Churchill, Ribchester Head Sussex Stakes Entries

Photo: Kaz Ishida / Eclipse Sportswire

Europe's top milers Churchill and Ribchester star among 40 entries for the £1-million Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on Wednesday, August 2, details of which are revealed today.
 
The G1 Qatar Sussex Stakes is the richest race and highlight of the five-day Qatar Goodwood Festival, which in 2017 runs from Tuesday, August 1, through to Saturday, August 5.
 
Churchill looks the pick of the Classic generation over a mile following victories in the G1 QIPCO 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket and Irish equivalent at the Curragh, while four-year-old Ribchester made short work of his rivals in the G1 Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on May 20.
 
Both colts are now on course for Royal Ascot in June, with the Qatar Sussex Stakes the big mile target after that.
Churchill's trainer Aidan O'Brien accounts for 15 entries as he chases a sixth Qatar Sussex Stakes success for Coolmore partnerships. He is also responsible for exciting filly Winter, who completed the 1,000 Guineas double emphatically at the Curragh last weekend, alongside Cliffs Of Moher and Rhododendron, both strong fancies for 12-furlong Classics at Epsom Downs this weekend.
 
O'Brien's successes in the Qatar Sussex Stakes have come through The Gurkha (2016), Rip Van Winkle (2009), Henrythenavigator (2008), Rock Of Gibraltar (2002) and Giant's Causeway (2000).
 
Ribchester (Richard Fahey) heads a 12-strong team for Godolphin, which also includes QIPCO 2,000 Guineas runner-up Barney Roy (Richard Hannon), Irish 2,000 Guineas second Thunder Snow and Dream Castle (both Saeed bin Suroor).  Three Godolphin horses, Ramonti (2007), Noverre (2001) and Aljabr (1999), all trained by Saeed bin Suroor, have triumphed in the Qatar Sussex Stakes.
 
Le Brivido (Andre Fabre) is one of two French-trained entries for the Qatar Sussex Stakes this year. The three-year-old son of Siyouni just lost his unbeaten record in a thrilling French 2,000 Guineas at Deauville on May 14, going down by a short-head to Brametot.
 
Brametot's trainer Jean-Claude Rouget relies on another Al Shaqab Racing-owned colt in Zelzal, a decisive winner of the G1 Prix Jean Prat over a mile at Chantilly in July last year and successful in three other races as a three-year-old.
 
Zelzal, by Sea The Stars, has not raced since finishing third to Vadamos in the G1 Prix du Moulin, also over a mile at Chantilly, in September.
 
Harry Herbert, racing manager for Al Shaqab Racing, reported: "Zelzal is in good form.
 
"He was affected by the virus [at Jean-Claude's] and was actually one of the first to get it. Thankfully, it did not affect him anything like as badly as some of the other horses.
 
"He is back in the swing of things now and the plan is for him to return to action next month.
"We have got high hopes for him. He is much stronger and has really matured.
 
"Zelzal showed last year that he is very talented on his day. I still don't think we saw the best of him last season, especially at the backend, and he could be anything this year."
 
Al Shaqab Racing's star miler Galileo Gold, the neck second to The Gurkha in last year's Qatar Sussex Stakes, had been due to be entered in this year's renewal but it was announced on May 29 that he had a soft-tissue injury and was being retired.
 
Other eye-catching 2017 Qatar Sussex Stakes entries include Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes runner-up Lightning Spear (David Simcock), who defeated Zonderland (Clive Cox) in the G2 Doom Bar Celebration Mile at Goodwood in August, and exciting three-year-old filly Dabyah (John Gosden).
 
The Qatar Sussex Stakes is part of the QIPCO British Champion Series.
 

