In fact, that wasn't such a bad run when you sit back and look at it. We fancied him very strongly going into the race because he had done so well since Royal Ascot. They feel better now."He's the ideal horse for the Melbourne job because he's shown he's got the speed for a mile and a half from his runs in King Georges," Simon Crisford, Godolphin's racing manager, said yesterday. "You need that over two miles in Australia, because the out-and-out stayers that go there are too slow."The horse's whole year has been campaigned towards that race and nothing has changed just because he was beaten at Goodwood.
The five-year- old played possum before finishing well into second behind Double Trigger in the Goodwood Cup last time, an effort that originally sickened connections. The 11 acceptors also include Strategic Choice (Paul Cole), Dushyantor (Henry Cecil), Further Flight (Barry Hills), Kutta (Robert Armstrong) and King Sound (Godsen).Classic Cliche's next performance will determine whether he continues on his path to the Melbourne Cup, where he would be the first horse to transport the Godolphin Royal blue livery in Australia. Their other entry, Classic Cliche, is destined for the Prix Kergorlay at Deauville, where he is likely to meet another of Saturday's defectors, Persian Punch. Others who have not cried off from Newbury yet number among them the Peter Chapple-Hyam pairing of Royal Court and Panama City.
In these circumstances, Godolphin are happy to let their shared contract rider fulfil the other half of his obligation with Gosden and his St Leger winner of last year. Godolphin's runner is likely to be Predappio, who has an alternative engagement in Germany on Sunday. The Italian's services were required by both the Newmarket trainer and Godolphin for Saturday's Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury, but the special need of the former has swung the argument. Gosden saddles Shantou, who runs like the wind for Dettori and runs like he's got wind for anyone else. Frankie Dettori has taken the role, once again, of a Christmas cracker and it appears that John Gosden has pulled his way to the trinket of the jockey's booking.
Els falters to let in Singh Vijay Singh, of Fiji, fired a final-round six-under-par 66 to overtake a faltering Ernie Els for a four-stroke victory in the Buick Open on Sunday in Grand Blanc, Michigan. Singh began the day four shots behind Els, who had a three-shot lead and appeared set for his third victory of the season Tiger Woods shot a 68 and finished tied for eighth.. "Justin has done himself a great deal of credit," Brown said "He will be a star to watch in the future.". Only Steven Young could match him, while the amateur champion, Craig Watson, claimed one and a half points. It's a celebration of the relationship between the USGA and the R&A, who between them govern world golf."There was at least hope for the future in the form of Justin Rose, who a week after his 17th birthday came out of the match with two points. The R&A are the governing body for every country in the world bar northern America, so why stop at the boundaries of Great Britain and Ireland?"I'm a traditionalist and I don't want to think about that," the Britain and Ireland captain, Clive Brown, said "This is more than just a golf match. It took Jack Nicklaus to revive the Ryder Cup, but difficulties of selection have always been stated as a reason not to bring in the best Continental amateurs.Jose-Maria Olazabal and Per-Ulrik Johansson are just two who could have graced past matches, while Spain are the current European amateur team champions. But the match will continue in accordance with the traditions of 75 years of history.The USGA have profits they do not know what to do with from their contract with NBC for the US Open, a deal which also requires the network to cover its amateur events.The Royal and Ancient of St Andrews do their duty to the world by running the Open superbly, but they have never acknowledged past calls for Europe to be brought into the match.
If the network executives were less than impressed, so were the citizens of Westchester County and New York City.Limited galleries of maybe 3,000 people each day watched the event, while others were put off by the high ticket prices. At $55 (pounds 35) a day, they did not compare favourably with a season ticket of $225 for seven days at this week's USPGA Championship at nearby Winged Foot watching Woods, Leonard, Ernie Els et al.When a media official of the United States Golf Association tumbles to the anachronism of trying to run a major international event as a garden party, you know sense can penetrate the deepest reaches. However, it was over as a contest barely 20 minutes into NBC's coverage of the final afternoon. In a search for a star, you have to look to John Harris, who won all four of his matches and, as at Interlachen, secured the winning point.In three Walker Cups, Harris now has the superb record of 10 wins and one loss, while he is unbeaten in six singles matches, the best record in the competition's history.The visitors never recovered from losing the first morning foursomes 4-0, and they won only one foursome on Sunday morning - which at least kept the match alive going into the final session.