What we learned from day three of Glorious Goodwood

It has not been Aidan O'Brien's week despite some honourable seconds, with the latest being Constantinople in the Gordon Stakes, while Hermosa's inexplicable capitulation before the Nassau developed was the nadir and could prove a turning point in the trainers' title.

John Gosden went into the meeting more than £600,000 behind O'Brien with seemingly little chance of retaining his title, but after his double strike in the two Group 1s on the first two days his odds shortened.

Thursday brought Gosden another £129,000 for Mehdaayih's second in the Nassau as well as further £46,000 from Forest Of Dean's win in the opening handicap. This leaves Gosden behind by a mere £126,000 and change, with Stradivarius and possibly Enable marching on to York, where the £1m Sky Bet Ebor could have another big say and, guess what, Gosden, who won the great handicap last year, has multiple entries.

Johnston set to continue the form of his red-hot July

No apologies for mentioning him again as you just cannot keep Mark Johnston out of the news or the winner's enclosure as he waved goodbye to his record in July, starting on zero again for the new month as he said himself.

That lasted just four runners until Nayef Road displayed all the stable's traits in the Gordon Stakes before Governor Of Punjab came out on top of his three runners as the betting suggested in the nursery.

How many more winners will Johnston have at the meeting, where he tops the all-time trainers charts? He has ten runners today and another nine on Saturday.

Hills back among the winners just in time for Battaash

A week without a winner from 17 runners is no big worry but it will have steadied any punters' nerves that Charlie Hills won the fillies' maiden with Vividly 24 hours before his stable star Battaash bids for a record third win in the King George Qatar Stakes (3.35).

McDonald showing he's a rider on the rise

Frankie Dettori is hogging the plaudits for his current run of Group 1 form, but the understated PJ McDonald continues to catch the eye with his riding.

If it had been Dettori on Laurens last Sunday there would have been more made of that bold ride and, after a Saturday double at Ascot he made it ten winners in the last fortnight with another cool ride on Celsius in the finale.

Many might have panicked waiting for a gap behind a wall of horses with the runner-up seemingly away and gone, but McDonald found room and maintained his rhythmical riding to keep Celsius balanced and closing to effect.

Losing punters will point to him having lost his reins momentarily on Sinjaari earlier, but McDonald is consistently producing solid rides and has another six today to confirm he is very much in demand on the big stage.

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