Highland Reel back to form at Goodwood

Highland Reel enjoyed a winning return to Glorious Goodwood when showing his class to claim the Gordon Stakes.

Aidan O’Brien’s colt won the Vintage Stakes at the track on his final start as a juvenile 12 months ago, but he had shown mixed form in three runs so far this season.

However, he proved too good for his rivals over a mile-and-a-half once Joseph O’Brien got a gap after he was briefly kept in by Disegno.

Highland Reel was a length-and-a-half clear of Scottish at the line and there was a five-length gap back to Disegno in third.

O’Brien’s Washington DC was a non-runner in the other Group 3 contest on the card – the Molecomb Stakes – and Kachy took advantage to make it two from two in impressive style.

Tom Dascombe’s juvenile enjoyed a dream passage up the stands’ side rail after being settled off the pace by Richard Kingscote.

The short-priced favourite King Of Rooks had been ridden with more restraint by Frankie Dettori than he had been at Royal Ascot and he launched his challenge down the centre of the track.

Kachy, though, always had a little too much pace for King Of Rooks as he won by three-quarters of a length, with the pace-setting Rouleau back in third.

Willie Twiston-Davies gave Sounds Of Fortune a superb front-running ride to secure the Goodwood Stakes over two miles, five furlongs.

Sounds Of Fortune was allowed a soft time in front and he pinched the race when kicking clear in the straight, with none of the other runners able to get near him.

The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained horse was six lengths clear at the line as Taws took second ahead of the favourite William Of Orange.