RACING: Tragic shadow on Golan's great win.
Byline: DAVID CARRSIR Michael Stoute gave a tremendous training performance to saddle Golan to win the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot following a 244-day absence.
Last year's Sagitta 2000 Guineas winner had been off the course since picking up an injury after last year's Japan Cup, but he was prepared to the minute to gain a poignant victory in the pounds 750,000 feature just four days after the death of his owner Lord Weinstock.
Nayef, also making a welcome return to top form, looked as if he was going to take the honours as he stuck his neck out to go on by a length.
But Fallon and Golan were inching nearer all the time on the far rail and struck the front inside the final strides to score by a head.
"I am thrilled with my horse," said Stoute, who had earlier saddled Russian Rhythm to take the Princess Margaret Stakes.
"It was a hell of a performance to win this on his first run of the season but it is a sad moment as well.
"Lord Weinstock would have been absolutely thrilled to win one of Europe's greatest races - it was exactly the sort of result that his whole operation was set up for.
"He fell in love with the horse and he was so looking forward to seeing him run as a four-year-old.
"The family were adamant that we should run and it's just so sad that he couldn't be here."
Golan will go to stud at the end of this season, after a half-share was sold by Lord Weinstock to Coolmore last year.
But plans for the remainder of his racing career remain on ice.
"He is effective from a mile to a mile and a half so we will have to stop and think before we make any decisions but there is a lot to look forward to," said Stoute.
"We nearly got him back for the Coral-Eclipse but he had another minor setback so we had to stop with him again.
"But this is a tremendous effort from the horse and from all of my staff. Like all of them, it was a team effort - but this one in particular."
Nayef's trainer Marcus Tregoning was as pleased as Stoute with his charge's efforts.
"The race lived up to it's billing and it was a great performance by both of the first two," he said.
"I'm thrilled as he is right back to his best again now and I am looking forward to the rest of the season.
"I can't say quite where we will go yet but I am very keen to go to Chicago (for the Breeders' Cup) as I think the track will suit him."
John Egan, who came close to having his licence taken away early this month, enjoyed a massive payday by winning the pounds 150,000 Tote International Stakes on 14-1 shot Crystal Castle.
The Irishman gained a notable victory four weeks ago when a Jockey Club disciplinary committee allowed him to continue riding despite a request from the authorities in Hong Kong to suspend him due to allegations he received gifts in return for information.
And he took full advantage by teaming up with French-based Englishman John Hammond for a cosmopolitan victory.
The jockey's decision to go left on emerging from stall 13 in a field of 28 proved vital as runners on the stands' side led throughout.
Egan put his mount's head in front at the distance and held enough in reserve to hold off 8-1 chance Ghannam by half a length, with outsiders Royal Millennium (40-1) and Mister Cosmi (50-1) filling the frame.
Egan made light of the difficulties which brought his spell in Hong Kong to a premature end, saying: "I had no problems in Hong Kong - I rode a lot of winners and a had a good time."
Last season's champion apprentice Chris Catlin showed his style when producing Imperial Dancer with a perfectly-timed challenge to capture the featured Group Three Meld Stakes at the Curragh.
A recent winner of the Scottish Classic at Ayr, Imperial Dancer quickened impressively on the wide-outside when produced late by 20-year-old Catlin who was riding for the first time at the Headquarters of Irish racing to land the spoils for owners Imperial Racing and trainer Mick Channon.
Van Nistelrooy came perilously close to losing his unbeaten record when sent off at 4-6 for the Flame Of Tara Tyros Stakes.
After a steady early pace the six runners suddenly sprinted approaching the last of the seven furlongs and Van Nistelrooy had a couple of lengths to make as jockey Michael Kinane sought to find an opening.
Switched to the outside, the favourite quickened well for Kinane's urgings and responded sufficiently to overtake the front-running Etruscan King and land the Listed contest by a head to earn a quote of 20-1 for the Sagitta 2000 Guineas
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SO CLOSE: Golan (far side) beats Nayef in a dramatic finish to the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot
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| Title Annotation: | Sport |
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| Publication: | Coventry Evening Telegraph (England) |
| Date: | Jul 29, 2002 |
| Words: | 848 |
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