Sussex Stakes (Group 1)

A field of twelve go to post for the centerpiece of the glorious Goodwood week, the Sussex Stakes over a mile; five 3yos will take on seven older horses.

The 3yos

George Boughey’s Bow Echo is shaping up to become racing’s next superstar. A winner of the G1 2000 Guineas and the G1 St James’s Palace Stakes, extending his unbeaten run to five and a three-time juvenile winner. He’ll continue his partnership with Billy Loughnane.

Aidan O’Brien sends a trio: Dorset, the mount of Wayne Lordan, will be employed as a pacemaker, with Puerto Rico, the mount of Christophe Soumillon, a dual G1 winner on soft as a juvenile, also travelling in support of their main hope, Gstaad, the mount of Ryan Moore. He chased home Bow Echo at Newmarket; then franked the form by winning the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas, but once again was outdone by Bow Echo in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, albeit reducing the distance to a short-head defeat.

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Eve Johnson Houghton’s Zavateri, the mount of Charlie Bishop, beat Gstaad in the G1 National Stakes at the Curragh last year. He was second in the G3 Greenham at Newbury in April, then met a setback and hasn’t been seen since. This will be his first attempt at a mile. It was always the plan.

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The Older Horses

Godolphin’s Opera Ballo will have William Buick in the plate. He’s an improving 4yo who won a G1 at Meydan in January, then beat Field Of Gold in the G2 Sandown Mile and went down ¾L finishing third in the G1 Queen Anne at Royal Ascot.

Hugo Palmer’s Seagulls Eleven is also an improving 4yo. Oisin Murphy will ride. Listed and G3 wins in May and June, he then finished third, only beaten ¾L, in the G2 Summer Mile at Ascot in July.

A pair of 4yos make a quick return. Willie Haggas’s Lake Forrest under Cieren Fallon got up to win the G2 Lennox Stakes over 7f here yesterday. He’d run really well in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes over 6f, finding the trip too sharp.

Ralph Beckett’s Qirat, the shock 150/1 winner of this last year, finished fourth under Colin Keane.

Ed Walker’s 5yo, Ten Bob Tony, was the shock 50/1 winner of the G1 Queen Anne at Royal Ascot having previously won a G3.

Andrew Balding sends Never So Brave, a 5yo under PJ McDonald. He was a G1 winner in the City Of York Stakes over 7f at York last year, beating Lake Forest but in four runs since, he hasn’t won. Qirat headed him last time out.

Harry Eustace’s Docklands, the oldest in the race, is a 6yo, with James Doyle booked; he has disappointed since winning last year’s G1 Queen Anne. He did win a Listed contest in March.

Conclusion

Bow Echo looked the real deal at Newmarket in the spring; however, it wasn’t so clear-cut at Royal Ascot in the St James’s Palace Stakes. Rounding the bend, Puerto Rico opened a golden highway for Gstaad up the rail with Bow Echo having to come wide. The Ballydoyle tactics very nearly paid off.

Opera Ballo became the hare in the Queen Anne for his more fancied stablemate Notable Speech when Godolphin’s intended pacemaker failed to fire. He was caught in the closing stages by a late charge from Ten Bob Tony.

Lake Forest, gelded this year, looked powerful yesterday; however, a mile has proven a step too far in three previous attempts. Qirat will benefit from the step up in trip from yesterday’s 7f, but for both it’s a hell of an ask after running yesterday.

Zavateri is fresh and had the measure of Gstaad at the Curragh last year.

This will be a hard-run race with Ballydoyle sending Dorset out front with Puerto Rico there to take over when he falls away. Gstaad and Bow Echo will again be drawn into a fight. Opera Ballo won’t have to do the lion’s share of the work this time and will be in a position to attack; however, they are vulnerable to one coming over the top. Ten Bob Tony did it in the Queen Anne, but with the weight-for-age allowance, 8 lbs, it could be the fresher Zavateri who’ll do it this time.

Recommendation

Zavateri 33/1 ew

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