Mark Johnston is renowned for his successful raids on Glorious Goodwood, and he has continued to excel again this week, even supplying the first three home in one race on the third day of the meeting.
Mark Johnston is renowned for his successful raids on Glorious Goodwood, and he has continued to excel again this week, even supplying the first three home in one race on the third day of the meeting.
But if the Middleham (UK) trainer has seemed a little preoccupied at times, it would not surprise if he were thinking ahead to Sunday, when one of the stars of his stable, Lumiere, tackles the G1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville.
This is the opportunity for His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed's filly to completely restore her reputation, which she forfeited when trailing in last of 16 runners in the G1 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket in May.
She has since won the Listed Sir Henry Cecil Stakes, over one mile, on Newmarket's July Course, but this is her chance to put behind her a Classic performance that seemed out of character for one so brilliant.
"We haven't a clue what went wrong in the Guineas," Johnston admitted. "That is really our only concern going to Deauville. Otherwise, all the ducks are in a row. She has won again since the Guineas, and she has done everything right at home and I am happy with her.
"It (Prix Rothschild) is a very tough race, which you would expect. It is a proper G1.
"But it will be great to see if she can reproduce her best again. She will take a lot of beating if she does. The ground is good at present, and I am hoping that will be the ground we get on Sunday, though showers are forecast in the meantime," the trainer added.
Meanwhile in the States, Saratoga has commenced in upstate New York, but American racing will be focusing on the G1 Haskell Invitational Stakes at Monmouth Park, where a classy field of six will face the starter on Sunday.
Nyquist, the Kentucky Derby winner who lost his unbeaten tag when third in the G1 Preakness, faces arch rival Exaggerator, who beat him at Pimlico.
Exaggerator has since finished 11th in the G1 Belmont Stakes, so both horses are out to re-establish themselves. They start from opposite sides of the track, Nyquist in gate 1, and Exaggerator in 6.
Gun Runner, the Kentucky Derby third, and American Freedom are other interesting runners in this G1 contest.
