If there was a royal
procession at Glorious Goodwood the chances are that pink would be the colour
of choice for The Queen's hat.
Pink is the theme in
several of today's newspapers, with the Racing Post's front page
exclaiming, 'Let's have a tickle' a reference to the chances of Tickled Pink in
today's Betfred King George Stakes, while The Independent, reflecting on
yesterday's action, headlines 'Brown Panther triumph leaves Owen in the pink'.
And among countless
colourful shots of familiar faces who attended a hot and sunny Ladies' Day,
television presenter Natalie Pinkham features widely and is captured by several
newspapers patting Zara Phillips' baby bump. Zara shunned pink, but her
striking lemon-coloured coat illuminates copies column inches of the press.
That shot of Ms Pinkham
and the royal mother-to-be swamps the front of The Daily Telegraph -
which carries the pithy headline 'Zara out in front at Glorious Goodwood' - and
takes a key slot on page 16 of the Sun, above the headline 'Zara's
swello yellow'.
'Glorious' is a large Daily
Mirror headline that sums up high-quality racing in a wonderful setting
under blue skies, and which accompanies several shots, headed by Zara and
including one of a chic Anna Friel looking pretty but pouty. Was she really so
glum? Not according to the front page of The Times, which depicts Ms
Friel smiling radiantly under a heart-shaped floral fascinator.
Not that the sun has shone
all week, and the Chichester-based Observer notes 'Weather's not been
Glorious - but this festival has!' It is the duty of local papers to report on
local issues and people, and the Observer is blessed that ace jockey Ryan Moore
is a man of Sussex. 'Everybody say R,' it tells readers, 'Ryan and three
Richards [Hughes, Hannon and Fahey] enjoy early success at Goodwood'.
The West Sussex Gazette
is another publication that welcomes the international attention which Glorious
Goodwood affords the county, and carries feature articles on
artist-in-residence Trudy Redfern and the silks worn by riders in yesterday's
Magnolia Cup charity race.
Racing has long been
regarded as the sport of kings and paupers, but in an age of diversification it
has to grab every opportunity to market its broad appeal. Brown Panther's
Artemis Goodwood Cup success provided a heaven-sent opportunity, for the horse
was bred and is owned by footballer Michael Owen, an outstanding player revered
by millions on goal-scoring occasions in the past.
Owen may be a millionaire,
but he is a financial featherweight compared to some in this game, and as the
owner of just one mare his achievement in winning a highlight of racing's
summer programme cannot be underestimated. The Times' Alan Lee and The
Independent's Chris McGrath quote Owen saying: "In football I always
felt reasonably in control. Here you're powerless." That sentence is no
less meaningful to heads of state who try to solve the riddles of racing.
'I'm a very lucky boy,'
Owen admits to The Guardian's Chris Cook, while trainer Tom Dascombe
tells The Daily Telegraph's Marcus Armytage, 'It's nice to win a race
like this when you're best known for six-furlong, two-year-olds'.
The Sun's Claude
Duval says Owen 'netted the biggest goal of his racehorse-owning career', The
Star's Tony Lewis reports Owen saying of his horse 'Of course I backed
him!', while the Daily Mirror quotes the owner/breeder saying 'Australia
here we come!', referring to a Melbourne Cup challenge for the horse, not an
opportunity to play soccer in Sydney.
The Daily Mail's
Marcus Townend maintains the football theme, pointing out that Owen's win
followed one for Sir Alex Ferguson, part-owner of Wednesday winner Magic City.
Townend notes, 'QPR manager Harry Redknapp can join the party this afternoon as
he is an owner of Moviesta, a fancied runner in the [Betfred] King George
Stakes.'
And so to day four of this
fabulous racing festival, and no fewer than four Group races and a
highly-valuable handicap known as the Betfred Mile. The topweight is Brendan
Brackan, who, as Stuart Riley in the Racing Post reminds us, won a
€115,000 race at Galway on Tuesday. Riley's absorbing 'Talking Point' is
accompanied by the headline 'Brackan bidding to complete mother of all
doubles'.
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