Spillway
goes on trial for St Leger in Neptune Investment Management Gordon Stakes
Seven horses will go to
post in the highlight of Glorious Goodwood, the thrilling £300,000 QIPCO Sussex
Stakes (3.05pm) over a mile on Wednesday, July 31, day two of five days of
fantastic racing.
The 2013 QIPCO Sussex
Stakes sees the much-anticipated "Duel on the Downs" between the
exceptional three-year-old colts Dawn Approach (Jim Bolger) and Toronado
(Richard Hannon).
So far the score is
two-nil to Godolphin's Dawn Approach, with the son of New Approach taking the
first British Classic, the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, at Newmarket on May 4 with
Toronado a below-par fourth. However, the margin was much reduced last time out
when just a short-head separated the pair in the St James's Palace Stakes at
Royal Ascot on June 18.
Declaration Of War (Aidan O'Brien) is sure
to provide stiff opposition to the two three-year-olds, having taken the Group
One Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. The four-year-old reverts to a mile after
being runner-up in the 10-furlong Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park last time out.
Also set to line up in the
QIPCO Sussex Stakes are Gregorian (John Gosden), third behind
Declaration Of War at Royal Ascot, and Trade Storm (David Simcock),
fifth in the same race. Likely pacemakers Leitir Mor (Jim Bolger) and
Reply (Aidan O'Brien) complete the terrific field.
Day two of Glorious
Goodwood also features the £75,000 Group Two Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes
(3.40pm) over seven furlongs for two-year-olds. Goodwood's leading trainer
Richard Hannon has taken the last three renewals of the prestigious contest and
has two runners this year. Toormore, the mount of Richard Hughes, won
his only start at Leicester on May 28, while Expert, partnered by Pat
Dobbs, landed a maiden at Newmarket last time out on his third outing.
Godolphin's new trainer
Charlie Appleby is represented by Outstrip, a winner on debut at
Newmarket, while Group Two Coventry Stakes runner-up Parbold lines up
for Richard Fahey. Lanark (Mark Johnston), Recanted (Brian
Meehan) and Rosso Corsa (Mick Channon) complete the line-up.
The third Pattern race on
day two of Glorious Goodwood is the £75,000 Group Three Neptune Investment
Management Gordon Stakes (2.30pm) over a mile and half for three-year-olds,
which this year has moved from the first day with a new sponsor and boosted
prize money. It is an established trial for the final Classic of the season,
the Ladbrokes St Leger, and six of the seven declared runners also hold entries
for the Doncaster event.
These include the Eve
Johnson Houghton-trained Spillway, who was seen out most recently when
enduring a torrid run in the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot on June 20,
finishing10th, beaten just over four lengths. Earlier in the season he
completed a three-timer, with two victories on the Polytrack at Kempton and the
other on turf at Sandown.
Johnson Houghton said
today: "Spillway has come out of Ascot really well. I think he was very
unlucky in the King George V.
"He just needs a bit
of space to go through the gears. That's why we are going for a better race
with less runners rather than returning to big fields as we don't want to meet
with traffic problems like we did at Ascot because that is so frustrating.
"There is definitely
more to come from him. Just look at how close he was to Hillstar at Newbury
(two and a half lengths third on May 18), and that shows we've got every right
to be in the Gordon Stakes.
"I'm hopeful, very
hopeful, of him running well on Wednesday.
"We will see how he
gets on at Goodwood before thinking about the St Leger."
The other St Leger entries
set to run in the Neptune Investment Management Gordon Stakes include
Godolphin's pair of Cap O'Rushes (Charlie Appleby), who was fourth in
the Irish Derby, and Secret Number (Saeed bin Suroor), who was last seen
out when a staying-on fourth in the Group Three Tercentenary Stakes at Royal
Ascot. Excess Knowledge (John Gosden) began the year with an encouraging
third in the Listed Gala Stakes at Sandown and Havana Beat (Andrew
Balding) was an unlucky third in the Group Three Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket.
Day two of Glorious
Goodwood begins with the longest race of the meeting, the £40,000 UBS Goodwood
Handicap (1.55pm, 20 runners) over a marathon two miles and five furlongs, and
also includes the £20,000 Markel Insurance Fillies' Maiden (4.15pm, 14
runners), the £17,500 British Stallion Studs Turf Club EBF Fillies' Handicap
(4.50pm, 16 runners) and the concluding £17,500 Harwoods Racing Club Handicap
(5.25pm, 20 runners).
About Glorious Goodwood
The five-day festival this
year runs from Tuesday, July 30 until Saturday, August 3 and is certain to be
the highlight of the season. It is the perfect place to enjoy everything that
is British and sums up what summer should be. It is the place to be and be
seen. The fashion is elegant and floaty, Goodwood heritage with a dash of
panache. Ladies and Gentleman dress in the latest fashions and gather shade
from their hats and Panamas.
The meeting, held at the
most beautiful racecourse, has always attracted the very best performers from
the international world of horseracing such as Frankel, who graced the Downs
for the last two years to the delight of racegoers who come from far and wide
to experience the unique atmosphere.
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