Trio are set for another repeat battle

One of last year’s most controversial races promises to be replayed at Goodwood this weekend when Tillerman, Reel Buddy and Where Or When lock horns again in the £100,000 Celebration Mile.

Tempers ran high after a pulsating finish to last year’s race, in which Tillerman came out best in a blanket finish after Richard Hughes had sailed close to the wind by hemming the heavily-backed Where Or When in a pocket for most of the final furlong.

Where Or When will bid to take his revenge on Saturday with Richard Ryan, who acts as assistant to Epsom trainer Terry Mills, quietly confident that the gallant chestnut is ready to peak again after falling victim to a bug in June.

“A lot of hard work has gone into getting the horse back to form,” he said. “We know he’s a top miler when he’s right and, f i n gers crossed, everything seems fine with him at the moment.”

Connections of Tillerman report that the evergreen sevenyearold will head to Goodwood again unless the ground turns soft, while Richard Hannon has shelved plans to retire Reel Buddy and is hoping the powerful chestnut can give Pat Eddery another major triumph to add to his 20-1 success in last month’s Sussex Stakes.

Hannon said: “He’s been working as well as ever since the Sussex, so I’ve decided that he’ll only retire when Pat retires!”