Paddington wins a superb Sussex Stakes as rain and wind hits Glorious Goodwood

Having started the season in a handicap, Paddington has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting horses in training, with today’s success coming on the back of G1 victories in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, St James’s Palace Stakes and Coral-Eclipse.

Dropping back to a mile, Ryan Moore decided to make his own running on the 4/9 favourite. Inspiral’s rider Frankie Dettori put it up to him early in the straight in an attempt to bag the stands’ rail but the multiple G1 winner could not live with the eventual winner and weakened soon after.

The main challenge ultimately came from French raider Facteur Cheval (11/1) but Paddington was relentless in front and scored decisively by a length and a half. Charyn (40/1) was three lengths further back in third.

O’Brien said: “Paddington is a very special horse. We were worried about the ground – even though he had won on heavy ground, not in this class of race. Ryan rode him for speed and held on to him and held on to him, but he was over the moon with him. A lot of people [contributed to this] and I am so delighted for them. We’re lucky to have him; he’s very special.”

Asked to compare Paddington to Giant’s Causeway, who won the Sussex Stakes in 2000 as part of a similarly bold campaign, O’Brien replied: “Paddington is much quicker than the Giant was; he’s tactically quick but he can quicken as well. The Giant was tactically quick and was dour after that. This horse can really turn it on when you have to, on all types of ground. He is unique. It will depend on what the lads want to do and we’ll talk to them after a week, but he’s got a lot of options. He could go to York, he could do anything. But he is very special, we think.

“With every race, he is getting heavier, which is very unusual, and he is getting calm. He is really trying. He is three or four kilos heavier today than he was the last day. And it is special that we have Peter [Brant] and Stephanie [Seymour] today that we didn’t have before with him.

“Ryan said it was far from ideal that he [Dettori on Inspiral] took him on so early, but he had to go with him. He was trying to wait as long as he could. That ground gets deep and it gets dangerous when you are in front as you are a sitting duck, always. When he got levelled up again, he went into a different zone.

“We love these big days and I am delighted that the lads are happy to run on them. York is a massive big festival as well. We will definitely look at it and consider it very seriously. We will have to see how he comes out of this – we weren’t expecting the ground to be as tough as it was today, but knowing the horse he could take it with a smile on his face.

“Tom [Magnier] mentioned something about Australia. But he could go anywhere or do anything. He has had a busy season. You run in any one top-level race and you know it, but he is doing them one after another. I thought he wanted good ground or better, because he’s quick, but he has handled the soft ground and he has won on heavy before. But when a horse can quicken like that you’d think he’d want good ground.”

Moore said: “It is a hard thing to say but he gives you the feel that he might be as good a horse as I have ridden. He is exceptional. And he has handled everything that we have put in front of him, whether it’s a mile, 10 [furlongs], good ground, soft. He is a straightforward horse who thrives on his racing. Someone asked me yesterday if he would go on this ground and I said ‘he would go on snow’.”

There had been rain overnight at Goodwood – though not as much as was forecast – and a steady band of rain, plus stiff winds, arrived before today’s race programme began and continued throughout the afternoon. The going was changed to soft before the first race.

Al Ghadeer (11/8) stamped his class on the G1 Qatar International Stakes (PA) as he sauntered clear of a quality field, extending his winning sequence to six in the process.

The four-year-old travelled strongly in the hands of Christophe Soumillon towards the far side and soon quickened away without coming off the bridle.

The winning distance of three and a quarter-lengths was in no way a reflection of the Francois Rohaut-trained colt’s dominance and it could easily have been more. First Class (7/1) plugged on take second, just ahead of the winner’s stable-mate Samlla (10/1) in third.

The Al Shaqab-owned winner, whose sire Al Mourtajez won this race in 2016, is now four from four in G1 Arabian races and looks by some distance the best Arabian-bred horse in the world.

The Goat (25/1) made a mockery of his opening handicap mark of 81 when trouncing his rivals in the 12-furlong Coral Handicap.

The Andrew Balding-trained victor had run well without success in maiden and novice company but, up in trip on softer ground, proved far too good as he forged clear to win by 12 lengths.

Runner-up Amleto, sent off the 5/2 favourite, had no answer when the winner went through the gears from the two-furlong pole, with Fox Journey (5/1) just over three lengths further back in third.

Magical Sunset (18/1) was revitalised on her favoured ground as she kicked in the turbos to bag the G3 Whispering Angel Oak Tree Stakes for Richard Hannon and Kevin Stott.

The Amo Racing-owned filly, who had her momentum checked momentarily as she mounted her challenge, produced a decisive late charge up the stands’ rail to score by three-quarters of a length.

Breege (4/1JF) was second in the Sandringham Handicap at Royal Ascot and filled the same position here, with Godolphin filly Dream Of Love (15/2) closing from the rear to take third.

Hannon landed this race in 2019 with Billesdon Brook, who went on to G1 success in that season’s Sun Chariot Stakes.

Big Evs (9/4JF) followed up his Windsor Castle Stakes success at Royal Ascot with a front-running victory in the G3 Jaeger-LeCoultre Molecomb Stakes, setting up a potential tilt at the G1 Nunthorpe Stakes later this month.

Trained by Mick Appleby, the Blue Point colt showed his customary speed from the stalls and that enabled Jason Hart to angle him over to the stands’ rail, which ultimately proved crucial.

Hart was keen not to give away the rail, which forced runner-up Purosangue to switch late on, and Big Evs stuck his neck out determinedly to prevail by a neck. The other 9/4JF Kylian was just over a length further back in third.

Flora Of Bermuda (5/1) turned the British EBF 40th Anniversary Alice Keppel Fillies' Conditions Stakes into a procession as she stormed clear up the stands’ rail to score by four lengths.

The daughter of Dark Angel made light of her low draw [2] to get into a challenging position and, when Oisin Murphy pushed the button, she quickened up strikingly to open her account at the fourth time of asking.

Juniper Berries (11/2) was best of the rest, with Indispensable (15/2) a further three lengths back in third. The win completed a double on the day for trainer Andrew Balding, who took the opening Coral Handicap with The Goat.

Proven soft-ground performer There’s The Door (13/2) utilised her superior stamina reserves to win in the 10-furlong British European Breeders Fund EBF Fillies' Handicap.

Dropping down from 12 furlongs and with a soft ground success already on her CV, the David Evans-trained filly outstayed the opposition late on to score by half a length under Richard Kingscote.

Persist (9/1) came from the rear to snatch second from 7/4 favourite La Isla Mujeres, who appeared to be in pole position two furlongs out before tiring late on.

Rhoscolyn sent favourite backers home happy in the concluding seven-furlong World Pool Handicap, with the victory taking his record at Goodwood to two wins and three placed efforts from six starts.

Sent off the 2/1 market leader, David O’Meara’s five-year-old moved into contention under Oisin Murphy before gradually grinding his way past long-time leader Wobwobwob (10/1) to win by a length. Isla Kai (5/1) was five lengths further back in third.

Here is how Tuesday’s racing unfolded and here is a gallery of 37 pictures from the opening day.

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