Ferguson hails his Rock

Sir Alex Ferguson praised Rock of Gibraltar as "the sort of racehorse you dream about" after his star three-year-old became the first horse to win six consecutive Group 1 races for 30 years in the Sussex Stakes today.

The Manchester United manager flew in to Goodwood, from his team's pre-season tour of Norway, to see his star miler emulate the great Mill Reef by dismissing his four rivals with contemptuous ease under Michael Kinane.

The 8-13 shot finished two lengths clear of last year's winner Noverre, but it could easily have been more. Ferguson called it "the greatest thrill you can get in racing".

And he added: "To equal what a wonderful horse like Mill Reef achieved is unbelievable.

"The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot is a very likely target now, and we'd love to see him go to America at the end of the season for the Breeders' Cup."