Glorious Goodwood is one of the highlights of the flat season and the Group 1 Sussex Stakes is shaping up to be one of the best races of the campaign. Nine top-class entries hold their ground for the 2020 renewal.
Won by the likes of Rip Van Winkle, Canford Cliffs, Toronado, Kingham, Solow and Too Darn Hot in recent years, the Sussex Stakes has always been for the classiest milers. Since 2008, it has gone to the favourite on eight occasions, five times at odds on.
This year’s Sussex will be no different, as the top three-year-olds take on the older horses in a titanic tussle. Although it will be just the nine runners, we couldn’t have asked for a better field. With a Classic winner and Royal Ascot scorer headling the field, the excitement can start to build in earnest.
Unbeaten in his first five starts, Ger Lyon’s will be hoping that Siskin can maintain his unbeaten record. Ending his juvenile campaign with a Group 1 success at the Curragh, stepping up to the mile on return worked wonders. He defeated Vatican City to win the Irish 2000 Guineas in a scintillating performance and the best is yet to come.
There has understandably been a huge amount of excitement surrounding him and this is the first time he takes on his elders. Winning this would cement Siskin as a terrifying prospect moving forward and there can be plenty of optimism he’ll do so.
Dual Group 1 winner Kameko didn’t quite get home in the Derby and get his chance for retribution on the Sussex Downs. Prior to that run at Epsom, he landed the 2000 Guineas at the expense of a reopposing Wichita. The fact he was sent off Derby favourite speaks volumes about his ability and back at the mile, the sky is the limit.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that Mohaather was perhaps the unluckiest horse at Royal Ascot in June. He tanked his way through the Queen Anne but was never able to get a split, finishing with a full tank of petrol. He went some way to making amends when returning to Ascot to decimate the Summer Mile field in a sparkling performance. He’s another exciting prospect who could add some late drama with a power-packed finish.
Aidan O’Brien has won the race five times and is edging towards Sir Henry Cecil’s record of seven. He has four potential chances with just a week to go and the biggest looks to be Circus Maximus. He grabbed a third win at Group 1 level when landing the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot on seasonal debut. He held Mohaather on that occasion, but given how luckless that horse was, can he hold him back this time?
Wichita has very much been the bridesmaid throughout his career, going close in a pair of Group 1s this season. Beaten a neck by Kameko and going down by a length in the St James’s Palace, he wouldn’t need to improve much to threaten.