Connections Of Chaldean Eye Sussex Rematch With Paddington 

Connections of the 2,000 Guineas winner Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) could bid to turn the tables on Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the G1 Sussex S. at Goodwood after suffering a comprehensive defeat to Aidan O'Brien's Irish 2,000 Guineas winner in the St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot last week. 

Frankie Dettori attempted to make all the running aboard Andrew Balding's Juddmonte-owned colt, who had no answer when Paddington swooped by early in the straight at Ascot, but those associated with the colt are far from downbeat after the performance. 

Juddmonte's Barry Mahon said, “He ran a great race, to be fair. The winner is obviously a very good horse who is improving quickly and we were happy with our lad.

“We would have probably liked a lead. The early pace was pretty frenetic, I think Frankie just felt he couldn't get a breather into him the whole way and it just cost him when he turned in. All told, it was a nice run and we look forward to taking on the winner again some day.”

O'Brien nominated the Sussex as a potential target for Paddington in the immediate aftermath of his Ascot triumph and Mahon also views the Group One contest as the obvious next port of call for Chaldean.

“That looks the next obvious target,” Mahon said. “Let's see how he bounces out of it, Andrew said to me the next day he was in good shape but I haven't really touched base with him since.

“He's not in the Prix Jean Prat, but that could be an option if Andrew thought it was the right thing to do. He's a top-class horse. I suppose it's more disappointing when you're beaten if you have an unbeaten record, but luckily we were beaten in our maiden and Frankie fell off him in the Greenham at Newbury! We know he's still a nice horse to look forward to for the rest of the year.”

 

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‘He’s Part Of My Life Now’: Sheikha Hissa Pays Tribute To Baaeed

GOODWOOD, UK–Wearing a brooch bearing the image of her late father pinned to her robe, Sheikha Hissa Hamdan Al Maktoum greeted the horse who has become, for her, so much more than just the best racehorse in the world. 

As the unbeaten Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) returned triumphant for the ninth time, she said, “[He's in] every conversation, every conversation. He's part of my life now. My father bred him. It's a 40-year, even longer, process so it just feels very homey and it's nice to have a horse like him. I'm very lucky.”

The sheikha, in company with friends and family and the longstanding Shadwell racing team of Angus Gold and Richard Hills, watched the 4-year-old colt claim his fifth consecutive Group 1 victory on the big screen in Goodwood's parade ring, with a cheer going up from her entourage as Baaeed eased down crossing the line. As a long odds-on favourite, the William Haggas-trained colt, poised and at ease in the preliminaries, made it seem so straightforward: the best horse in the race had the perfect run through before being pulled wide in the straight by Jim Crowley and cruising home to win. 

It is a scene that must have been played out myriad times in the minds of those closest to him but nothing in racing can be taken for granted, and as Baaeed surged clear to win, the tension among the Shadwell camp seemed almost visibly to dissipate as hugs and handshakes were exchanged.

“I was absolutely nervous but it is always good to see him,” admitted Sheikha Hissa. “We thought he was going to miss this race and go straight to York but we kept him here and it turned out well, but I will always be nervous.”

Though the crowd has seemed a little thinner for the first two days at Goodwood, the tiered banks around the parade ring were packed both before and after the G1 Qatar Sussex S., those present rightly craning for a glimpse of the top-rated horse in the world. 

“It's very heartwarming to see that people love this horse. I feel like it's a win for everyone really,” said his owner after Baaeed had duly obliged those who turned out to see him by conjuring up yet another victory. It was his second at Glorious Goodwood following last year's win in the G3 Thoroughbred S., the last time he was seen in anything other than top-level company. His next appearance will be a foray into uncharted territory as he steps up to ten furlongs for the G1 Juddmonte International S. at York.

“A mile and a quarter definitely,” said Sheikh Hissa, confirming that Baaed will be asked to race beyond the mile that has conquered so easily time and again. “He's ready and I can't wait to see it.”

She added, “It's lovely to see a horse who tries and has his ears pricked the whole time. We were discussing whether to run him in the Sussex last year or not but I stated 'no', we didn't want to rush him. So he's back now and he's won the Sussex and I'm very happy.”

