Chic wins Celebration Mile

Chic returned to form on Sunday to land the $180,000 Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood for the second year in succession.

The victory of the Michael Stoute-trained 5-year-old Machiavellian mare kicked off a big race double for her owner/breeders at Cheveley Park Stud, as Nannina followed in the very next race with a win in the Group 3 Prestige Stakes for juvenile fillies.

Chic was in trouble throughout much of the Celebration Mile. Bumped at the start, she was still last of eight at the quarter pole when Ryan Moore angled her out, responding with a rally that caught Majors Cast near the wire for a short head tally. Ignored in the betting at 8-1 after a pair of subpar performances, Chic was timed in 1:37.89 on good ground. Godolphin's 11-4 favorite Layman, recent winner of the Group 3 Sovereign Stakes, weakened quickly after leading briefly at the quarter pole and finished sixth, beaten 13 lengths.

A maiden winner in her Pontefract debut, Nannina had been third last time behind Mixed Blessing in the 6-furlong Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes at Newbury. The step up to the 7 furlongs of the Prestige was just what she needed, as the John Gosden-trained daughter of Medicean prevailed by 1 1/4 lengths from Rising Cross as the 11-4 second choice. the winning time was 1:27.63.

At Deauville, Marend scored a 15-1 upset in the $160,000 Group 2 Grand Prix de Deauville, as the 4-year-old Green Tune gelding defeated Policy Maker by half a length while traveling the 1 9/16 miles on good to soft ground in a pedestrian 2:50.40. Earlier, British trainer Paul Cole scored a fancy one-two finish in the 6-furlong Group 3 Prix de Meautry with Eisteddfod, who came from last of six to defeat stablemate Andronikos by 1-1/2 lengths.