The Qatar Sussex Stakes, Group 1, £1,000,000 total prize fund, part of the British Champions Series. Wednesday, August 2, 1m. For three-year-olds and upwards. Weights: three-year-old colts and geldings 9st 1lb, fillies 8st 12lb; four-year-olds and up colts and geldings 9st 8lb, fillies 9st 5lb. Entries closed May 30, entries revealed May 31 (40 entries). Scratchings deadline July 11, six-day confirmation & £70,000 supplementary stage July 27, final declarations July 31.

Horse

Age

Owner

Trainer

ACLAIM (IRE)

4

Canning Downs & Partner

Martyn Meade 

BARNEY ROY

3

Godolphin

Richard Hannon 

BENBATL

3

Godolphin

Saeed bin Suroor 

BOYNTON (USA)

3

Godolphin

Charlie Appleby 

CHURCHILL (IRE)

3

Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier

Aidan O'Brien IRE 

CLIFFS OF MOHER (IRE)

3

Sue Magnier

Aidan O'Brien IRE 

COUGAR MOUNTAIN (IRE)

6

Michael Tabor/Derrick Smith/Sue Magnier/AnneMarie O'Brien

Aidan O'Brien IRE 

DABYAH (IRE)

3

Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah

John Gosden 

DREAM CASTLE

3

Godolphin

Saeed bin Suroor 

DUTCH CONNECTION

5

Godolphin

Charles Hills 

ENNAADD

4

Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum

Roger Varian 

ESCOBAR (IRE)

3

Fiona and Ian Carmichael-Jennings

Hugo Palmer 

FOLKSWOOD

4

Godolphin

Charlie Appleby 

HERE COMES WHEN (IRE)

7

Fitri Hay

Andrew Balding 

HYDRANGEA (IRE)

3

Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor

Aidan O'Brien IRE 

JALLOTA

6

Fitri Hay

Charles Hills 

KOOL KOMPANY (IRE)

5

Kool Kompany Partnership

Richard Hannon 

LANCASTER BOMBER (USA)

3

Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier

Aidan O'Brien IRE 

LATHARNACH (USA)

5

Godolphin

Charlie Appleby 

LAUGH ALOUD

4

Godolphin

John Gosden 

LE BRIVIDO (FR)

3

Prince Faisal Bin Khaled

Andre Fabre FR

LIGHTNING SPEAR

6

Qatar Racing Limited

David Simcock 

MUTAKAYYEF

6

Hamdan Al Maktoum

William Haggas 

OH THIS IS US (IRE)

4

Team Wallop

Richard Hannon 

PEACE ENVOY (FR)

3

Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith

Aidan O'Brien IRE 

RAIN GODDESS (IRE)

3

Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith

Aidan O'Brien IRE 

RHODODENDRON (IRE)

3

Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith

Aidan O'Brien IRE 

RIBCHESTER (IRE)

4

Godolphin

Richard Fahey 

ROLY POLY (USA)

3

Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier

Aidan O'Brien IRE 

SOMEHOW (IRE)

4

Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier

Aidan O'Brien IRE 

SPIRIT OF VALOR (USA)

3

Smith/Magnier/Tabor/Stonestreet Stables

Aidan O'Brien IRE 

TAJ MAHAL (IRE)

3

Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor

Aidan O'Brien IRE 

THUNDER SNOW (IRE)

3

Godolphin

Saeed bin Suroor 

TOSCANINI (IRE)

5

Godolphin

Richard Fahey 

WAR DECREE (USA)

3

Andrew Rosen/Sue Magnier/Michael Tabor/Derrick Smith

Aidan O'Brien IRE 

WHITECLIFFSOFDOVER (USA)

3

Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier

Aidan O'Brien IRE 

WINTER (IRE)

3

Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith

Aidan O'Brien IRE 

WUHEIDA

3

Godolphin

Charlie Appleby 

ZELZAL (FR)

4

Al Shaqab Racing

Jean-Claude Rouget FR

ZONDERLAND

4

Cheveley Park Stud

Clive Cox 

40 entries

15 Irish-trained

2 French-trained

Source: Goodwood Racecourse

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