High standards set

Lambourn trainer Marcus Tregoning was singing in the rain after the promising Tahreeb had run out the most impressive winner of the day in the £15,000 Evening Standard Maiden Stakes at Goodwood yesterday.

Glorious seemed anything but the way of describing the famous old Sussex course as a field of six broke from the stalls in a combination of thick mist and torrential rain for the final race on the card.

Tahreeb, carrying the colours of Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum and partnered by Martin Dwyer, was sent off at 6-4 to become the first winning favourite of the meeting, and punters saw their confidence rewarded with plenty to spare as the son of Indian Ridge powered home six lengths clear of his rivals.

Tregoning has had a longstanding affection for Goodwood ever since his days as assistant to the late Dick Hern, and refused to let the abysmal weather dampen his spirits as he accepted the winner's trophy from Graham Read, the Evening Standard's Events Manager . "It's a real shame the weather has turned like this, but Goodwood has always been the ideal place to bring a promising two-year-old as they learn such a lot from running here," he said.

"Martin said that he loved the soft ground, and he could be one to look forward to when conditions come right again in the autumn," he said.

Tregoning was equally delighted with his High Accolade, who was installed as 4-1 favourite for the St Leger by Corals after going down by a short-head to Phoenix Reach in the Peugeot Gordon Stakes.