Twice Over ends Cecil's wait

HENRY Cecil has just been the subject of a deserved week-long retrospective of his life and career in the Racing Post, and yesterday the legendary Aberdeen-born trainer proved there is still much to be written about him when his horse Twice Over won the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown.

Owned by Khalid Abdullah and ridden by Tom Queally, Twice Over, the 13-8 favourite, cut out much of the running with Dar Re Mi in second after Mawatheeq was withdrawn at the start. Turning into the straight, Twice Over forged ahead and though he tied up inside the final furlong, he had enough energy to last home as 33-1 outsider Sri Putra mounted a late challenge to take second.

The 283,000 first prize was the latest pot to be lifted by the five-year-old who won the Champion Stakes last year and who jockey Queally called "the stable star". It was Cecil's fourth victory in the all-aged race, and his first since Gunner B in 1978.

Cecil said: "Tom gave him a great ride, he's a great jockey and I look forward to the future years.

"Looking ahead there is the Juddmonte International and the Champion Stakes and I would love to win the Dubai World Cup."

At Haydock, the Group 2 bet365 Lancashire Oaks was won in courageous fashion by favourite Barshiba, who was given a superb front-running ride by Hayley Turner. The winner of the race last year, Barshiba went to the front early and repelled all attacks from the class field to lift the 52,000 first prize for the old firm of trainer David Elsworth and owner Jeff Smith.

Today at Ayr, where the course is hosting its totepool Armed Forces Family raceday, title-chasing jockey Paul Hanagan has six booked mounts on a seven-race card that begins at 2.10pm. The familial theme continues at Hamilton next Saturday evening when the Lanarkshire track hosts its annual Family Night.