A thrilling third clash
between Dawn Approach and Toronado, the top two European
three-year-old milers, remains likely in the QIPCO Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood
on Wednesday, July 31.
Dawn Approach, trained in
Ireland by Jim Bolger for Godolphin, had Toronado seven and a half lengths back
in fourth when the impressive winner of the first British Classic, the Group
One QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, over a mile on May 4.
There were excuses put
forward that day for Toronado, owned by His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad
al Thani and trained by Richard Hannon in Wiltshire.
After everything went
wrong in the 12-furlong Investec Derby at Epsom Downs on June 1, Dawn Approach
returned to a mile in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and had a
short-head to spare over Toronado in a thrilling finish after both colts
overcame interference to race to the line.
Toronado will be trying to
make it third time lucky in the £300,000 Group One QIPCO Sussex Stakes,
Goodwood's top race of the year, which has 26 contenders going forward after
yesterday's scratchings' stage, with the details released today.
Frankel, the highest-rated
horse anybody has seen, won the most recent two runnings of the QIPCO Sussex
Stakes in tremendous style, without being troubled by rivals.
He beat the Hannon-trained
Canford Cliffs easily by five lengths in 2011 when the race was first marketed
as the "Duel on the Downs".
Seamus Buckley, clerk of
the course at Goodwood Racecourse, commented today: "It would be great to
get Dawn Approach and Toronado among the runners for the QIPCO Sussex Stakes -
a second "Duel on the Downs" following on from Frankel and Canford
Cliffs two years ago.
"We have started
watering because it has been extremely hot. We are watering at night to
maximise the effect.
"I am happy with the
way the course has recovered from the early-season racing."
Buckley commenced watering
on Monday (July 8) to keep some moisture in the ground and maintain grass
growth.
Adam Waterworth, managing
director of Goodwood Racecourse, reported strong demand for Glorious Goodwood.
He said today:
"Advance bookings for the five days of Glorious Goodwood are ahead of last
year at this stage which is encouraging.
"We had been
expecting the second day, Wednesday, July 31, to fall away slightly just
because the amazing Frankel is retired and won't be running in the QIPCO Sussex
Stakes.
"If we get the race
we all want in this year's QIPCO Sussex Stakes, Dawn Approach versus Toronado,
then maybe we will have an attendance to bear comparison to the Frankel years
which would be wonderful and unexpected."
Dominic Gardiner-Hill, the
British Horseracing Authority handicapper responsible for milers, is eagerly
looking forward to another Dawn Approach/Toronado clash.
He asked: "Is anybody
else getting a slight sense of "déjà vu" with the personal duel that
is starting to develop between this year's top three-year-old milers Dawn
Approach and Toronado?
"Remember 2008 when
Henrythenavigator beat Raven's Pass in the 2000 Guineas, the St James's Palace
Stakes and again in the Sussex Stakes - on each occasion by a smaller margin
than the previous run - only for John Gosden's colt to finally wrench away the
miling crown from his old adversary in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot
in October.
"I wonder if a
similar scenario is due to be played out in front of us this summer. Back to
mile after the Derby debacle, Dawn Approach (124+) landed the St James's Palace
by a short-head from Richard Hannon's colt (123+) to take the personal score
between them to 2-0 but boy did Toronado make the winner work hard and many
felt he was an unlucky loser.
"Both suffered
interference when Glory Awaits ducked left two furlongs out but some felt
Toronado got the worst of it.
"A performance figure
of 124+ for Dawn Approach was the second highest posted in the Royal Ascot race
since the turn of the century with only Shamardal's 125 when winning the race
at York in 2005 being higher, while Toronado's figure of 123 would have been
good enough to win eight of the previous 10 runnings of the race.
"They are two high
class colts and will hopefully both turn up fit and well for the Sussex Stakes
at Goodwood for Round Three!"
Dawn Approach gained the
European Champion Two-Year-Old title last season when unbeaten and his race
record reads eight victories from nine starts.
Toronado is more
lightly-raced, having won on his first four starts before the two defeats
inflicted by Dawn Approach.
Godolphin has three other
possible runners in the QIPCO Sussex Stakes on July 31, dual Group One winner Sajjhaa,
three-year-old Tawhid and the year older Fulbright, all trained
by Saeed bin Suroor. Dawn Approach's stable companion Leitir Mor, who
has acted as a pacemaker previously, also goes forward.
Toronado's owner also has
stable companion Olympic Glory, three quarters of a length second to
Dawn Approach in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot last year, with the other
Richard Hannon entries being dual Group Two winner Trumpet Major and Havana
Gold, successful in the Group One Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly last time
out.
Ireland's champion trainer
Aidan O'Brien is responsible for six going forward, led by Declaration
Of War, winner of the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot and second to Al
Kazeem in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park last weekend. The
four-year-old is being aimed at the QIPCO Sussex Stakes.
O'Brien's other hopefuls
are 2012 Group One St James's Palace Stakes victor Most Improved, 2013
Coral-Eclipse fourth Mars, Jersey Stakes winner Gale Force Ten, Reply
and lightly-raced Darwin.
Just The Judge, successful in the Irish
1,000 Guineas, and the consistent six year-old Red Jazz could represent
trainer Charlie Hills.
