Globetrotting supermare Goldikova underlined her status as one of the world's leading milers by securing a ninth Group One victory on the opening day of Royal Ascot Tuesday. The French raider with a heart of steel landed the Queen Anne Stakes for trainer Freddie Head and will now be targeted at the Breeders' Cup Mile at Churchill Downs in Kentucky in November, a race she has won for the last two years. There was also a notable double success for Richard Hannon and jockey Richard Hughes, the trainer and son-in-law combining to enjoy Group One success with Canford Cliffs in the St. James' Palace Stakes and with Strong Suit in the Coventry Stakes. France drew first blood on a warm and sunny afternoon, the blue-riband event a social highlight of the English summer as well as the principal flat-racing festival in the calendar. Jockey Olivier Peslier pushed the five-year-old Goldikova clear two furlongs (400m) from home to take the Queen Anne, but had to dig deep as a fast-finishing Paco Boy, last year's winner, closed relentlessly. At the finish the favorite had just a neck to spare from the second favorite Paco Boy. Victory was a second big-race British success this season for the Head family. In May, Head's sister and fellow trainer Criquette Head-Maarek won the English 1,000 Guineas with Special Duty, awarded the race by the stewards after finishing second. Hannon was out of luck with Paco Boy but Canford Cliffs gave the trainer swift recompense when producing an impressive burst of acceleration to land the St. James' Palace Stakes, the third successive Group One race to open the five-day Royal meeting. In a 1-2 finish for Hannon, joint favorite Canford Cliffs swept past stable mate Dick Turpin to land the mile contest for three-year-olds. The race was a re-match of the English 2,000 Guineas in May which was won by French raider Makfi with Dick Turpin second and Canford Cliffs third. Makfi could not confirm the form Tuesday and finished seventh of the nine runners. Hannon was back in the winner's enclosure 35 minutes later after Strong Suit followed in Canford Cliffs' footsteps by winning the Coventry Stakes by a nose in a desperate photo finish.
