A humdinger of a Sussex showdown that would surely have the Panamas flying

In normal times a close finish to this year’s £275,000 Qatar Sussex Stakes would have the potential to lift the roof off the famous Goodwood stands.

Pimm’s and champagne would be spilt in the Richmond Enclosure. Panamas would go flying around the Gordon Enclosure like leaves in an autumn gale.

Ketchup and mustard from burgers and hot dogs would drip on to the sand-coloured chinos in the Lennox Enclosure as punters turned up the volume.

Sadly, none of the trackside accompaniment to what you would usually associate with a thrilling Group 1 at Glorious Goodwood will be in evidence this year.

And that’s a great shame because this latest renewal of the Sussex Stakes, the feature event of a historic five-day meeting which is widely embraced by turf enthusiasts and holidaymakers alike, promises to be an absolute humdinger.

If racegoers were allowed to flock on to the course in their thousands, the bars, restaurants and fast-food stands would be abuzz with early afternoon chatter about the merits of the Sussex Stakes contenders as five of the seven runners are separated by just 4lb in terms of official ratings. This is a proper race with any number of talking points.

Unbeaten horses tend to draw the most attention and spark the biggest arguments, and Siskin fits the bill.

The Irish raider has a perfect five-wins-from-five-starts record, and looks likely to start favourite.

Siskin and Colin Keane (centre) winning the Tattersalls 2,000 GuineasCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

He bids to give owner Khalid Abdullah another Group 1 just four days after wondermare Enable took centre stage in the King George.

Siskin delivered a two-finger salute to those who doubted he would stay a Classic mile when running on well to land the Irish 2,000 Guineas by a length and three-quarters from Vatican City.

The Curragh commentator hailed him “push-button Siskin”, and that explosive turn of foot appears to be his biggest attribute.

Cast your mind back to the likes of Frankel, Warning, Soviet Star, Canford Cliffs and Kingman - milers who shone a light from Goodwood to the Isle of Wight when winning this race in previous years.

All possessed an exceptionally high cruising speed, allied to a priceless ability to quicken on request. Siskin’s supporters will take heart from that.

Those who wish to oppose Siskin will point to the fact that he beat Vatican City, who went into the Irish Guineas rated 21lb his inferior, by less than two lengths.

They will also recall Siskin disgracing himself on his one previous trip to Britain when withdrawn from Newmarket’s Middle Park Stakes for unruly behaviour before the start.

The 2,000 Guineas winner Kameko drops back to a mile after comprehensively failing to stay 1m4f in perhaps the strangest and most unsatisfactory Derby of all time.

Before the Guineas there was a school of thought which believed 1m2f would prove his best trip this year.

Kameko now has questions to answer as he didn’t travel at Epsom like a colt who had anything in hand of his field at a mile or 1m2f - even allowing for the fact that 25-1 Serpentine blew the race apart by slipping clear round Tattenham Corner.

Kameko (Oisin Murphy, left) wins the Qipco 2,000 Guineas from Wichita (2nd right)Credit: Edward Whitaker

Aidan O’Brien’s Circus Maximus is astreet-fighter with the precious knack of slugging it out to land Group 1s.

It’s never pretty, but mighty effective and his followers won’t mind the fact he never wins by far or on the bridle.

After all, punters who backed him at an SP of 4-1 to land the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot - his third Group 1 triumph - would have been paid out exactly the same amount had he won by 20 lengths rather than a head.

He chased home Too Darn Hot in this race 12 months ago and, if official ratings are to be believed, has improved 3lb since.

Stablemate Wichita, who finished a neck behind Kameko at Newmarket, has attracted market support, while outsider San Donato will have improved fitness-wise for his Ascot reappearance.

Yet it is Mohaather, the colt who hammered San Donato by three and three-quarter lengths at the Berkshire track this month, who adds so much lustre to this most anticipated of races.

It is rare for a horse - no matter how talented - to quicken twice during a race, yet that’s what this lightly-raced son of Showcasing appeared to do at Ascot.

His powers of acceleration swept him to the lead a furlong out and then, Ferrari-like, he changed gear once again to motor clear.

He’ll require a career-best performance to lift this prestigious and hugely valuable prize, but Mohaather simply looks tailor-made for the race and his trainer Marcus Tregoning has a lifetime love affair with Goodwood.

The forecast of a warm, sunny afternoon guarantees the nearby beaches at West Wittering and Bognor will be busier than usual on Sussex Stakes day.

Regular patrons won’t be allowed into Goodwood this time, but they’ll still manage to feel the heat from the big-race clash wherever they are.

View the full Qatar Sussex Stakes card

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