Roger Varian's Aljamaaheer
and the John Gosden-trainedpair of Gregorian and Elusive Kate
finished second, third and fourth respectively in the Queen Anne Stakes, with Trade
Storm (David Simcock) fifth on his European reappearance.
The QIPCO Sussex Stakes is
part of the British Champions Series.
Glorious Goodwood takes
place from Tuesday, July 30 through to Saturday, August 3 inclusive at the
world's most beautiful racecourse and is an intoxicating mix of high-class
horseracing, fashion and social occasion.
THE QIPCO
SUSSEX STAKES
Class 1,
Group 1, £300,000 Total Prize Fund. Part of the QIPCO British
Champions Series. Goodwood, Wednesday, July 31, 2013. For 3yo+, one mile.
Weights: 3yo colts and geldings 8st 13lb; 3yo fillies 8st 10lb; 4yo+ colts and
geldings 9st 7lb; 4yo+ fillies and mares 9st 4lb. Entries closed May 28,
entries revealed May 29 (49 entries), scratchings deadline July 9 (26 remain),
six-day confirmation and £19,500 supplementary entry stage July 25, final
declaration stage 10.00am, July 29. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are
correct up to and including the racing of Monday, July 8.
Form
Horse Age Owner Trainer
1333-232 ALJAMAAHEER
(IRE) 4-9-07 Hamdan Al Maktoum Roger Varian
(1)/41(1)-1512
DECLARATION OF WAR (USA) 4-9-07 Sue Magnier/Michael Tabor/Derrick
Smith/Joe Allen Aidan O'Brien IRE
61-(3)(2)30
FULBRIGHT 4-9-07 Godolphin Saeed bin
Suroor
5333-1330
GABRIAL (IRE) 4-9-07 Dr Marwan Koukash
Richard Fahey
32012-213
GREGORIAN (IRE) 4-9-07 H RH Princess Haya of Jordan
John Gosden
(1)(1)-(2)(2)21
GUEST OF HONOUR (IRE) 4-9-07 Giuliano Manfredini Marco
Botti
3/01000-3
MOST IMPROVED (IRE) 4-9-07 Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael
Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE
022-(0)(0)332
RED JAZZ (USA) 6-9-07 The Hon Ronald Arculli
Charles Hills
006-(0)021500
REPLY (IRE) 4-9-07 Sue
Magnier/Tabor/Smith/Mordukhovitch Aidan O'Brien IRE
13-01145 TRADE
STORM 5-9-07 Qatar Racing Limited David
Simcock
0150-100 TRUMPET
MAJOR (IRE) 4-9-07 John Manley Richard Hannon
0/21323-4
ELUSIVE KATE (USA) 4-9-04 Teruya Yoshida
John Gosden
2-11114
SAJJHAA 6-8-13 Godolphin Saeed bin
Suroor
(1)(4)-1
DARWIN (USA) 3-8-13 Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael
Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE
11111-101
DAWN APPROACH (IRE) 3-8-13 Godolphin Jim
Bolger IRE
463-(1)421
GALE FORCE TEN 3-8-13 Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue
Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE
3412-104 GARSWOOD
3-8-13 David Armstrong & Cheveley Park Stud Richard Fahey
0344-325 GLORY
AWAITS (IRE) 3-8-13 Ahmad Abdulla Al Shaikh & Co
Kevin Ryan
112-2541 HAVANA
GOLD (IRE) 3-8-13 Qatar Racing Limited & CSH Richard
Hannon
132-60010
LEITIR MOR (IRE) 3-8-13 Jackie Bolger Jim
Bolger IRE
(1)-6634 MARS
(IRE) 3-8-13 Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier
Aidan O'Brien IRE
2111-10
OLYMPIC GLORY (IRE) 3-8-13 HE Sh Joaan Bin Hamad Al
Thani Richard Hannon
03136-0165
PEARL FLUTE (IRE) 3-8-13 Qatar Racing
Limited Francis-Henri Graffard FR
0211-433 TAWHID
3-8-13 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
111-142
TORONADO (IRE) 3-8-13 HE Sh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani
Richard Hannon
111-213
JUST THE JUDGE (IRE) 3-8-10 Qatar Racing Limited & Sangster
Family Charlie Hills
THE
FOLLOWING 23 ENTRIES HAVE BEEN SCRATCHED: AFONSO DE SOUSA (USA), BEAUTY
PARLOUR, CASPAR NETSCHER, CRISTOFORO COLOMBO (USA), CUSTOM CUT (IRE), EBN ARAB
(USA), FARHH, FLOTILLA (FR), FORT KNOX, GEORGE VANCOUVER (USA), HANKY PANKY
(IRE), JUST PRETENDING (USA), MAGICIAN (IRE), MAPUTO, MOONWALK IN PARIS (FR),
MOTH (IRE), MSHAWISH (USA), PEDRO THE GREAT (USA), PRODUCER, SIDE GLANCE, SNOW
QUEEN (IRE), SOVEREIGN DEBT (IRE), WHAT A NAME (IRE)
26
entries remain after July 9 scratchings deadline
8
Irish-trained
1
French-trained
BETFAIR
CELEBRATION MILE
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