Juddmonte International Stakes(Group 1) 

Four go to post for the Juddmonte led by the horse of the season, Paddington.

Aidan O’Brien’s colt will again have Ryan Moore in the saddle. He’s a four-time Group 1 winner, the son of Siyouni has been full of class this year. This will be his seventh run in a six-month whirlwind, all of which he’s won, the last four being the Irish 2000 Guineas, the St James’s Palace Stakes, the Coral-Eclipse, and Sussex Stakes. He’s gone on a variety of ground including heavy, soft and good. Today he’ll tackle good to firm for the first time, ground he should love yet this will be his biggest test to date.

John and Thady Gosden send two to take him on.

Mostahdaf will be partnered by Frankie Dettori with Jim Crowley suspended. He was scintillating in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes when readily winning from Luxemburg. The five-year-old was a 10/1 shot that day reflecting a 7L defeat to Equinox the previous time out in the Dubai Sheema Classic. He may have upped his game at Ascot but again this is his biggest test.

Nashwa as always will have Hollie Doyle in the plate. The only filly in the race, she is a triple Group 1 winner. She took the Prix de Diane and Nassau Stakes last year and the Falmouth this year but could only manage third in this year’s renewal of the Nassau last time out.

Andrew Balding’s The Foxes will be ridden by Oisin Murphy. He won the Dante Stakes here in the spring, ran fifth in the Derby and last time out, in the Belmont Derby finished second having dwelt at the start.

This most likely will be tactical. Mostahdaf will need cover so expect Frankie to take a pull when the gates open. The Foxes might go on and they could race in Indian file with Nashwa and Paddington sandwiched between the two.

Coming into the straight Paddington, who stands top of the Pattern Race Horse World Championships who is in receipt of 7 lbs from Mostahdaf and 4 lbs from Nashwa will look to wind it up and make it a real test of stamina. He’ll have to burn off the finish of the others and his class will in the end win out to give him a fifth Group 1 of the year.

Recommendation

Paddington 8/13 win