Glorious for Godolphin

Schiaparelli and Frankie Dettori, foreground, win The Coutts Goodwood Cup yesterday at the Sussex course, ahead of second-placed Mourilyan with The Betchworth Kid in third.

GOODWOOD // Godolphin fired with style when their flashy chestnut, Schiaparelli, won the Coutts Goodwood Cup yesterday - a victory which marked Frankie Dettori's 50th win at the Glorious Goodwood festival. Schiaparelli was chased to the wire by the gallant Gary Moore-trained, Mourilyan, who gave connections the performance of his life in the two-mile Group Two under champion jockey, Ryan Moore.

But it was Schiaparelli, a multiple Group One winner, kept handily placed in a strung out field, who made the running when the early pacesetter, Tungesten Strike, prepared by local handler, Amanda Perrett, tired round the bend. The Betchworth Kid, trained by Michael Bell and 13 lengths from the first two, was ridden to third by Hayley Turner. The victory meant Godolphin were able to spend much-needed time in the winner's enclosure following on from their victory with Kirklees in the York Stakes on Saturday and Dettori was confident of a strong second half of the season.

"It's taken me 22 years to get my 50th Glorious Goodwood winner but I'm glad I've done it," he said as the Goodwood parade ring was doused in rain. "I'm like anyone else when things aren't going well but hopefully we have a strong second half to look forward to. Like everyone else we have to take the rough with the smooth." The thought of quitting never enters his head, added Dettori. "I'm still a young man and I'll go on for as long as I can," said the 39-year-old Italian. "I have school fees to pay and five young children at home."

"The horse has been off the track for a while before running at Newmarket last time and we decided to put him in this race and have a look," said Godolphin racing manager, Simon Crisford, who joined his stable jockey in hoping for a step-up in fortunes for the Dubai-based racing operation. "The team are in better form now and we were just lacking a top three-year-old before Delegator joined the stable.

"He will come here for the Celebration Mile." Moore, who takes over training of Herman Brown's Dubai runner Mourilyan in England, was satisfied with the five-year-old's all-out effort, which is all the more impressive considering he hasn't raced for 147 days. Coming from the back of the pack, he was put through a gap between horses by his jockey and quickened up nicely when asked. "I hate to lose but you can't be disappointed with that run," said Moore. "They went a strong gallop all the way and it's fair to say that was his best run ever."

Ryan, who had won the previous race for Sir Michael Stoute, was also pleased. "You have to rem-ember that the winner's a four-time Group One winner whereas this chap isn't," he said, adding that Mourilyan was likely to run in the Lonsdale in York as a next port of call. In other news, Mike de Kock has spoken out after the sprinter, JJ The Jet Plane, was removed from his stable following a spat with the gelding's owners.

Unplaced in Tuesday's Betfair Cup, the horse, who has won Group Ones in South Africa and been placed in top tier races in England, has now been handed over to Paco Boy trainer, Richard Hannon. "One cannot expect to win every time," said de Kock. "We were committed to beat our draw and take Main Aim on and as it turned out we ran each other into the ground." The horse's owners say the move is not performance related.