Can he do it? Sir Dancealot has strong claims of third consecutive Lennox win

2.45 Goodwood
Qatar Lennox Stakes (Group 2) | 7f | 3yo+ | ITV/RTV

It would be remiss not to start with Sir Dancealot, who bids to land this prestigious Group 2 for a third consecutive year.

The demands of the race – pouncing late off a strong pace around a right-handed, turning track – clearly play to the strengths of this six-year-old, who powered home to defeat Hey Gaman by a length 12 months ago.

There are more runners this year, but it doesn’t necessarily look a stronger race and the ground won’t prove any inconvenience.

The David Elsworth-trained contender has run two highly creditable races in defeat this summer – seventh in the Group 1 July Cup to Oxted, and fourth to Limato in the Group 3 Criterion Stakes.

He has clearly been brought to the boil for the Lennox Stakes, and seems sure to make the boldest of bids from an ace draw in stall three.

Watch Sir Dancealot defeat Hey Gaman in last year's Lennox Stakes

Less well berthed, but a huge player nonetheless is the Godolphin runner Space Blues, who looks a true 7f specialist.

He has returned in excellent heart this summer, winning the Listed Spring Trophy at Haydock by a neck from Safe Voyage, and following up in a Longchamp Group 3.

Neither of those runs arguably entitle him to beat a peak-form Sir Dancealot, but don’t forget his two Group 1-placed efforts at Deauville last summer behind Too Darn Hot and Advertise.

Space Blues winning a Listed contest at Haydock in JuneCredit: John Grossick

His high cruising speed and turn of foot are ideal for a race of this nature, but Sir Dancealot makes considerably more appeal at the available odds.

Course form makes Duke Of Hazzard a strong contender. Unbeaten in three starts on the Sussex Downs, including last year’s Group 2 Celebration Mile, he has clearly been primed for this race and shaped nicely last time when third to the impressive Mohaather at Ascot.

The ‘dark’ horse of the race is undoubtedly Pierre Lapin, who was heralded as a potential sprint star ahead of his baffling performance behind Golden Horde in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

Sent off 7-2 second-favourite, Pierre Lapin lost his unbeaten record - one of his two successes as a juvenile came in the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes over 6f – when trailing home last of 16.

That performance was simply too bad to be true, and it wouldn’t rank as a major shock if he took a significant step towards restoring his reputation upped in trip.
Race analysis by Richard Birch

Duke Of Hazzard presents 'horses for courses' challenge to dual winner Sir Dancealot

Goodwood is renowned as a ‘horses for courses’ type of track, and when Sir Dancealot bids for an unprecedented hat-trick in the Qatar Lennox Stakes he will face a rival with an even better record on the Downs.

Sir Dancealot has won on two of his three appearances at Goodwood, but Duke Of Hazzard boasts a perfect record of three from three there, having last summer added the Group 3 Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes and the Group 2 Ladbrokes Celebration Mile to his maiden win as a two-year-old.

He looked really smart when beating Turgenev in the latter event last August, and he might have run in Wednesday’s Qatar Sussex Stakes, but connections believe the Lennox is a better option for him.

Duke Of Hazzard (nearside) winning the Group 3 Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood last yearCredit: Mark Cranham

Ollie Cole, who now shares the licence at Whatcombe with his father Paul, is really looking forward to running him and said: “Duke of Hazzard is running here rather than in the Sussex Stakes, as that looks such a hot race, but we’ve always had it in the back of our minds that he would be fine over seven furlongs and he goes to post in the best form he’s been in all year.

“I think he’s come on since the Summer Mile, and we’ve put the blinkers back on to sharpen him up over the shorter trip. He enjoys the undulations at Goodwood, and although it’s competitive I’m quite excited about his chance.”

What they say

Charlie Appleby, trainer of Glorious Journey, D'bai and Space Blues
Space Blues heads to Goodwood in good shape. We feel that conditions will suit, together with the style of racing at Goodwood. He is the pick of the three on all evidence but the other two aren’t without a chance. Glorious Journey put up solid performances in Dubai and Saudi Arabia and ran a decent enough race at Goodwood a couple of years ago. Conditions should suit him as well. He has a penalty to defy but this has always been his target. D’bai won at Haydock last time out has to turn around the form with Space Blues from their Longchamp run. He wasn’t beaten far in this race in 2018 and should enjoy the hustle and bustle of it again.

George Baker, trainer of Graignes
Every drop of rain will help and he's in very good shape. He's got proven Group form in France last year and we took him to Saudi Arabia but things didn't work out. We can put a line through that as we've given him plenty of time. We're looking forward to it very much.

David Menuisier, trainer of History Writer
The trip is on the short side and he’d like it softer than I think it’s likely to be, but there’s nowhere else to go with him for the time being and he should run his race.

John Quinn, trainer of Safe Voyage
He’s in very good form and we are looking forward to it. I was a bit concerned about him handling the track when he went to Epsom, but he went round there well on good ground and so he shouldn’t have a problem with Goodwood on what will be at least good ground, and maybe a little bit easier than that.

David Elsworth, trainer of Sir Dancealot
Mine have been a bit quiet lately but some of them have run okay and Sir Dancealot looks very well and is giving good signals, so I’m mildly optimistic. With a bit of luck he might have been second behind Limato over seven furlongs at Newmarket, and I thought he ran very well behind Oxted last time over six in the July Cup. He’s got a good record of course at Goodwood.

Roger Varian, trainer of Pierre Lapin
He needs to put a pretty woeful run at Royal Ascot behind him, after which nothing came to light, and he lacks a bit of experience against these older rivals on a track like this, but he's up a furlong. He's a very nice horse and he's going to prove it one day.

Reporting by Graham Dench

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