Godolphin gets mixed results

Godolphin Racing's diverging European forces suffered mixed fortunes at Goodwood on Wednesday when Rewilding won the Cocked Hat Stakes while Wedding March finished dead last in the Height of Fashion Stakes, a pair of Epsom classic preps in which both horses were favored to win.

The seeming split in the Godolphin ranks looks even more pronounced in that Rewilding, the even-money choice in the listed, 1o3/8-mile Cocked Hat, a trial for the Epsom Derby, is trained by Godolphin's new man in Newmarket, Mahmoud Al Zarooni, while Wedding March, the 15-8 favorite in the Height of Fashion, a listed 1 1/4-mile English Oaks prep, is with Godolphin's longtime trainer Saeed bin Suroor.

Given that Suroor has the bulk of Godolphin's best stock, it is worth noting that Zarooni has 7 winners from 29 starts this season in Britain, while Suroor has saddled just 3 winners in 27 starts. Both Rewilding and Wedding March were making their British debuts for Godolphin since being switched from Andre Fabre, whose year-to-date record for Godolphin in France is 7 for 18.

Recently second to Planteur in the Group 2 Prix Noailles, Rewilding is a Tiger Hill half-brother to Dar Re Mi. He defeated Prizefighting by four lengths and is now 10-1 with Ladbrokes for the Epsom Derby, having covered the 1 3/8 miles on good ground in a pedestrian 2:24.93. The Cocked Hat was taken by the 12-1 Ed Dunlop-trained Snow Fairy, who bested Pipette by three lengths in getting the 1 1/4 miles in 2:06.92. Wedding March, who was a troubled fourth behind Rosanara in the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac last time on Oct. 4, was beaten by 41 lengths. Both she and Rewilding were ridden by Frankie Dettori.