GOODWOOD staged a three-day fixture over the weekend, and while overshadowed by York’s Ebor meeting, it produced some notable performances, with the highlight being the Group 2 Celebration Mile on Saturday.

With the majority of the field representing the classic generation rather than the usual array of nearly horses, the result looks interesting, with Duke Of Hazzard (Paul Cole/Rossa Ryan) building on his Thoroughbred Stakes win over the course and distance at the big meeting a month earlier by beating Turgenev (John Gosden/Rab Havlin) and Sussex Stakes fourth Happy Power (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy).

The distances were three-quarters of a length and a head, with the tactical nature of the race ensuring that just over two lengths covered the first five home.

Duke Of Hazzard, a son of Lope De Vega, has been transformed since treated for a foot abcess and fitted with blinkers, and has won all three starts in the headgear, stepping up in class each time. He is to be given a break now, his veteran handler talking in terms of bringing him back to contest the Lockinge and Queen Anne next season rather than take up an entry in the Prix de Moulin at ParisLongchamp later this month.

Despite the narrow margins, Cole believes Duke Of Hazzard is much better than the bare form:

“His last two races have not been run to suit him, but he has still won. On Saturday it looked like he was never going to get a run.

“But he has what everybody wants – he is a horse with a great turn of foot. He has had a busy time, and I don’t want to prejudice his chances next year by asking too much this year.”