Carrizo Creek victorious

Carrizo Creek defeated the prodigious forces of Coolmore and the Maktoums to take the Group 2 Richmond Stakes on Tuesday, opening day of the five-day Glorious Goodwood meeting.

Trained by Brian Meehan for James Threadwell, the 2-year-old Carrizo Creek came from last to first to defeat Old Deuteronomy, owned by Mrs. John Magnier, by a half-length, with the Sheikh Mohammed-owned Cedarberg a head farther back in third.

A maiden winner at lowly Brighton in his second start, Carrizo Creek had previously won the $120,000 Goffs Challenge, a race at The Curragh restricted to horses sold at Goffs. Sent off at 5-1 on Tuesday, he was timed in 1:12.25 on a straight six-furlong course labeled good.

This was a subpar renewal of the Richmond, whose last three first-place finishers, the disqualified Elusive City, Mister Cosmi, and Endless Summer, have hardly gone on to distinguish themselves.

More impressive Tuesday was Nayyir, the Gerard Butler trainee who rallied to capture the Group 2 Lennox Stakes. Nayyir won by a head over the unlucky Arakan, with eight group-race winners following behind. Nayyir, a 5-year-old son of Indian Ridge, was defending his Lennox title at 6-1 and ran the seven furlongs in 1:27.06.