A superb field of 10 goes to post in the £1-million Group One Qatar Sussex Stakes, the highlight of the Qatar Goodwood Festival, on Wednesday.
A trio of three-year-old colts headline the field in the mile race - 2000 Guineas hero Galileo Gold (Hugo Palmer/Frankie Dettori), French 2,000 Guineas scorer The Gurkha (Aidan O'Brien/Ryan Moore) and Awtaad (Kevin Prendergast/Chris Hayes), successful in the Irish 2,000 Guineas when defeating Galileo Gold by two and a half lengths.
The three colts were last seen out in the G1 St James's Palace Stakes, also over a mile, at Royal Ascot on June 14, when Galileo Gold came out on top by a length and a quarter from The Gurkha, with Awtaad a further half-length back in third.
Five-year-old Toormore (Richard Hannon/James McDonald) bids for a third Qatar Goodwood Festival success following wins in the 2013 G2 Vintage Stakes and 2015 G2 Lennox Stakes, both over seven furlongs. His owner Godolphin is also represented by three-year-old Ribchester (Richard Fahey/James Doyle), successful in the seven-furlong G3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, and four-year-old Richard Pankhurst (John Gosden/Andrea Atzeni). Richard Fahey also runs seven-year-old Gabrial (Jimmy Fortune), third in the 2012 and 2015 renewals of the Qatar Sussex Stakes.
Four-year-old Kodi Bear (Clive Cox/Adam Kirby) is a winner over the course and distance, having taken the G2 Celebration Mile in August last year, while five-year-old Lightning Spear (David Simcock/Oisin Murphy) made an excellent reappearance when third in the G1 Queen Anne Stakes over the straight mile at Royal Ascot. Six-year-old So Beloved (David O'Meara/Danny Tudhope), winner of the seven-furlong G3 Supreme Stakes at Goodwood in 2015, completes the line-up.
This is the highest number of runners for the Qatar Sussex Stakes since 12 went to post in 2005.
Exciting two-year-old action comes courtesy of the £75,000 Victoria Racing Club Molecomb Stakes (3.45pm, 12 runners) over the minimum trip of five furlongs. The field is headed by Listed winners Global Applause (Ed Dunlop/Frankie Dettori), Rapacity Alexander (David Evans/John Egan) and The Last Lion (Mark Johnston/Franny Norton), who was also runner-up in the G2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.
There are a number of exciting maiden winners in the line-up, including Kyllang Rock (James Tate/Andrea Atzeni). The Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum-owned Kyllachy colt was fourth on his debut at Yarmouth behind subsequent Listed Windsor Castle Stakes winner Ardad on June 8 before scoring readily at Windsor on July 11.
Newmarket-based Tate said today: "Kyllang Rock came from the breeze-up sales at Ascot and has always shown loads of speed.
"He showed us plenty of ability at home but his first race was a bit hard to gauge as he clipped heels and stumbled. We know it was a good race though, as the form has worked out.
"We couldn't have been more pleased with his win at Windsor. He did it in a very fast time. Both the five and six furlong maidens that day were won in very fast times and Tis Marvellous, who won the six-furlong maiden, won the Prix Robert Papin yesterday. So there is a Group Two winner come out of the same Windsor card and we will try and win a Group Three race on Wednesday.
"He likes fast, good ground which hopefully we will get on Wednesday. We will find out how good he is then."
Wednesday also sees the G3 £100,000 Bering Ice Gordon Stakes (2.35pm, nine runners) over a mile and a half, a recognised trial for the final Classic of the season, the Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster. Four of the nine declared runners also hold St Leger entries - Goldmember (David Simcock/Oisin Murphy), Harrison (Mick Channon/Sivestre De Sousa), Prize Money (Saeed bin Suroor/James Doyle) and The Major General (Adian O'Brien).
Sir Michael Stoute has two contenders with Ulysses (Andrea Atzeni), who is bidding to bounce back from a disappointing run in the Investec Derby, and Platitude (Frankie Dettori), runner-up in the G3 Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket on July 7.
Irish raider Qatari Hunter (Jim Bolger/Kevin Manning) steps up to Pattern company following four impressive handicap wins.
Day two of the Qatar Goodwood Festival opens with the longest race of the week, the £50,000 Matchbook Betting Exchange Handicap (2.00pm, 20 runners) over two miles and five furlongs.
Completing Wednesday's action are the £20,000 Markel Insurance Fillies' Maiden (4.20pm, 20 runners), the £30,000 EBF Veuve Clicquot Fillies' Handicap (4.55pm, 10 runners) and the concluding £20,000 NatWest Handicap (5.25pm, 20 runners).