Sheikha Hissa is all too aware of the legacy of her father's bloodstock empire, which over four decades was responsible for 19 European Classic winners from an initial winner in Britain in July 1980. One of the cornerstones of the operation's broodmare band from its earliest days was Height Of Fashion (Fr) (Bustino {GB}), whose high-achieving offspring include the Derby, 2,000 Guineas, and King George winner Nashwan (Blushing Groom), and whose influence is felt still through her fifth-generation descendant Baaeed. That continuity of bloodline could well provide a foundation of a different form for Sheikha Hissa's tenure at the helm of Shadwell with the eventual stallion career of Baaeed. 

It is an eventuality which has already been alluded to by William Haggas, and Angus Gold, Sheikh Hamdan's racing manager for 25 years who now performs that same role for his daughter, spoke of the importance of Baaeed to a new-look, slimmed-down Shadwell.

“From a breeding point of view he's such a valuable proposition now. We have a new, fledgling operation and for Sheikha Hissa and her family he is so important to that,” Gold said. “If we are lucky we will have him for 16, 17, or more years, however long it is if everything goes well. And if he happened to be a successful stallion he is so important to our operation that we need him to be breeding rather than to keep racing, I would imagine, but that is not my decision obviously. We will see what the family decide.”

He, too, is looking forward to Baaeed being tried over a new distance. 

Gold said, “He's so relaxed in his style of racing that he will give himself every chance of getting it. Jim [Crowley] said just now that when he got towards the line and he heard the crowd cheering he just pricked his ears and almost pulled himself up. I don't see any reason why he can't go further, and I would be amazed if it's lack of stamina that beats him.”

As Sheikha Hissa applauded her champion's departure from the winner's enclosure and the presentations were completed, Gold admitted to a sense of relief after Baaeed had again maintained his spotless record.

“For me, almost the most special thing is that it's a culmination of all Sheikh Hamdan's work in trying to breed an absolute champion,” he added. “We were lucky in the early days with Nashwan and Dayjur and some really good horses, but this horse is a fifth-generation homebred from Height Of Fashion, whom he adored and got him going early on in the breeding world, so to have this horse 40 years on is really special. I'm so thrilled for Sheikha Hissa, and for her family. They had a hard time last year without him, and for this horse to suddenly appear, it's almost like he was sent.”

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Classic Winner Coroebus To Miss Sussex Clash With Baaeed After Setback

Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) will face a less daunting task in the Qatar Sussex S. at Goodwood on Wednesday after G1 2000 Guineas and G1 St James's Palace S. winner Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) was ruled out of the race on Monday after suffering a setback.

The pair looked set for a mouthwatering clash with the unbeaten Baaeed having to concede weight to the Classic-winning colt, however, Godolphin broke the news that Coroebus has been forced to sit out the much-anticipated clash due to a minor injury.

A post from the official Godolphin account on Twitter read, “Unfortunately Coroebus will not run in this week's Sussex Stakes @Goodwood_Races.

“He was lame in his box this morning and after examination, was found to have an abscess in his left hind pastern. This is being treated and he will now target the Prix Jacques le Marois.”

William Buick will instead ride the Charlie Appleby-trained stablemate Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) after a final field of seven was confirmed for the race.

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Breeders’ Cup Challenge: ‘Simply Incredible’ Alcohol Free Draws Clear In Sussex Stakes

Alcohol Free (No Nay Never) led home a 1-2-3 for 3-year-olds in the G1 Qatar Sussex Stakes, a clash of the generations over a mile and the highlight on day two of the Qatar Goodwood Festival. The win earned Alcohol Free an expenses-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Mile this fall at Del Mar.

Jockey Oisin Murphy held the Coronation Stakes winner up in the early stages, seeking cover before pouncing as the race developed two furlongs from home. Trained by Andrew Balding, the 7/2 chance had too much in reserve for the 11/8 favorite Poetic Flare, who was trying to add to his 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes victories this season.

The winning distance was a length and three-quarters at the line, with Falmouth Stakes heroine Snow Lantern (6/1) running on late to take third and complete a clean sweep for 3-year-olds.

Winning owner Jeff Smith has enjoyed much success at the Qatar Goodwood Festival over the decades, most memorably with Chief Singer, who landed this race in 1984, Lochsong and Persian Punch.

Smith said: “I won my first Sussex Stakes 37 years ago – I had jet black hair and no worries in the world! I thought it was very easy and that I would come back and do it again.

“This filly is something else. The way she has won is simply incredible, I am thrilled to pieces. What a wonderful job Andrew and the whole team have done.

“It wasn't so much the opposition; I was more concerned that we did not have a repeat of the Falmouth where she got left in the lead having broken too well. She needs to get cover and something to aim at.

