Without Parole heads up entries for Sussex Stakes at Goodwood

Without Parole and Gustav Klimt feature among 25 remaining entries for Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on August 1.

The £1million contest is the highlight of the five-day Qatar Goodwood Festival and the acceptors for all of the early-closing Pattern races have been revealed following the scratchings deadline. John Gosden’s Without Parole is the hot favourite for the Sussex after extending his unbeaten record to four in last month’s St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. The Aidan O’Brien-trained Gustav Klimt was just half a length behind Without Parole at the Royal meeting and the pair could renew rivalries at Goodwood. Gustav Klimt subsequently finished third in last weekend’s Prix Jean Prat at Deauville.

O’Brien has seven contenders in all, with Lockinge heroine Rhododendron and dual Group One winners Happily and Hydrangea still engaged, along with Deauville, Clemmie and Threeandfourpence. Other notable entries include the Godolphin-owned pair of Benbatl and Wootton and Andre Fabre’s Orbaan. The latter, owned by Prince Faisal, has won two of his three starts including a Listed event at Saint-Cloud on his most recent appearance.

The six-day confirmation and £75,000 supplementary entry stage for the Sussex Stakes is on Thursday, July 26.

The highlight on day one of the Glorious meeting is the Goodwood Cup, for which 17 horses have stood their ground. The headline act is last year’s winner Stradivarius. Gosden’s Gold Cup hero is chasing the WH Stayers’ Million, a bonus of £1 million offered by Weatherbys Hamilton which will be awarded to the horse who wins one of four prep races in May followed by the Gold Cup, the Goodwood Cup and the Lonsdale Cup at York. Also going forward are O’Brien’s Order Of St George, Torcedor from Jessica Harrington’s yard and the Queen’s Call To Mind, trained by William Haggas.

There are 37 remaining entries in the £300,000 Qatar Lennox Stakes, including the last two winners of the race in Dutch Connection and Breton Rock respectively. Tip Two Win and Expert Eye are also in the mix. 

Eighteen fillies and mares are in the £600,000 Qatar Nassau Stakes. The 1000 Guineas winner Billesdon Brook, Oaks heroine Forever Together and recent Pretty Polly victor Urban Fox are among the hopefuls.

Last year’s brilliant winner Battaash is one of 25 sprinters going forward for the King George Qatar Stakes, along with Goodwood regular Take Cover, the winner in 2014 and 2016.