More Juddmonte joy in Oaks trials as Mori seals Ribblesdale date

Juddmonte's domination of the Oaks trials continued when Mori captured the £40,000 Markel Height of Fashion Stakes, but Royal Ascot – not Epsom – is the goal for the filly who gave trainer Sir Michael Stoute a fifth success in the race.

Mori, a daughter of Frankel out of six-time Group 1-winning mare Midday, was always handily placed and strode clear to land the Listed Height Of Fashion Stakes under Ryan Moore at Goodwood on just her third start.

Pushed clear with the front-running Coconut Creme coming into the straight, the well-supported 15-8 favourite needed only to be ridden out under hands and heels to kick clear of that rival by the intersection two furlongs out before scoring by a length and three-quarters.

Stoute's 2013 winner of this prize, Elik, was also ridden by Moore and they went on to finish third in the Ribblesdale – and that is now the target for Mori.

This was the latest high-profile family success at the course, Mori's illustrious parents having won five Goodwood Group 1s between them. Frankel was twice victorious in the Sussex Stakes and Midday landed the Nassau Stakes three times.

Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to winning owner Khalid Abdullah, said: "When Mori won at Ascot last time she was doing all of her best work in the last furlong and today it was pretty much the same. All being well she'll head to Ascot for the Ribblesdale and we'll take it from there.

"On that you'd be pretty confident about her getting a mile and a half. Ryan said she was improving. She was very green at Newbury, but the learning curve was up at Ascot and she's quite professional now, well balanced and relaxed."

The owner's other runner and fellow daughter of Frankel, Icespire, was keen under Frankie Dettori throughout the race and failed to pick up down the straight, eventually finishing last of seven.

Paddy Power were suitably impressed by the regally bred Mori, making her a 10-1 chance (from 20) for the 1m4f fillies' Group 2 at Royal Ascot next month.

Flash Gordon

Jumps trainer Chris Gordon regularly plunders prizes at Fontwell, but he struck at its neighbouring West Sussex venue when the Kate Digweed-owned Chartbreaker powered home in the 2m handicap.

Gordon, who also won the race 12 months with another 16-1 shot, Albahar, was at the sales in Doncaster eyeing some summer signings for the jumps campaign and said over the phone: "Goodwood's my favourite Flat track and I get pissed off when I can't go and I've had a winner, but I'm trying to buy a bit more talent - we'll see how that works out!

"I'm over the moon with the horse. I nearly lost my rag and sold him, but the last time he ran on turf on the Flat he ran a blinder at Sandown.

"The owner treated us to a week in Dubai last week and hopefully she'll consider it again now! She took us with a few other mates and we had a great time. I don't know if we've repaid her, but we've helped a little bit towards repaying her."

Journey worth it

David Ludlow, who part-bred and part-owns Eynhallow, contemplated watching the 1m2f handicap from his Somerset base, but was delighted he made the trip after the Roger Charlton-trained three-year-old carried Jamie Spencer to victory.

Spencer was impressed with the son of Nathaniel, who runs in the colours of the late Bob McCreery and partners, who include Ludlow, manager of the McCreery family's Stowell Hill stud.

"I owned a quarter of Eynhallow's dam Ronaldsay and we took him to the sales as a youngster, but he was a rig, which I think put a few people off and we brought him back. The boss [McCreery] asked if I wanted to stay involved and, as it hadn't cost me anything, I did.

"This is fantastic, but I nearly didn't come. We had the farrier down and Tattersalls came to look at our yearlings so it depended how the morning went."

Gossiping speaks volumes

Gary Moore described making Royal Ascot entries for Gossiping as silly, but he was forced to revise that view after the five-year-old made it five wins for 2017 – all under Shane Kelly – when shooting clear to strike in the 7f handicap.

The Wokingham Stakes is an option for the son of Dubawi, whose dam Gossamer was winning the Irish 1,000 Guineas 15 years ago.

"That was quite impressive," said Moore. "Ashley Carr, who owns him, has a big group of friends and I think they'd like a day out at Royal Ascot. But he's not a horse you'd just take for a day out so if he went there I don't think he'd run in between.

"I think you need a seven-furlong horse for the Wokingham and he could relax early, and he loves going through horses."

THE BUZZ

Ascot aim
A trip to Royal Ascot for the Chesham Stakes may be on the cards for Masar, who continued Charlie Appleby's red-hot run with his juveniles by landing the novice under William Buick.

The Godolphin colt was taking Appleby's record with his two-year-old turf runners to six from nine and the trainer's assistant James Ferguson said: "We do like him and he's got a lot of class."

What they say
"She's bred to win at Goodwood as her father won two Sussex Stakes and her mother three Nassau Stakes"
Teddy Grimthorpe, Khalid Abdullah's racing manager, charts the family tree of Mori, who is by Frankel out of Midday

Buick ban
William Buick, who appeals against a careless riding suspension at the BHA's headquarters on Friday in a bid to be free to ride at the Derby meeting next week, got two days (June 8 and 9) for using his whip above the permitted level on Elas Ruby in the Height Of Fashion Stakes, while Jane Elliott was banned for seven days (June 8-14) for a similar offence on Deer Song in the apprentice handicap.

Thought for the day
Given Midday won three Nassaus one might think Mori could be pointed at that after winning the Height Of Fashion over course and distance, but 1m4f looks more her thing.

Results and analysis