Sussex Stakes
 

by Tony O'Hehir
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EXCELLENT ART, who led home a 1-2-3 for Aidan O'Brien in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, is likely to spearhead the Ballydoyle challenge for the BGC Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on August 1, for which he is 4-1 third favourite with Coral.

However stablemate George Washington, whom Coral have installed as 3-1 favourite, is unlikely to run.

Winner of the Mill Reef Stakes when trained by Neville Callaghan last year, Excellent Art made his debut for O'Brien in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains in which he encountered traffic problems before finishing well for fourth place behind stablemate Astronomer Royal.

At Royal Ascot, the son of Pivotal beat Duke Of Marmalade and Astronomer Royal, both of whom are among O'Brien's six entries for the Group 1 Sussex.

O'Brien said: "We won't be finalising plans for a while yet, but the situation is that we are looking at sending Excellent Art to Goodwood."

According to O'Brien, there are no firm plans for George Washington although it appears unlikely that the Coral-Eclipse Stakes third will be on his trainer's team for Goodwood. O'Brien's other entries for the Sussex are Archipenko and Trinity College. The trainer has won the race twice, with Giant's Causeway in 2000 and Rock Of Gibraltar in 2002.

UAE Derby winner Asiatic Boy is a 9-2 chance with Coral and had a spin at Goodwood yesterday morning to gain experience of the undulating track.

Sussex Stakes
Coral: 3 George Washington, 7-2 Ramonti, 4 Excellent Art, 9-2 Asiatic Boy, 7 Jeremy, 9 Duke Of Marmalade, 14 Arch Swing, Echo Of Light, 16 Astronomer Royal, Creachadoir

I cant wait to see what Asiatic Boy is like but going right handed for the first time, probably a undulating course for the first time, against older horses for the first time and probably soft ground for the first time, ill be passing him at 3-1.

Damn, nice field.

Good luck to ECHO and George and AB, oh hell (almost) all of them!

Jeremy always worries me a bit..... one of these days he'll get a really nice win. NOT rootiong for him here, I'm just saying.....

This race is fulll of ifs and maybes. Most of the field have questio marks surrounding them.

Ramonti would be my idea of the winner, he has shown he goes on any ground, he is tough and consistant. He will probably be my play in the race.

Asiatic Boy returns!

Actually for selfish reasons I hope my boy shows that he belongs in America...on the dirt.

They aren't likely to take him to America, whatever happens in the Sussex. At least we are getting some nice weather now. The ground shouldn't be soft.

Mike De Kock says this horse is better on turf than he is on dirt.

Id love to see Asiatic win well but he's 2 tough challangers.. Ramonti would be the safest bet for me!

Doesn't look like Ramonti will be winning with BOTH of us tipping him up :D

A really good race...

Wednesday, Goodwood, Britain
BGC SUSSEX S.-G1, ,300,000, 3yo/up, 1mT
SC PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY WT
1 2 Asiatic Boy (Arg) Not for Sale (Arg) Marwing 133
2 3 Decado (Ire) Danehill Dancer (Ire) McDonogh 133
3 4 Jeremy Danehill Dancer (Ire) Moore 133
4 5 Munaddam Aljabr R Hills 133
5 8 Ramonti (Fr) Martino Alonso (Ire) Dettori 133
6 6 Archipenko Kingmambo McCabe 126
7 7 Excellent Art (GB) Pivotal (GB) Spencer 126
8 1 Trinity College Giant’s Causeway Murtagh 126

Still going for Ramonti for this. He is consistant and he looks very classy. Any conditions come alike to him, and he has the least amount of question marks against his name

I'll be objective here (for once) :D ....

I think Jeremy wins this (but am rooting for AB and Excellent Art).

You're deserting the godolphin boy? :eek:

Mr. No Chance:

As I am heading off to work shortly, will you so kindly give a full account of the beauty and speed of one, Mr. Asiatic Boy? Should he not run so well, please sugar coat it. :D

MY Godolphin boy is not in the race.

Ofcourse i will, Miss Sightseek :D

Well, sightseek. Your boy looks great in the paddock, really relaxed, too

I wish I could see!!!

Asiatic jumps well, but restrained to hold third place.

Aidan O'brien pace makers lead

Excellent art last early

AB still third

Ramonti taking third

Ramonti takes over
asiactic boy can't quicken

Ramonti just held on from Excellent Art in 2nd

Jeremy just got thrid from Asiatic Boy, who rallied again after looking beaten with a couple of furlongs to run.

Ramonti was the best horse on the day. Excellent Art never really travelled with much ease in the closing stages. He did close on Ramonti and it was tight on the wire, but Ramonti is such a tough horse, i think he might have pulled out more if he needed to.

Asiatic Boy ran a nice race in defeat on a track, which couldn't be more different from a left handed flat track on dirt. He seemed to get tired in the closing stages before finding his second wind. He would have finished 3rd with another few strides. Maybe he just lacked that race fitness, which the others had.

He was a bit keen/rank early on and that might have cost him a little bit.

Race fitness was probably the key here though.

Thanks I really appreciate it! Great recap too.
'Boy had lots of things to overcome in this one so hopefully it's upwards from here!