“Then she got bumped around and pushed back, but then the way she picked up showed what she really is. She is a champion – there is no question in my mind.”


Balding, who won the 2017 Sussex Stakes with outsider Here Comes When, said: “Maybe we got lucky with Here Comes When, although that was hugely rewarding, don't get me wrong.

“But this filly has already won two Group 1 races, so it was lovely to see her cement her place at the top of the tree.

“Oisin was at pains to try and tuck in and get some cover because she's so much better when you are able to do that and she has got something to aim at. Poetic Flare is a very good horse, but she really did it well in the end.

“I am sure there were hard luck stories, but I am sure she was the best horse on the day. It was lovely to see her do that because we have always believed in her. It is no easy task taking on the colts and older horses, and to do it in that style was just fantastic.”

Balding continued: “It is a privilege, it really is, watching her at home in the mornings. Cassia, who rides her every day, does a wonderful job as she tends to get a little highly strung. Watching her work is demoralizing for the other horses; we have to keep swapping the lead horse because she is just so, so good. You see her afterwards and she is hardly blowing – it is effortless really.

“She has looked very good right from her first bit of work, and we ran her on one bit of work. She had been cantering, we worked her once and thought we'd better run her. She went to Newbury and hosed up. She has been the victim of bad draws whenever she has run, to be honest.

“She probably would have won the Dick Poole, and, with a good draw, I think in the Guineas she would have gone close had she been drawn in the middle or to the far side. Anyway, I will take this over all of those!”

Regarding future targets, Balding added: “It was Jeff Smith's idea in the first place, and I don't think it's a bad idea, to put her in the International at York and we decided to keep her in at yesterday's forfeit stage.

“It might be asking a bit much, going a mile and a quarter, but she's a filly that has won three Group 1 races, so we have very little to lose.

“If it doesn't work, we'll regroup and go back to the mile race on Champions Day.”

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Murphy said: “I can't thank everyone at Park House enough. Alcohol Free really can be a handful in the mornings. Cassia has to deal with her every day and deserves a medal because she can be really tough work.

“Anyone who follows me on Instagram will see that, when I go to tack her up, she looks like she is going to bite or kick me. Then when you get near her, she is quite the opposite. She is a special character.

“Alcohol Free is so, so talented and what a thrill I got from that. I've won this race before on Lightning Spear and last year it all went wrong on Kameko. Day to day, you have to just keep kicking.

“Alcohol Free thrives on racing, and she felt super on Saturday; we only went four furlongs, but I was full of confidence to be honest, particularly when the rain came.

“I knew James Doyle would go forward on Century Dream but on his own terms and in his own rhythm. I knew Tilsit under Kieran Shoemark and Alcohol Free would fight for the same position. Unfortunately, she is 440kgs and Tilsit is probably 500kgs plus. I was never going to win that battle and was happy to come back and trust that Kieran would move at the right time and that I would be able to get out and slip into the race. The race really ran from when we turned into the straight and then it was a grind to the line.

“Jeff Smith has been an incredible supporter of horse racing for a long time. I don't know how many employees there are at Park House Stables, but they all play their part and this will mean the world to them.”

Una Manning, daughter of Jim Bolger, said of the runner-up: “Kevin [Manning] said for Poetic Flare that it was the same as France again. The ground just blunted his speed, and I would say the wind drying it out has just made the ground tacky.

“That was all that Kevin said – the ground. We were always going to turn up here, it was just unfortunate that the rain came. We were game to go and had to give it our best go.

“Poetic Flare has lost nothing in defeat. He loves his racing, loves his work. He's an easy horse to deal with and to travel. Bringing him over here wasn't going to be any sort of disadvantage to him even if the ground didn't turn out like he wanted.”

Kevin Manning said: “It was the same as in Paris. I was riding Poetic Flare a little bit behind the bridle from a long way down, whereas on good ground he is travelling into his races. I think the ground has just blunted him for speed. It is tacky, holding ground and there is no bounce in it.

“Poetic Flare has dug very deep and I thought for a few strides when Alcohol Free came by that he would shunt her back.

“He's won a 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace on good to quick ground. The runs that he hasn't lived up to have both come on soft ground.”

Snow Lantern's rider Jamie Spencer said: “The pace was only just OK. When they quickened at the three, I was caught a little flat-footed, but I hit the line very strong. Further won't be a problem.”

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