Midday fends off the challenge from Stacelita to win her second Nassau

  PICTURE: Edward Whitaker/racingpostpix.com  

Midday retains Nassau crown in dramatic finish

Goodwood, Saturday

Blue Square Nassau Stakes (Group 1), 3yo+ fillies and mares

MIDDAY scored her second consecutive win in the Nassau Stakes with a thrilling success over Stacelita.

After a stewards' inquiry - the first in Britain to be televised live - the placings were unaltered.

Midday, the 15-8 favourite, drifted left towards Stacelita in the closing stages. The stewards decided the result had not been affected but Tom Queally, Midday's jockey, was found guilty of careless riding and suspended for two days.

After cruising into the lead more than a quarter of a mile from home, Midday looked set to score a decisive victory, but she seemed to hesitate in front and Stacelita fought back well. Once challenged, though, Midday ran on again to score a deserved and popular victory for trainer Henry Cecil.

Queally and Christophe Soumillon, who rode Stacelita, gave evidence at the televised inquiry, but the result never seemed in significant doubt.

Barshiba, resuming her usual front-running role, set a moderate pace, with Stacelita tracking her and Midday never far away. Swooping into thestraight, Midday was going best of all and quickened impressively once asked by Queally.

Henry Cecil: a good performance

  PICTURE: Edward Whitaker/racingpostpix.com 

At that stage French challenger Stacelita, a 9-2 shot, looked likely to be well beaten, but Soumillon stoked her up to come back at Midday.

With Queally's mount drifting towards the centre of the track, Stacelita briefly looked as if she might go past, but in the end Midday won a little cosily by a length and a quarter. Antara was a length back in third.

In the stewards' inquiry, Queally said: “I think it is fair to say that Mr Soumillon’s filly went a little bit left to begin with and mine followed her.

"Late on, mine probably did go a little bit to the left again but I had my stick in my lefthand and I did everything in my power to keep her straight. Right at the line I was almost a length and a half clear and I won decisively.”

Midday, who has never been out of the first three in six Group 1 races, was scoring her third win at the highest level, following last year's successes in the Nassau and the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

Cecil said: "She likes a strong pace but today they went slowly and she had to sprint. She thought she had done enough, but when the second came to her she went on again, so it was quite a good performance. I thought she would come back. She's very genuine and very tough, but we were asking a lot of her today off that slow pace.

"She's stronger than last year, but she doesn't want the ground too firm as she is quite heavy-shouldered and hasn't got the best joints in the world. She needs a little give in the ground. We have to be careful with her and if it had been very firm shewouldn't have run today. It was firm enough for her in America and she pottered around for a bit afterwards."

Jean Claude-Rouget, trainer of Stacelita, said: "I thought we'd won when Midday stopped but my hopes were short-lived. I think Midday was a bit better than us today and she knew the track.

"Deauville might be too soon for her. The Prix de l'Opera and the Breeders' Cup are possible longer-term targets."

Saeed Bin Suroor, trainer of Antara, said: "She ran a big race - it looks very solid. For a second I thought we might win it but she was beaten by a brilliant filly. We'll find the right race for her."