Day two of Glorious Goodwood on Wednesday will be headlined by the Qatar Sussex Stakes as Paddington aims to continue his domination for Aidan O’Brien this summer.
The colt has come up with all the answers so far and is going to be incredibly hard to topple based on form. It may not quite have a ‘Duel on the Downs’ feel to it, but multiple Group 1-winning miler Inspiral is the chief threat on paper in a six-runner Sussex Stakes.
Enda McElhinney assesses the big race and has selections for day two at Glorious Goodwood, where they race from 1.50-5.20 on Wednesday.
3.35 - Qatar Sussex Stakes
The big race has attracted a field of six but it could be a one-horse race as PADDINGTON dominates the market.
It has been a remarkable and meteoric rise for this Siyouni colt and he has taken an atypical route to the top given that he is trained by Aidan O’Brien.
An October maiden winner at the Curragh last season, he returned at Naas in late March to win a handicap off a mark of 97 and would return to the Curragh in May to bag a Listed race upped to a mile for the first time.
The Irish 2000 Guineas followed and, a few weeks later, the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot as he swept by Newmarket Guineas winner Chaldean to win decisively.
Some quibbled that the second had set that race up for him, but in the Eclipse at Sandown (1m2f, good) last time he had to fend off smart filly Emily Upjohn in a sustained battle late on.
He did so perhaps with more in hand than the winning margin suggested and despite edging right late in the race.
Back over the mile, we should anticipate he will have too much class for Aldaary, Facteur Cheval, Chindit and Charyn if he is anywhere near peak form.
If there is a danger to him then surely the filly Inspiral is the one for the Gosdens and Frankie Dettori.
The daughter of Frankel is a three-time Group 1-winning miler and her comeback in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot saw her denied only by an inspired Triple Time under Neil Callan.
She was essentially beaten fair and square there and, unlike that day, she will be conceding 4lb to this smart colt rather than getting weight.
Inspiral is absolutely top-notch on her day but has just become that little bit tougher to predict these days.
Dettori should give her every chance and it should be interesting, but Ryan Moore and Paddington may again have all the right answers.
3.00 - Jaeger-Lecoultre Molecomb Stakes (Group 3, 5f)
There is not a lot of value in Paddington’s price, but just over half an hour earlier KYLIAN could be a favourite worth getting with in the Molecomb Stakes.
The Invincible Spirit colt did not show much in his first two starts at York and Carlisle, but he had the hang of things in a Newcastle novice over this 5f trip in June, coming clear for a dominant four-length win.
After that, Karl Burke sent him to Sandown for the Listed Dragon Stakes in early July and it was another standout performance as he left his rivals trailing to the tune of six lengths in an impressive display.
Ryan Moore was in the plate for the first time in that contest and it is a major positive that he is the man on board again on this occasion. They weren’t slouches he beat at Sandown and there should be plenty more to come from this colt.
The presence of Windsor Castle winner Big Evs from the Mick Appleby team ought to see his price holding up and 7/4 is very fair.
Purosangue may help set the pace, which is a bonus for Kylian, but he faded from the front at Newmarket in a Group 2 on second start and the outsider worth noting could be Shagraan for Clive Cox with Jim Crowley on board.
The Sioux Nation colt won a Windsor novice in pleasing fashion on second start in July and has since finished second behind a big improver in a Listed contest at Newbury over six furlongs. He could be a contender for minor money once again.
4.10 - Alice Keppel Fillies’ Conditions Stakes (5f)
Another sprint on day two as a field of 13 two-year-olds tackle the Alice Keppel Fillies’ Conditions Stakes in search of a first prize upward of £38k.
They include recent winners Cotai Vision for Ed Walker and Harvanna for Karl Burke, as well as consistent Dapperling for Richard Hannon and Indispensable for William Haggas.
They all have chances, while Flora Of Bermuda had twice run well in defeat prior to finding things a bit hot in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot in June. She was far from disgraced there and Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy will be hopeful of a big showing on this occasion.
JUNIPER BERRIES is given a chance to shine for Eve Johnson Houghton. This daughter of Expert Eye made a winning start at Bath (5f, good to soft) in April and then came off second-best when clashing with Relief Rally in a Conditions contest at Salisbury the following month.
That form is strong, the winner doing all bar winning the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot afterwards before dispatching the Newbury Super Sprint field with aplomb last time.
Juniper Berries contested those same races and was beaten around four lengths in both outings. This filly has shown plenty of pace in her races and the five-furlong dash around could help her eke out further improvement on what could be favourable terms.
SELECTION: JUNIPER BERRIES @ 7/1
NEXT BEST: FLORA OF BERMUDA @ 5/1
