Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood

Glorious Goodwood moves into its second day when the main feature is the most important race of the week, the Group One Sussex Stakes ar 16.30 CET, the unofficial summer mile championship. 7 runners here, and the clear favourite is Aidan O´Brien´s Henrythenavigator (Johnny Murtagh), who looks a near certainty to continue his stable´s extraordinary run of success in Group One races (15 already won in 2008, including two last weekend). "Henry" is unbeaten in 3 starts this season, the English and Irish 2,000 Guineas and the St. James´ Palace at Royal Ascot. O´Brien has won this race with Giant´s Causeway and Rock of Gibraltar, but has described today´s runner as the best miler he has ever trained, and although he faces older horses fr the first time,he should not be troubled to continue his own and the trainer´s winning run. Raven´s Pass (John Gosden/ Jimmy Fortune) has already twice followed him home this year and looks booked for the runner-up spot. Major Cadeaux (Richard hannon/ Richarfd Hughes) looks best of the older runners. In view of the likely odds, this is not a race to bet on, but the Group Two Vintage takes for 2yo´s over 7 furlongs at 15.50 looks a very open affair. Peter Chapple-Hyam´s Sayif (Seb Sanders) has finished runner-up on both h starts so far and can reverse the form with his Newmarket conbqueror Firth of Forth (Tom Dascombe/ Richard Kingscote) on 3 lbs better terms. The Irish challengers look very menacing; jockey bookings suggest that Westphalia (Murtagh) is the better of Aidan O´Brien´s pair, but Ryehill Dreamer (Tommy Stack/ Wayne Lordan) should also be considered. The Goodwood Stakes which opens the card at 15.15 is at 2 miles 5 furlongs one of the longest flat races in the calendar, and looks very tricky. Som Tala (Mick Channon/ Frankie Dettori) ran fifth in this last year but can defy top weight this time, but with 20 runners this is a difficult race to call.