky Derby to win the $1m (677,000) Preakness Stakes at the Pimlico race course.

Garcia, who replaced Garrett Gomez on Lookin At Lucky after the Kentucky-bred colt finished a disappointing sixth in the Derby, outran First Dude in the straight to win by three-quarters of a length. Jackson Bend finished third, a head behind First Dude, in the field of 12. Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver tired badly and finished eighth.