Kuwaiti Kamil Mahdi was celebrating his biggest victory in Britain after Almushtarak captured the Chrysalis Group 30th Anniversary Mile at Sandown yesterday. Less than a year after taking out a training licence in Newmarket, he earned his first Group Two success with Almushtarak's five-length defeat of Crystal Hearted.

His plans for Almushtarak now focus on the Group One Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on May 15th where another waiting race will be expected of jockey Ray Cochrane.

Cochrane bided his time until just inside the distance before cutting down front-running Crystal Hearted with Handsome Ridge running on into third place.

Arc winner Peintre Celebre, Europe's champion racehorse of 1997, returns in the Group One Prix Ganay at Longchamp tomorrow. No horses were withdrawn at yesterday's declaration stage, leaving a cast of five to take on the Andre Fabre superstar who is reported in "good order".

Half of the field hail from the Fabre yard and they include Peintre Celebre's pacemaker Blue Sky, and the Group Two winning Fragrant Mix. John Dunlop's Taipan who ran well here earlier in the month when third to Astarbad in the Prix d'Harcourt is the sole British runner.

Richard Guest was yesterday planning to take a short break to mull over his future after standing by his decision to quit from the saddle. An incensed Guest (32) threw in his riding licence at Perth on Thursday after being found to be in breach of the non-triers' rule for the third time this season.