Paco Boy takes Betfair Cup

Paco Boy took the honours in the first big race of the Glorious Goodwood Festival yesterday, winning the Betfair Cup in a thrilling finish. Coming into the race off a 7th place finish in an group two race in France, Richard Hannon’s charge impressed in a tight finish against the impressive Stimulation.

“He would die for you, this horse,” Hughes said to reporters after the race. “Going down I wasn’t happy with the ground, so he’s some brave horse to go through and do it like that today. He has a great turn of foot and would be better over a mile, he was just very unlucky when he ran at that trip in France. Today he relaxed lovely, went the long way round and picked up real good.”

Marcus Tregoning also notched up a win on the first day of the 2008 Glorious Goodwood Fetsival, when his two-year-old Finjaan pipped Bonnie Charlie to the post in the Molecomb Stakes. The race is Finjaan’s first stakes win.

Meanwhile the King Edward VII Stakes runner-up Conduit came good on his short odds in the Gordeon Stakes, winning the race to pay out punters at odds of 2/1. Conduit’s win handed Sir Michael Stoute his first victory at the 2008 Glorious Goodwood Festival.