Cassandra Go and Eastern Purple will clash again in York's Victor Chandler Nunthorpe Stakes later this month after thrilling racegoers with a bobbing finish to the King George Stakes on the opening day of Glorious Goodwood yesterday.
A matter of inches separated the pair with the short-head verdict going to 11 to 2 chance Cassandra Go at the end of the Group Three contest's five furlongs with last year's winner and 7 to 2 favourite Rudi's Pet denied a repeat success by a further head.
It was Rudi's Pet, trained at Thirsk by David Nicholls, who looked set to land the spoils again as he forged ahead at the halfway stage. However, as his stride shortened within sight of the post, his two rivals edged ahead under their South African jockeys Michael Roberts (Cassandra Go) and Basil Marcus (Eastern Purple).
In the end Roberts' mount got the verdict over her rival much to the surprise of winning trainer Geoff Wragg. His immediate reaction to the announcement that Cassandra Go had won was that the officials had erred. "The judge has made a mistake. I am sure we have been beaten," said Wragg.
Kevin Ryan, trainer of Eastern Purple, confirmed his gelding will take the winner on again on the Knavesmire. "He'll go straight to the Nunthorpe now and then step up to six furlongs for the Haydock Sprint Cup," said Ryan.
Another horse York bound is Temple Way. The Shirley Heights colt, who had previously finished a neck runner-up to Bay Of Islands in the Foster's Lager Northumberland Plate, swept to the head of affairs two furlongs out going on to beat Jardines Lookout by two and a half lengths in the opening Moneyguru Stakes.
The Tote Ebor at York is next on the agenda for which the sponsors have cut Temple Way to 14 to 1 from 16 to 1.
Millenary achieved an apparent mission impossible when gaining a last-gasp success for John Dunlop. The colt laboured at the back well behind the leaders with three furlongs remaining of the Peugeot Gordon Stakes. But the 9 to 1 chance swept past all to deny Air Marshall by a short-head.
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