“Welcome to my preview for Day 2 of this year’s Goodwood Festival, where I’ll be taking a look at the feature race once again which this time comes in the form of the Group 1 Sussex Stakes.
Looking back at Day 1 on the punting front, three winners were had on site with Battleground (13/8), Space Blues (5/2), and Stradivarius (4/7) going in. Stradivarius winning his fourth Goodwood Cup despite meeting trouble in the run, to prove once more what a fantastic animal he is.” – Jordan
Race Preview
The Sussex Stakes is a race that has seen some of the greats of recent years take their place here and this year’s renewal has thrown up a contest which is possibly the race of the season. The race is headed by the unbeaten Irish Guineas hero Siskin for Ger Lyons and Colin Keane. He’s a dual Group 1 winner after claiming the Irish Guineas, following up from success in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes last year and boasts a perfect five out five record. He’s the current market leader at a general 9/4.
Next up in the betting is Marcos Tregoning’s Mohaather who’s the mount of Jim Crowley. Very unlucky in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot, he bounced back to form with an impressive victory in a Group 2 at the same track the last day, and consequently finds himself an 11/4 chance in the betting here. English Guineas winner Kameko is next up in this star studded line-up, another dual Group 1 winner having claimed the Vertem Futurity Stakes last year he was last seen finishing fourth in the Derby and is now dropped back down to his favoured mile. Oisin Murphy is on board and he’s a general 4/1 chance.
Aidan O’Brien sends a trio of runners in the form of Circus Maximus, Wichita and Vatican City. Circus Maximus was last seen when winning the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot and was a close second in this race last year. He’s the choice of Ryan Moore here. Frankie Dettori teams up with Wichita after finishing second on him in the 2000 Guineas, he’s since gone on to finish third in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes. William Buick will ride Vatican City who’s the outsider of the three at 14/1.
Race Verdict:
Pretty much all of these have the ability to win this, I find it hard not to side with SISKIN though as he’s become one of my favourite horses in training. He was top-class in the Irish Guineas, to get out and win how he did when boxed in was some performance. His only blip has come in the stalls at Newmarket, the only time he’s been outside of Ireland which would be a slight concern. If turning up on form though I think he’ll be very tough to beat. Mohaather would be the main danger for me.
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