Tag: G1 Sussex S.

Goodwood: “I Think He Can Get Even Better.” Sussex At The Mercy Of Paddington

Last year, Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was 1-6 when extending his influence in Goodwood's G1 Qatar Sussex S. and if the forecast heavy rain leads to the withdrawal of Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) it could be that the 2023 edition sees another mortal lock in Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}). With the prospect of up to 10mm of overnight rain before strong storm winds hit the area, this is going to be tough going and Cheveley Park Stud's Chris Richardson has not ruled out giving it a miss if the ground deepens too much. “At this point in time, all being well, we'll run,” he said. “Heavy ground wouldn't suit her. We have taken the chance and more rain would suit Paddington probably more perhaps than us. She handles soft ground.”

Even if Inspiral is allowed to square up to Ballydoyle's workaholic colt, it is fair to say that the Gosdens' G1 Fillies' Mile, G1 Coronation S. and G1 Prix Jacques le Marois heroine will have her work cut out in this 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile in November. At least the father-and-son trainer combination now have a proper marker on him having lost out with Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the Eclipse. Easy ground is of no concern to Aidan O'Brien, as it shouldn't be when we are talking about a son of Siyouni out of a Montjeu mare. He had heavy ground in the Madrid and soft in the Tetrarch, so if it gets deep this could be a complete mismatch.

Already a step ahead of Giant's Causeway, who was beaten in the Irish 2000 Guineas, Paddington is staying on the trail of the “Iron Horse” for now and Ryan Moore has a warning for those who try to obstruct him. “I think he can get even better,” he said on his betfair blog. “What this horse has done this season is little short of extraordinary, as he keeps on building and improving with every run. He won on heavy first time up and he has done it on better ground since and I get the impression there is more in the locker, even if his defeat of Emily Upjohn was obviously top-class form in its own right.”

It hasn't been plain sailing for Inspiral since her Coronation rout last June, with surprisingly only one success in her next four starts. On balance, her form is probably short of what is needed to upset Paddington and she has four pounds to give away to him in the bargain. Chris Richardson is aware of the task at hand. “Paddington is a serious horse. He is a bit of a superstar, but we're fresh and he's had a few more races than us,” he said. “We wanted to give her plenty of time after Royal Ascot. France was in the mix, but those races are too close together now and they have had plenty of rain over there.”

 

 

Big Guns Assemble For The Molecomb

Goodwood also stages the G3 Jaeger-Lecoultre Molecomb S. for 2-year-olds over the rapid five furlongs, where the six-length Listed Dragon S. winner Kylian (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) encounters the three-length Listed Windsor Castle S. scorer Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) and the disappointing TDN Rising Stars Purosangue (GB) (Aclaim {Ire}) and Barnwell Boy (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}). Mick Appleby said of Big Evs, “I think he will be okay on the ground, as long as it doesn't go heavy. You'd think he'd be okay on good-to-soft ground and the dam won on soft ground, so hopefully he should be all right. Obviously we have Kylian to beat. Should all go well, we'll probably go for the [G2] Gimcrack next.”

 

Nassau Battle Is On

Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) and Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) have been confirmed for Thursday's G1 Qatar Nassau S. at Goodwood, with just six due to line up for the 10-furlong feature. They include Shadwell's Al Husn (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) who beat Nashwa in the G3 Hoppings S. at Newcastle last month, and Above The Curve (American Pharoah). John Gosden is relishing bringing the brilliant G1 Falmouth S. winner here for a tilt at back-to-back renewals.

“I think it's a fabulous race and, as in the Eclipse, the King George, and the Sussex S., we get that clash of the generations, which we all want to see. It's very healthy for the generations to meet like that and not duck and dive to avoid each other.”

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O’Brien Planning Strong King George Assault Led By Auguste Rodin

As many as six horses from Aidan O'Brien's yard, including dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), will line up in the G1 King George and Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot on July 29.

Riding a two-race winning streak after taking Epsom's Blue Riband last month and the Irish equivalent for the Coolmore partners, Auguste Rodin beat stable-mate Adelaide River (Ire) (Australia {GB}) in the latter. He will aim to emulate former Coolmore kingpin Galileo (Ire) with a victory in the King George after winning two Derbys.

“He's on that programme, and so far, everything is going well [for the King George],” O'Brien told the Nick Luck Daily podcast on Wednesday,

The aforementioned Adelaide River enters off another strong second-place effort in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp on June 14. He is joined by Group 1-winning older horses Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}), and Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), while the G2 Huxley S. hero and Group 1-placed Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}) is another possible runner.

