The Group 1 Sussex Stakes is a 1m race for horses aged 3 years and above. The 3-year-olds carry 9st2 and the older horses 9st10 – so let’s dive into tomorrow’s racecard.
The big question is whether anyone can take down Field Of Gold (4/11), who many argue is the best 3-year-old in training. He’s way clear on our THM Score last time out, posting 889 with his majestic victory in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot last month. Chasing him home was Henri Matisse (7/1), who only managed to close the winning margin to 3 and a half lengths.
Henri Matisse was awarded 829 for this performance, but he does have more in the locker having posted 872 in his 2nd to last run when winning at Longchamp on Good ground. The ground is set to be Good tomorrow so this should suit him more than the Good To Firm ground at Royal Ascot.
Rosallion (9/2) also has some solid scores to his name, posting his personal best of 848 at Royal Ascot last year. He’s yet to reach these heights this season and will be carrying 8lbs more than both Field Of Gold and Henri Matisse tomorrow.
There is minimal course form on offer, with only Docklands (20/1) and outsider Qirat (125/1), who is 2 from 2 at the track, having run at Goodwood before. Qirat’s wins were both over 7f and against much weaker opposition. Despite the lack of course form among the market leaders, the distance and ground conditions of tomorrow’s race shouldn’t cause any major issues for them.
While Colin Keane is serving out his 14-day ban, William Buick will be onboard Field Of Gold for the first time tomorrow. He’s striking at 20% at Goodwood in the last 12 months, but the standout is Ryan Moore who is striking at 31%. He takes the ride on Henri Matisse tomorrow.