Kingman Crowned At Sussex Stakes?

The showpiece event on day two of Glorious Goodwood is the Group 1 Sussex Stakes over 1m (3.05) in which the punters have been all over one horse – Kingman, who looks set to start at odds of around 1/2.

John Gosden’s 3yo has been in high demand since winning the Group 1 St James’s Palace House Stakes at Royal Ascot last month (1m, good), where Godolphin’s, Outstrip, was beaten just over 3l.

A comfortable 2l winner over the 2,000 Guineas winner, Night Of Thunder, Kingman took his record to 5-6 on that occasion, in the process following-up his 5l win in the Irish 2,000 Guineas.

Both victories without doubt make him the one to beat on Wednesday, and the omens are on his side too, as seven of the last Sussex winners won the St James’s Palace House Stakes, while of the last six odds-on favourites to have attempted to win this race, five triumphed.

But, with the Richard Hannon yard having won two of the last four Sussex’s, Toronado (15/8), will provide a stiff test in his defence of the race he won by 1/2l from Dawn Approach 12 months ago.

The evidence shown on this 4yo’s reappearance last month when landing the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot (1m, good), is that Toronado will not roll over easily.

It was a victory that sent out a message to Kingman that he will need to be at his best to win on Wednesday, and the fact nine Sussex winners since 1997 made the top four in the Queen Anne also gives Toronado’s followers hope of an upset.

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Of the last 18 Sussex Stakes winners…

All 18 ran during the last two months.
All 18 made the top two last time.
17 made the top four at Royal Ascot – nine in the Queen Anne Stakes, and seven in the St James’s Palace Stakes; the exception won the Jersey Stakes.
16 won over 1m.
16 made the top two of a Group 1 that season – those from the Lockinge in May are respected, while a career Group win was vital.
Aidan O’Brien had four winners, while Godolphin and the Hannon yard sent out three apiece.

Aidan O’Brien knows what it takes to land the Sussex, and will be hoping War Command can bounce back to his juvenile form having flopped three times this year, though Darwin has a bit to do if troubling the main protagonists, having been held 1l in a Group 3 a few weeks back.

Recommended Bets
This looks simply to be a showdown between Kingman and Toronado, but with odds-on shots boasting such a good record in the Sussex,

Kingman ticks all the boxes and can make it a sixth victory in the race for the Classic generation during the last seven years.