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Goodwood 2009 |
Cox Mulls Over Goodwood Options for Beacon Lodge
15/07/09
Trainer Clive Cox is considering letting Beacon Lodge take his chance against some of the season’s top milers in the £300,000 Group One BGC Sussex Stakes, highlight of the second day of Glorious Goodwood on Wednesday, July 29.
The progressive four-year-old colt gave the Lambourn handler a first Group success when winning the Group Three Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury in October, 2007, and relished the step up to mile on his latest start in a Group Three contest at Chantilly on June 14, when he showed a devastating turn of foot to win by three lengths.
Cox revealed: “We have kept Beacon Lodge in the BGC Sussex Stakes and it is certainly an option for him at the moment. If the ground is not too firm, then he’s definitely a possibility for the race.
“We were very happy with his Group Three success in France and he obviously took the step up to a mile very well. There was a good pace in that race and it turned into a very good test of the trip.
“He’s confirmed that he gets the trip well and we will keep him at a mile now. He would need conditions to be in his favour ground-wise to take his chance in the BGC Sussex Stakes, so we are still sitting on the fence a bit for that very reason.”
This year’s BGC Sussex Stakes is set to be a fascinating clash of the generations over a mile, with 1000 Guineas heroine and Coronation Stakes winner Ghanaati among the potential 24 contenders and taking on older horses for the first time.
Other possible runners from the Classic crop include Eclipse Stakes runner-up Rip Van Winkle, Prix Jean Prat victor Lord Shanakill and Delegator, who was second in both the 2000 Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes.
The older generation will be well represented by the likes of July Cup runner-up Main Aim, Forgotten Voice, who was an impressive winner of the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot, and Paco Boy, successful in the Group Two Betfair Cup at Glorious Goodwood last year before going on to Group One glory in the Prix de la Foret and the Queen Anne Stakes at this year’s Royal Ascot.
Beacon Lodge may also contest the £100,000 totesport.com Celebration Mile, run at Goodwood on Saturday, August 29, after a total of 41 entries for the Group Two contest were revealed today.
Cox added: “We have also given Beacon Lodge an entry in the totesport.com Celebration Mile and the race is another option but the ground would once again be the deciding factor.
“I think that he’s definitely a Group Two horse and it is just a question of whether we go for a Group One race like the BGC Sussex Stakes, where he would need things to go his way, or wait for another option such as the totesport.com Celebration Mile.”
A dozen entries for the totesport.com Celebration Mile come from the Godolphin operation and include recent acquisitions Delegator and Evasive, Dubai Duty Free winner Gladiatorus and Rio De La Plata, who landed the Group Two Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes at Glorious Goodwood in 2007 but has not been in action since coming third in the Prix Jean Prat in July of last year.
Aidan O’Brien is responsible for seven of the eight Irish-trained entries including Rip Van Winkle and Westphalia, who was third in both the Poule d’Essai des Poulains and the Prix du Jockey Club. The other potential Irish contender is the Kevin Prendergast-trained Recharge, who was fourth in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and fifth in the Irish Derby.
Two entries from the stable of Mike de Kock include J J The Jet Plane, who could step up in distance after coming fourth in the Golden Jubilee Stakes and third in the July Cup over six furlongs. The South African trainer may also be represented by dual Grade Two winner Imbongi, who was third to Aqlaam and Confront in the Group Two Summer Mile at Ascot on July 11.
Other notable entries include Forgotten Voice, Italian Group One scorer Pressing, last season’s Prix Morny runner-up Gallagher and Pipedreamer, who landed a Group Two contest at York in July last year and has won on both his previous appearances at Goodwood.
Glorious Goodwood, which runs from Tuesday, July 28, to Saturday, August 1 inclusive, features five days of outstanding racing action at one of the world’s most beautiful racecourses.
