Glorious Goodwood

racing news/

Glorious Goodwood Wednesday Preview
28/08/07

Seven high-class horses have been declared for the £300,000 Group One BGC Sussex Stakes (3.30pm) over a mile at Goodwood on Wednesday, July 30, headed by dual 2,000 Guineas winner Henrythenavigator, who will bid to extend trainer Aidan O’Brien’s Group One haul to 16 so far this season.

A winner of the Group One St James’s Palace Stakes on his most recent start, he is joined in the line-up by stablemate and likely pacemaker Windsor Palace, while John Gosden is represented by Raven’s Pass, the three-quarter length runner-up to Henrythenavigator at Royal Ascot.

Peter Chapple-Hyam has declared both Winker Watson, who returned from a year off to finish a promising seventh in the Group One Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly on his most recent start, and Tariq, successful in the Group Two Betfair Cup at last year’s Glorious Goodwood, while Richard Hannon will saddle Major Cadeaux, a winner at Group Two level this season.

The seven-strong line-up is completed by the Andrew Balding-trained Dream Eater, who was fifth in the 2,000 Guineas.

Meanwhile, the supporting £85,000 Group Two Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes (2.50pm) over seven furlongs has attracted a field of 11, including the Tom Dascombe-trained top-weight Firth Of Fifth, successful in the Group Two Superlative Stakes on his last start at Newmarket.

Aidan O’Brien is also double handed with Group Three Anglesey Stakes runner-up Westphalia, the mount of Coolmore number one jockey Johnny Murtagh, and maiden winner Set Sail.

They are joined in the field by compatriot Ryehill Dreamer, trained by Tommy Stack. The son of Catcher In The Rye has two victories from three starts to his credit, most recently the Listed Golden Fleece Stakes at Leopardstown.

Peter Chapple-Hyam is set to send out the only maiden in the contest in the form of Sayif, second in the Group Two July Stakes on his latest start. Seb Sanders will get the leg up having recently been announced as retained rider, when available, for owners Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar.

Mark Johnston has declared Shaweel, while Hannon is represented by the duo of Soul City and Instalment. The Karl Burke-trained Group Two Coventry Stakes third Lord Shanakill completes the field along with Baycat and Orizaba from the respective yards of Jonny Portman and Mick Channon.

Action gets underway on day two of Glorious Goodwood with the £50,000 Invesco Perpetual Goodwood Handicap (2.15pm) over the marathon distance of two miles and five furlongs. A maximum field of 20 has been declared, including the hat-trick seeking pair of Keelung and Directa’s Digger, trained by Richard Ford and Michael Scudamore junior respectively.

The Mick Channon-trained Som Tala, fifth in last year’s contest, will carry top-weight of 9st 10lb under Frankie Dettori, while Pocket Too, ninth 12 months ago, is also among the declared runners.

The maximum field of 16 has also been declared for the £85,000 Sir Peter O’Sullevan Voice Of Racing Handicap (4.05pm), in which Sir Michael Stoute and Ryan Moore will bid for back-to-back wins, this year with Colony.

The Goodwood Racehorse Owners Group Fourteen will be hoping that their Goodwood Starlight can complete a hat-trick of victories in the mile and a half contest, while course and distance winner Savarin represents Luca Cumani.

The Mark Johnston-trained Fongs Gazelle will bid to repeat last year’s success in the £20,000 Weatherbys Bank EBF Fillies' Handicap (4.40pm) when she takes on 12 rivals in the nine-furlong event. She will face stiff opposition from the Clive Cox-trained Perfect Star, who has only been out of the first two once in eight starts but has yet to see a racecourse this season.

Among her other rivals is the twice-raced Marcus Tregoning-trained Asfurah’s Dream, a course and distance winner on her last start, while Michael Bell will saddle interesting runner Maryqueenofscots, a winner of her only start last season.

The £20,000 Winston’s Wish Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (5.15pm) over six furlongs has attracted some well-bred newcomers among the 16 declared runners.

The most notable of them is the Richard Hannon-trained Dane’s World, who is a sister to Aidan O’Brien’s useful Listed winner Georgebernardshaw, while the Barry Hills-trained Intense is the first foal of smart dual winner Modesta, a half-sister to Oaks/Fillies Mile winner Reams Of Verse and Eclipse Stakes victor Elmaamul.

Of those with some experience, the Clive Cox-trained Perfect Pride catches the eye along with Hannon’s other entries, Victoria Sponge and Ruasgreyasme, while the David Nicholls-trained Gower Valentine comes from the family of Youmzain and Creachadoir.

The concluding event of the day is the £20,000 Kennels EBF Classified Stakes (5.50pm) over seven furlongs, for which nine are declared. Hannon is represented by the trio of Firestreak, Berbice and Palmerin, while the Stoute/Moore combination will team up with Flawed Genius.