Glorious Goodwood: New Duel on Downs will be highlight of day two

The 2013 QIPCO Sussex Stakes sees the much-anticipated Duel on the Downs between the exceptional three-year-old colts Dawn Approach (Jim Bolger) and Toronado (Richard Hannon).

So far the score is 2-0 to Godolphin’s Dawn Approach, with the son of New Approach taking the first British Classic, the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, at Newmarket on May 4 with Toronado a below-par fourth. However, the margin was much reduced last time out when just a short-head separated the pair in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 18.

Declaration Of War (Aidan O’Brien) is sure to provide stiff opposition to the two three-year-olds, having taken the Group One Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. The four-year-old reverts to a mile after being runner-up in the 10-furlong Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park last time out.

Also set to line up in the QIPCO Sussex Stakes are Gregorian (John Gosden), third behind Declaration Of War at Royal Ascot, and Trade Storm (David Simcock), fifth in the same race. Likely pacemakers Leitir Mor (Jim Bolger) and Reply (Aidan O’Brien) complete the terrific field.

Here is the Racing Post page giving the updated list of declared entries for day two

Day two of Glorious Goodwood also features the £75,000 Group Two Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes (3.40pm) over seven furlongs for two-year-olds. Goodwood’s leading trainer Richard Hannon has taken the last three renewals of the prestigious contest and has two runners this year. Toormore, the mount of Richard Hughes, won his only start at Leicester on May 28, while Expert, partnered by Pat Dobbs, landed a maiden at Newmarket last time out on his third outing.

Godolphin’s new trainer Charlie Appleby is represented by Outstrip, a winner on debut at Newmarket, while Group Two Coventry Stakes runner-up Parbold lines up for Richard Fahey. Lanark (Mark Johnston), Recanted (Brian Meehan) and Rosso Corsa (Mick Channon) complete the line-up.

The third Pattern race on day two of Glorious Goodwood is the £75,000 Group Three Neptune Investment Management Gordon Stakes (2.30pm) over a mile and half for three-year-olds, which this year has moved from the first day with a new sponsor and boosted prize money.

It is an established trial for the final Classic of the season, the Ladbrokes St Leger, and six of the seven declared runners also hold entries for the Doncaster event.

These include the Eve Johnson Houghton-trained Spillway, who was seen out most recently when enduring a torrid run in the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot on June 20, finishing10th, beaten just over four lengths. Earlier in the season he completed a three-timer, with two victories on the Polytrack at Kempton and the other on turf at Sandown.

Johnson Houghton said today: “Spillway has come out of Ascot really well. I think he was very unlucky in the King George V.

“He just needs a bit of space to go through the gears. That’s why we are going for a better race with less runners rather than returning to big fields as we don’t want to meet with traffic problems like we did at Ascot because that is so frustrating.

“There is definitely more to come from him. Just look at how close he was to Hillstar at Newbury (two and a half lengths third on May 18), and that shows we’ve got every right to be in the Gordon Stakes.

“I’m hopeful, very hopeful, of him running well on Wednesday.

“We will see how he gets on at Goodwood before thinking about the St Leger.”

The other St Leger entries set to run in the Neptune Investment Management Gordon Stakes include Godolphin’s pair of Cap O’Rushes (Charlie Appleby), who was fourth in the Irish Derby, and Secret Number (Saeed bin Suroor), who was last seen out when a staying-on fourth in the Group Three Tercentenary Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Excess Knowledge (John Gosden) began the year with an encouraging third in the Listed Gala Stakes at Sandown and Havana Beat (Andrew Balding) was an unlucky third in the Group Three Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket.

Day two of Glorious Goodwood begins with the longest race of the meeting, the £40,000 UBS Goodwood Handicap (1.55pm, 20 runners) over a marathon two miles and five furlongs, and also includes the £20,000 Markel Insurance Fillies’ Maiden (4.15pm, 14 runners), the £17,500 British Stallion Studs Turf Club EBF Fillies’ Handicap (4.50pm, 16 runners) and the concluding £17,500 Harwoods Racing Club Handicap (5.25pm, 20 runners).