GLORIOUS GOODWOOD: Queally takes centre stage ... a day early

Queally aims to ride Frankel to a successful defence of the Qipco Sussex Stakes on day two of the festival and he showed he was in terrific form for the big occasion by completing a back-to-back double in Tuesday’s big race, the bet365.com Lennox Stakes, on Chachamaidee.

It was a commanding victory for the Sir Henry Cecil-trained mare, who had collected a Group 3 prize at Glorious in 2011 but faced a sterner test this time.

A slow start had cost her a likely victory in the Windsor Forest Stakes at Royal Ascot and she was once again last out of the stalls in the hands of Queally. But he is not one to panic and once he asked his mount to stretch in the straight, she showed her trademark terrific turn of foot to put the race to bed.

The 5/4 favourite crossed the line with a length-and-a-half in hand over Richard Huighes on Libranno, who just edged out the gallant 11-year-old Mac Love (James Doyle) for second place.

It was a second winner of the afternoon for Cecil and Queally following Noble Mission’s battling Gordon Stakes triumph 35 minutes earlier.

Queally said: “It’s nice to finally hit the bullseye with her. They went a lovely gallop and it suited me from where I was.

“She quickened up nicely and has a great turn of foot. Fillies have a bad enough record in this race so it’s great.”

Chachamaidee’s owner Tony Evans praised trainer Cecil, who is not able to be at Goodwood this week as he is recovering from laryngitis.

Evans said: “Henry has done us proud with this horse. She’s just fantastic and we’ve also got an unraced two-year-old with him.

“She won here last year and she’s now won a Group 3 and a Group 2, so we’d really like to win a Group 1. I don’t know where, though.”

Damian Evans, racing manager to the owner, said: “Her ideal trip is seven but she can do a mile on her day or a less stiff course. Ascot maybe has found her out twice over a mile.

“We were in the Rothschild last Sunday but decided we didn’t fancy Elusive Kate, Golden Lilac and Immortal Verse, we thought we would come here but she is in the Matron at Leopardstown over a mile in the summer and the Foret is one that may be on the list. That’s where the value and experience of Sir Henry comes in.”

Libranno’s trainer Richard Hannon, who won this race last year with Strong Suit, said: “I don’t think we were unlucky, the winner has got first run but she’s done it easily enough. We had a bit of trouble and without it we would have been a better second but I don’t think he’d have won. The race panned out like we thought and he’s run a corker.”