One of the next big meetings in the UK this summer is Glorious Goodwood, which features 13 Group races across five days – including three Group One contests.
Here is a look at three horses to watch at the Sussex meeting each year.
Battaash – King George Stakes
Defending champion Battaash is set to return in the King George Stakes, where he will be looking to become the first horse to win the race for a third time. Charles Hills’ runner was second in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot last month behind Blue Point, who has now retired from the sport.
The absence of Blue Point gives Battaash the opportunity to prove he is the best sprinter in Europe once again, and his first step in doing that is the King George Stakes. Goodwood is a course he clearly enjoys running at, so expect the five-year-old to produce his best form again to make history at the meeting.
King of Comedy – Sussex Stakes
One of the most fascinating and competitive races at Glorious Goodwood this year in the Group One Sussex Stakes which is the feature race on day two of the meeting. King of Comedy tops the horse racing betting at 4/1 to win the 1m contest, where connections will be hoping their runner can go one place better than the St James’s Palace Stakes. The British horse was denied victory at Royal Ascot by just a neck behind Circus Maximus.
King of Comedy has been of the most consistent milers in Europe this season. He started out at Yarmouth, where he justified favouritism to claim a novice contest under the hands of Frankie Dettori. Connections then opted to step their horse up in class to a Listed race at Sandown and he rewarded them with success to enhance his reputation. He now has the chance to become a Group One winner at Goodwood and on the basis of what he achieved this season in the division, he is the one they all have to beat.
Stradivarius – Goodwood Cup
No horse has dominated a division like Stradivarius over the last couple of years. The five-year-old won his seventh straight race at Royal Ascot in the Ascot Gold Cup where he didn’t get a clear run but was still able to overcome traffic to defend his title.
John Gosden now has his eyes on the Goodwood Cup for his talented stayer, the race he won in 2018 for the second consecutive year. If successful, he will join Double Trouble as one of only two horses to have claimed a hat-trick in the 2m contest.
What makes the Goodwood Cup so interesting this year is that Stradivarius will be taking on the Queen Alexandra Stakes winner Cleonte for the first time which presents a new challenge for the champion stayer.
As always with Glorious Goodwood, it going to be a fantastic week of racing and fashion. It all gets underway on 30 July for day one of the meeting, with the Lennox Stakes being the traditional curtain raiser.
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.