Hawkeyethenoo (far side) and Graham Lee land the Stewards' Cup

  PICTURE: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)  

Lee glee at first Glorious Goodwood win

Report: Goodwood, Saturday

Blue Square Bet Stewards' Cup, 6f, 3yo+

GRAND NATIONAL-winning jockey Graham Lee added one of the biggest betting races on the Flat to his cv as Hawkeyethenoo just edged out Imperial Guest in another tight finish at Goodwood.

A day after two races at the track ended as dead-heats, the judge again had to take a look at the photo before giving the verdict to the 9-1 chance much to the delight of his jockey.

"It is cool," said Lee about riding a first-ever winner at Glorious Goodwood. "I am overwhelmed and I am delighted for the horse, he deserved it."

Lee shocked the racing world when announcing he was switching to ride on the Flat earlier in the year and he continued: "It is my first season on the Flat and he [Hawkeyethenoo] has taken me to some big places, to Royal Ascot and the Wokingham and the July Cup."

The son of Hawk Wing was winning for the eighth time and his trainer Jim Goldie said: "It is terrific for us. He has been very unlucky this year so it is a great race to get some luck in."

Connections of Imperial Guest can also count themselves as unlucky as trainer George Margarson again went close to nabbing a big handicap, the 25-1 chance going down by a nose.

Margarson said: "I've mapped this out for two years to be honest since he got beat in the Wokingham last year.

"We took him to Brighton and he won, we knew he'd handle the conditions and we got him down to 94. He was on the right handicap mark and the kid [Ashley Hamblett] gave him a brilliant ride - he gets on really well with him.

"The draw was fine and everything was right - it was just on the nod wasn't it? It's killing me."

Lui Rei ran a solid race for in-form Robert Cowell to finish a further three-quarters of a length back in third at 20-1, with 7-1 favourite Waffle finishing fourth and Alben Star filling fifth place.

Cowell said: "He's ran very gallantly and when he came down to the furlong pole, we thought he might just last out but these races are so competitive and every pound is important on a horse's back.

"We were near the top of the weights and he's done very, very well. Darren [Egan] gave him a great ride. I've never used the chap before and I'm absolutely thrilled with him - he's ridden him exactly how we wanted and the draw worked out for us.

"We may go to the Ayr Gold Cup, we'll consider that but we may also go abroad and do a bit of cherry picking abroad. We'll have a chat with the owners and decide."