Hills climbs to the summit

FORTUNE at last swung Richard Hills' way as Fahim got him out of jail at Glorious Goodwood yesterday.

The first three days of the festival had seen Hills pick up a seven day ban for irresponsible riding and miss out on several well fancied contenders.

But the jockey, who has had to watch while his twin Michael has hogged the big race headlines, had his week rescued courtesy of the progressive Fahim in the Volvo Truck Finance Globetrotter Handicap.

Hills, who had also struck aboard Green Barries in the opening race, said. "It has been an up and down this week. At Goodwood one day it loves you and the next day it hates you today it seems to like me.

The jockey owes a great debt to Fahim who found a fantastic change of gear to justify 5 to 2 favouritism.

Alec Stewart's colt was still at the back of the field and searching for room with three furlongs to go.

Switched to the outside, Fahim quickened from the furlong pole to seize the advantage in the last 20 yards and defeat Murheb, ridden by Hills' twin brother, by three parts of a length.

Hills admitted he was not convinced Fahim would be able to make up the ground to peg back the leaders. "Everybody was jostling around and I had to just wait," he said. "I knew once I got on the flat and had him balanced that he would gradually pick up for me, it was just whether it was going to be too late or not."

Stewart holds Fahim in such high regard that he has entered the colt for the Champion Stakes.