Gleneagles and Solow headed for a Sussex Stakes Showdown

American Pharoah may have brought the American racing scene to its highest peaks in years, but there’s two maturing superstars in Europe that have already been drawing comparisons to some of the greatest turf horses the sport has ever seen. As is the case with any racing demographic, the anticipation of the test of an ambitious and headstrong youngster versus his seasoned upperclassmen is something that makes the Sussex Stakes such an exciting mark on the English flat racing calendar.

This race has a tradition of being the first matchup of younger and older generations, and perhaps the best edition in recent memory was when Sir Henry Cecil’s undefeated Frankel took on Canford Cliffs in 2011. Dubbed the “Dual on the Downs,” both horses looked to be unstoppable, and had easily dispatched every rival brave enough to enter the starting gate with them. The undefeated Frankel had left no reason for hesitation leading up to the Sussex, and Canford Cliffs had shown he was a class above the rest of Europe, including the French wonder mare, Goldikova, when he defeated her in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The race would prove to be the foundation of Frankel’s inevitable immortality as he ended all doubt to the question of who was the best horse in the English Isles. Frankel’s turn of foot in the final 2 furlongs left Canford Cliffs gasping for air, veering off course, and looking pedestrian. Giving everything in defeat it unfortunately marked the end of his career when an injury was discovered shortly after the race. Frankel had literally run his best opposition out of the sport.

Closing in on this year’s edition we again have the matchup of an extremely talented 3-year-old and his elder monarch. Gleneagles has strung together one of the finest young careers since Frankel, but unfortunately for him, he has been slightly overshadowed by the unbelievably impressive Golden Horn. Gleneagles may not quite be dawning comparisons to the mighty Frankel just yet, but the classic winner Golden Horn is definitely being measured against Sea the Stars. Experts and fans will never likely agree as to whether Sea The Stars or Frankel should be higher in the ranks of history, but the fact that two current horses can even started to be mentioned with those legends just shows how good they are.

Undefeated Golden Horn has already defeated his elders once in the Coral Eclipse, and will likely line up again in the King George which is to be run a few days prior to the Sussex Stakes. If Golden Horn is successful in the King George, he will be one of only four horses in history to win the Epsom Derby, the Coral-Eclipse, and the King George as a three-year-old. Not even the aforementioned Sea The Stars achieved that feat, although to be fair, he didn’t attempt it, and did end his stellar career by winning the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Don’t let the giant’s shadow cast by Golden Horn distract you from the talent of Gleneagles. He’s a beast, and at distances up to a mile, Gleneagles has proven to be untouchable since his lone defeat in his racing debut over a year ago. His 2015 season opener was in the first race of the English Triple Crown series in the 2000 Guineas where he put away 17 rivals to win by a widening margin.

Next up was the Irish 2000 Guineas where he had to work slightly harder, but still made his peers look lower class as he cruised to the lead with 100 yards to go and went on to win nicely. Carrying his form into Royal Ascot, trainer Aiden O’Brian had his charge ready to fire. He did not disappoint as he decimated a fine field of milers. Galileo continues to produce top class offspring year after year, and this horse may prove to be his finest progeny since the mighty Frankel several years ago.

Not to be outdone by his younger foe, the Freddy Head trained Solow has strung together a perfect 2015. The five-year-old gelded son of Singspiel has proven a class above the world at distances of 8 to 10 furlongs. He’s turned in one of the finest performances on the planet this year in the Dubai Turf, and showed his grit in the recent Queen Anne at Royal Ascot. Being a gelding, Solow is restricted from many of the shorter distance stakes in his native France, so trainer Head is pointing him toward Goodwood in hope of soft turf in the upcoming Sussex.

Over the past 13 months, Gleneagles and Solow have combined for 15 wins in their last 16 starts with 8 of those coming at the G1 level. Others that look possible for the race are the Lockinge Stakes top two Night of Thunder and Toormore, and Royal Ascot winners War Envoy and Cable Bay. As America is preparing for the return of our Triple Crown Champion in the Haskell on August 2, the world may be looking elsewhere as the titans of Europe descend on Goodwood Racecourse for what will likely be a classic faceoff.