“Luxembourg is a very strong possible at the moment,” O'Brien continued. “Point Lonsdale is a strong possible at the moment. Broome, like I said, he could go [for the King George], and probably will go to Goodwood for the two miles [G1 Goodwood Cup S. on Aug. 1]. Bolshoi Ballet is a very strong possible. And then, obviously, Auguste Rodin and Adelaide River, we'd have to see how he [Adelaide River] came out of the race [G1 Grand Prix de Paris] and give him a little bit of time to see before we make any decision about him.”

O'Brien also provided an update on likely G1 Sussex S. runner Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), who will potentially represent the Coolmore partners in the G1 Cox Plate in the autumn.

He said, “Everything went well since [the Eclipse], and is at the moment. He's on that plan and that programme [for the Sussex] at the moment.”

The Coolmore partners also have five of the nine fillies currently entered in Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks. G3 Cheshire Oaks heroine and G1 Oaks runner-up Savethelastdance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), G2 Ribblesdale S. victress Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Be Happy (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) were pleasing the Rosegreen handler particularly. He also has listed winner Library (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and winner Lambada (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) signed on.

“I suppose, we have three very strong fillies in there,” O'Brien added. “Obviously, the filly [Savethelastdance] from Chester we think is very well. This has always been her programme. And then the filly [Warm Heart] who won at Ascot. We weren't sure that stepping up the a mile and a half would suit her, but it obviously improved her.

“Another filly called Be Happy which we have always thought a lot of, [is in the race]. She was withdrawn at the last minute from the Oaks and we had her ready to run again, and she got an infection in her foot. The last three weeks everything has been very good with her. The plan is that is where she is going now at the moment, as well.”

Pair Of Contenders Pleasing Connections In Latest King George Works

Saeed Suhail's 2022 Derby winner Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) also remains in contention for the Ascot showpiece. Off for over a year with an ankle injury, the 4-year-old ran second in the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. at Sandown earlier this season. Another minor setback kept the Sir Michael Stoute trainee out of Royal Ascot and a run in the G1 Prince of Wales's S., but he pleased his connections in a work at Newmarket on Wednesday morning.

Suhail's racing manager, Bruce Raymond, said, “He worked this morning and Ryan [Moore] rode him. Michael was very pleased with him and I think there is a good chance he will go to Ascot.

“He worked nicely. It was a pleasing gallop. I can't say he is certain for the race, but everyone was very happy with him. There's a good chance he will go to Ascot.”

Already a winner of the King George in 2022, two-time Group 1 scorer Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) also remains among the entries. He decisively won the G2 Hardwicke S. at Royal Ascot in June for co-trainers William Muir and Chris Grassick in the colours of the La Pyle Partnership.

“He just did want we wanted and we were delighted with him,” said Muir of the 6-year-old's Newbury gallop.

“It was not a serious, hard gallop, it was just a day out really. He goes to Newbury, has a warm-up little canter and then covers the distance, that's all. He did great. We're keeping our fingers crossed and we're in good shape. Fingers crossed we'll be there at Ascot.”

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Sussex Next On Panthalassa’s Dance Card

2023 G1 Saudi Cup hero Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) will target the G1 Sussex S. at Goodwood in August, according to the entire's trainer Yoshito Yahagi.

Yahagi, who ran Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), told www.netkeiba.com, “We had the idea of a mile race somewhere, I think the Sussex S. on a tough course would suit. The [G1] International S. is the flattest one-turn race in the UK, and I have the image of it being suited to a speed type of horse.”

Panthalassa won the 2022 G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan and was also runner-up in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) later that year. He secured the Saudi Cup by 3/4 of a length over Country Grammer (Tonalist) at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh in February.

Of his 10th-place finish in the G1 Dubai World Cup on Mar. 25, the trainer added, “He was quite tired but seems to be recovering well now. He will return to Ritto Training Centre in a month, I'm confident that is plenty of time.”

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Baaeed Casts A Long Shadow In The Sussex

Twelve months on from the confirmation of his potency in the G3 Thoroughbred S. at the Qatar Goodwood Festival, Shadwell's Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) returns to the famous Downs as a relative giant as he pursues ever higher ground in Wednesday's G1 Qatar Sussex S. at Goodwood. While his tally of four straight Group 1 wins–in the Prix du Moulin, the QEII, the Lockinge and Queen Anne–is highly commendable, it is still shy of the five achieved by the likes of Dubai Millennium (GB), Enable (GB), Giant's Causeway and St Mark's Basilica (Fr). By the end of the year, it is not inconceivable that he could be matching the seven of this race's 2002 hero Rock of Gibraltar (Ire), even if the nine of Frankel (GB) looks out of reach.

