Our ambassador shares her assessment of a spectacular renewal of the Sussex Stakes on the second day of the Glorious Goodwood Festival and offers her perspective on the remainder of the day's program. It is a tall order to mount a solid argument against Bow Echo, who will be defending his unbeaten record in the Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes (4:10) at the Qatar Goodwood Festival on Wednesday. The George Boughey‑trained colt burst onto the scene with a dominant Guineas victory and followed it up with a convincing win in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, delighting his connections with each successive performance.
This will be Bow Echo's first encounter with older horses, but he benefits from a favourable draw in stall four and an eight‑pound weight‑for‑age allowance, factors that bolster his chances of becoming the fifth three‑year‑old to capture this Group One in the past ten years. If there is any horse capable of upsetting the party, it is Godolphin’s Opera Ballo. The Charlie Appleby‑trained colt ran a tight race in the Queen Anne and could prove difficult to restrain on a course that tends to favour front‑runners like Bow Echo.
Opera Ballo has been building an impressive résumé, with a Group One triumph in the Jebel Hatta in Dubai, a smooth victory over Field Of Gold, and a subsequent Summer Mile win on Zeus Olympios at Sandown. Aidan O'Brien’s Gstaad, who finished second to Bow Echo at the Royal Meeting, is a genuine hard‑fighter, yet he lacks the turn of foot that Bow Echo possesses.
That deficiency may well be his undoing on the undulating Downs. Richard Hannon and Sean Levey also have strong contenders this week, but perhaps none is as intriguing as Pershaada in the Group Three Veuve Clicquot Molecomb Stakes (3:35) on Wednesday. The daughter of Persian Force has already proved herself over this course and distance, having won a novice event in May before stepping up to the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, where she was only two lengths behind the winner Victorious, finishing a respectable second. That form commands respect in this field.
I would love to see Rebecca Menzies claim a major victory with her unbeaten colt Adonius, who has been carefully managed since extending his perfect record in the Lily Agnes at Chester and possesses blazing speed. It would also be satisfying to watch Archie Watson’s Flight Signal rediscover the promise shown on debut after a disappointing run in the Norfolk Stakes. Flora Of Bermuda, after a disappointing Royal Ascot, rebounded with a win in the Group Three Summer Stakes at York and now targets the Rolls‑Royce Oak Tree Stakes (3:00) at Goodwood.
Trained by Andrew Balding, the mare can comfortably step up to seven furlongs, especially with a low draw that suits her running style. She will test the form of market favourite Sayidah Dariyan, who was narrowly beaten in the Group One Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Whether Flora can sustain seven furlongs as effectively as she did over six remains to be seen. Simon and Ed Crisford’s Zanthos has proven top‑class at this distance, having captured the Group Two Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket last season. However, she must bounce back from a lackluster performance in the Commonwealth Cup, this time wearing a tongue‑tie for the first time, which could improve her focus. Never miss a story – stay updated with the latest racing news, interviews and features on your mobile device.
Find out more. I am hopeful that my husband Tom Marquand will get off to a winning start on Wednesday in the Coral Rewards Shaker Handicap (1:50) aboard William Haggas’s promising colt Infraad.
A novice winner at Pontefract, Infraad looks ready to step up to a mile and a half after a solid handicap debut against more seasoned rivals at Chester a few weeks ago. The handicapper has left him on the same rating of 90, which could give him an edge over a competitive field that includes Harry Eustace’s Nottingham scorer Bay Royale – a son of New Bay who may benefit from a first‑time tongue‑tie. Check the latest horse racing news, interviews and features from Sky Sports Racing. The closing HKJC World Pool Handicap (5:40) is wide open, but the booking of Ryan Moore on Crimson Spirit could prove decisive.
Dan and Claire Kubler’s five‑year‑old, who was a strong second at Newmarket last time out, draws stall 10 – not ideal – but he won a large field handicap over the same course and distance back in May and is being treated fairly given his higher rating. The likely favourite, Bobby Bennu, trained by Roger Varian, has not won on turf for a long time and has shown his best form on an artificial surface. A three‑pound rise in weight makes the task tougher, so I am inclined to seek value with Crimson Spirit. Hollie Doyle was speaking to Sky Sports Racing’s Simon Mapletoft.