By Tom Frary
Last year, Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was 1-6 when extending his influence in Goodwood's G1 Qatar Sussex S. and if the forecast heavy rain leads to the withdrawal of Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) it could be that the 2023 edition sees another mortal lock in Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}). With the prospect of up to 10mm of overnight rain before strong storm winds hit the area, this is going to be tough going and Cheveley Park Stud's Chris Richardson has not ruled out giving it a miss if the ground deepens too much. “At this point in time, all being well, we'll run,” he said. “Heavy ground wouldn't suit her. We have taken the chance and more rain would suit Paddington probably more perhaps than us. She handles soft ground.”
Even if Inspiral is allowed to square up to Ballydoyle's workaholic colt, it is fair to say that the Gosdens' G1 Fillies' Mile, G1 Coronation S. and G1 Prix Jacques le Marois heroine will have her work cut out in this 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile in November. At least the father-and-son trainer combination now have a proper marker on him having lost out with Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the Eclipse. Easy ground is of no concern to Aidan O'Brien, as it shouldn't be when we are talking about a son of Siyouni out of a Montjeu mare. He had heavy ground in the Madrid and soft in the Tetrarch, so if it gets deep this could be a complete mismatch.
Already a step ahead of Giant's Causeway, who was beaten in the Irish 2000 Guineas, Paddington is staying on the trail of the “Iron Horse” for now and Ryan Moore has a warning for those who try to obstruct him. “I think he can get even better,” he said on his betfair blog. “What this horse has done this season is little short of extraordinary, as he keeps on building and improving with every run. He won on heavy first time up and he has done it on better ground since and I get the impression there is more in the locker, even if his defeat of Emily Upjohn was obviously top-class form in its own right.”
It hasn't been plain sailing for Inspiral since her Coronation rout last June, with surprisingly only one success in her next four starts. On balance, her form is probably short of what is needed to upset Paddington and she has four pounds to give away to him in the bargain. Chris Richardson is aware of the task at hand. “Paddington is a serious horse. He is a bit of a superstar, but we're fresh and he's had a few more races than us,” he said. “We wanted to give her plenty of time after Royal Ascot. France was in the mix, but those races are too close together now and they have had plenty of rain over there.”
AIDAN O'BRIEN'S #RoyalAscot RECORD-BREAKER!
Paddington is brilliant in the St James's Palace Stakes for Ryan Moore and gives Aidan O'Brien his 83rd Royal @Ascot winner! pic.twitter.com/pDWaFHMynT
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 20, 2023
Big Guns Assemble For The Molecomb
Goodwood also stages the G3 Jaeger-Lecoultre Molecomb S. for 2-year-olds over the rapid five furlongs, where the six-length Listed Dragon S. winner Kylian (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) encounters the three-length Listed Windsor Castle S. scorer Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) and the disappointing TDN Rising Stars Purosangue (GB) (Aclaim {Ire}) and Barnwell Boy (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}). Mick Appleby said of Big Evs, “I think he will be okay on the ground, as long as it doesn't go heavy. You'd think he'd be okay on good-to-soft ground and the dam won on soft ground, so hopefully he should be all right. Obviously we have Kylian to beat. Should all go well, we'll probably go for the [G2] Gimcrack next.”
Nassau Battle Is On
Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) and Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) have been confirmed for Thursday's G1 Qatar Nassau S. at Goodwood, with just six due to line up for the 10-furlong feature. They include Shadwell's Al Husn (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) who beat Nashwa in the G3 Hoppings S. at Newcastle last month, and Above The Curve (American Pharoah). John Gosden is relishing bringing the brilliant G1 Falmouth S. winner here for a tilt at back-to-back renewals.
“I think it's a fabulous race and, as in the Eclipse, the King George, and the Sussex S., we get that clash of the generations, which we all want to see. It's very healthy for the generations to meet like that and not duck and dive to avoid each other.”
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