Comparisons with Frankel were being bandied about prior to the June 14 Queen Anne, but his performance there failed to satisfy that on a visual basis. Time-wise, it was the meeting's key moment, however, with startling final sectionals placing him in a league of his own. Running the final two furlongs faster than the King's Stand winner Nature Strip (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}), he was quicker even than Battaash (Ire) had been over the same last quarter mile in the King's Stand in 2020. This is a fast animal and William Haggas's quip that he could win a July Cup was actually close to the mark.

Angus Gold is not being complacent, however. “As far as I know everything is good, he worked very nicely last week and I think they've been happy since, so you can but hope. There's some very good horses in the race and as we saw in the King George on Saturday, you can never take anything for granted,” he said. “It's possibly not his ideal track, but you could say that about a lot of them so I don't see that as a reason for him not to win if he's in good form and gets a good run through the race.”

Connections already have their sights trained on the G1 Juddmonte International at York Aug. 17. “He's done all his winning at a mile and he's shown he's got the speed and the class to win Group 1s at a mile,” Gold added. “For me, it's going to be more interesting to see whether he can be versatile and carry that speed over a mile and a quarter. I know William felt it was too big a gap between Ascot and York and as he rightly said, they're here to race these horses so that's why he's going to Goodwood.”

 

A Free Hit

Tuesday's G2 Lennox S. win of Sandrine (GB) (Bobby's Kitten) proved that the Andrew Balding stable is in hot form and Baaeed's biggest concern could come from Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never), who has nothing to lose tackling the favourite bidding for back-to-back renewals at a track that plays to her strengths. Very few horses can win this and a July Cup, but that is what she did at Newmarket July 9 where she put upwards of 1 1/2 lengths between her and the Platinum Jubilee crew led by Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). “It took her a couple of runs to find her feet this year, but she's in great form and she looks very well,” Balding said. “She won the race last year and while this looks a very strong renewal, it wasn't a bad one when she beat Poetic Flare. At Goodwood it's not always enough to be the best horse, as you need luck too. We wouldn't want to win that way, but it's a horse race at the end of the day.”

 

Game Changer

While the loss of Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) from this picture is a blow to Godolphin, it is worth remembering that Charlie Appleby houses the three winners of the English, Irish and French 2000 Guineas and he still has one of them engaged in Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). While the form of his success in the May 15 G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains at ParisLongchamp has yet to be seriously boosted, it is early days and this return to a mile on a fast course should see him in a positive light. “He can do it every which way and can adapt, plus the draw in one is a positive,” jockey William Buick said on Tuesday. “Everyone has to respect Baaeed and rightly so, as he's a fantastic horse and is obviously going to be very hard to beat.”

Appleby added, “The step back up in trip is going to suit him and the quick ground will also be in his favour. He loves it rattling fast. He's a very classy colt, he's a multiple Group 1 winner and a sharp track such as Goodwood will pose no problem when you recall how he handled Del Mar. He will give a good account of himself.”

 

Rocket Powered?

Goodwood's action on Wednesday also includes a pair of Group 3 contests, with the 2-year-olds lining up for the five-furlong Markel Molecomb S. and the fillies and mares set for the seven-furlong Whispering Angel Oak Tree S. Victorious Racing's June 15 Listed Windsor Castle S. runner-up and July 1 Listed Dragon S. winner Rocket Rodney (GB) (Dandy Man {Ire}) is back over the course and distance over which he opened his account in style Apr. 29 and ticks all the boxes, but the lurker could be Rockcliffe Stud's impressive July 15 Newbury maiden scorer Trillium (GB) (No Nay Never). “She's a very good filly who stepped up from her first run to her second when bolting up at Newbury in fine style,” Trillium's trainer Richard Hannon said on his Unibet blog. “That was over six furlongs, but she's got a fantastic turn of foot so I'm not worried about going down to five furlongs and she receives a bit of weight as well for being a filly.” Al Shaqab Racing have a habit of plundering the Oak Tree, with three wins between 2015 and 2017 with French raiders and are here again with the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained June 12 Listed Prix Volterra winner Samahram (Fr) (Sea The Moon {Ger}).

 

Nashwa Faces Eight In Nassau

Thursday's G1 Qatar Nassau S. has attracted nine, with Hollie Doyle keen to renew her partnership with Imad Al Sagar's G1 Prix de Diane heroine Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}). This is one of the weaker renewals on paper in recent times, with the May 29 G1 Prix d'Ispahan winner Dreamloper (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and the May 12 G2  Middleton Fillies' S. scorer Lilac Road (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) key among the older brigade. “Nashwa is just unreal and she's getting better and better,” her rider told QIPCO British Champions Series. “Every time I sit on her between races she's improved again. I rode a piece of work on her last week which was very similar to the work we did before France and she's bigger and stronger once again, and better than ever.”

 

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