Dal Harraild and Simple Verse ruled out of Goodwood Cup

Two major obstacles to Big Orange's bid for a historic third consecutive Qatar Goodwood Cup victory have been removed after Dal Harraild and Simple Verse were on Monday morning ruled out of Tuesday's race.

Big Orange has shortened to 4-5 (from 10-11) in the betting for the day one showpiece after the William Haggas-trained Dal Harraild was found to be lame and Ralph Beckett was forced to withdraw Simple Verse.

"She pulled up sore after cantering this morning and we think she's just tweaked a muscle," said Beckett.

Simple Verse's jockey Oisin Murphy will switch to Qatar Racing's other entry Pallasator.

Dal Harraild had been general 10-1 second favourite for the two-mile contest, which has been moved to the opening day of the meeting and is being run for the first time since its elevation to Group 1 status.

Simple Verse, the 2015 St Leger heroine, was trading at around 14-1 at the start of the day for a race which has been reduced to 14 runners, having initially attracted the biggest field this century.

In the revised market for the Goodwood Cup, US Army Ranger and Stradivarius are now vying for second favouritism at 12-1.

Big guns to fire in Sussex

The spectacular generation clash between Ribchester and Churchill in the Qatar Sussex Stakes is on after the heavyweight pair featured in a nine-strong field for Wednesday's £1 million contest.

Ribchester, who finished third in the race last year, has emerged as Europe's top miler this season with victories in the Lockinge and Queen Anne, while dual Guineas hero Churchill will be looking to bounce back following a disappointing performance in the St James's Palace.

William Buick has struck up a good rapport with Ribchester but is wary of the threat posed by Churchill.

"Ribchester has yet to take on the three-year-olds this year and we go there with plenty of respect for Churchill," he said.

"His defeat in the St James’s Palace seemed a big shock to his team, and you only have to go back to Newmarket to see what he is capable of. I certainly don’t underestimate him.

"The weight concession is massively in their favour [three-year-olds in general] and from this time of the year onwards they are maturing all the time."

William Buick: wary of the threat posed by ChurchillCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Jean-Claude Rouget will saddle a rare Goodwood runner in the shape of last year's Prix Jean Prat winner Zelzal, who finished second in a Chantilly Group 3 on his seasonal comeback.

Ribchester's pacemaker Toscanini and Churchill's stablemate Lancaster Bomber, who was runner-up in the St James's Palace Stakes, also appear in a line-up completed by Lightning Spear, Kool Kompany, Here Comes When and Zonderland, who makes his first start of the campaign.

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