Glorious Goodwood 2025: Sussex, Molecomb, Nassau offer BC berths

Three Breeders’ Cup Challenge races are on tap at Glorious Goodwood this week, but clues for Del Mar can be gleaned throughout the festival. 

While Tuesday’s highlight, the Goodwood Cup (G1), is all about the staying brigade, the Vintage (G2) is eligible to have Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) implications, and the Lennox (G2) features several notable sprinter/milers.

Wednesday’s Sussex (G1), a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), marks star three-year-old Field of Gold’s first start versus older horses including Rosallion and former Chad Brown pupil Carl Spackler. Earlier on the card, the Molecomb (G3) serves as a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1).

Thursday’s feature, the Nassau (G1), pits high-class sophomore filly Whirl against See the Fire with a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) at stake. 

Friday’s King George (G2) is the next stop for Australian sprinter Asfoora, and the one-mile Thoroughbred (G3) is likely to attract Godolphin’s up-and-coming Opera Ballo. 

The meeting wraps up on Saturday with a pair of Group races, the Lillie Langtry (G2) for distaff stayers and the 1 1/2-mile Glorious (G3), and the ever-popular Stewards’ Cup, a six-furlong heritage handicap.

Here’s an overview of the Tuesday and Wednesday action, plus an early look at the Nassau, pending final declarations. Be sure to read Vance Hanson's Tuesday plays here!

Tuesday, Race 2, 8:55 a.m. ET: Vintage (G2)

Dorset is favored after capturing an historically key maiden at the Curragh for Aidan O’Brien, but Joseph O’Brien’s Andab rates as an attractive price play at 10-1.

A full brother to 2022 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Victoria Road, Andab has run creditably in defeat behind two of Ballydoyle’s highly-regarded youngsters. He was an inexperienced third to Albert Einstein in the Marble Hill (G3) and a better-than-appears fourth to Gstaad in the Coventry (G2) at Royal Ascot, and the step up to seven furlongs can take him to the next level.

The Vintage promises to be a proper test of class. Coventry runner-up Do or Do Not, most recently a rallying second to Zavateri in the July (G2), and unbeaten Chesham S. hero Humidity also sport stakes form. 

Tuesday, Race 3, 9:30 a.m. ET: Lennox (G2)

Elder statesman Kinross, whom U.S. fans might remember as the third-placer in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland, makes his fifth consecutive appearance in the Lennox. The Ralph Beckett veteran has realistic hopes of landing this prize for the third time, having just missed to Ten Bob Tony in his comeback. The winner of this race in 2021 and 2023, Kinross was an unlucky near-misser in the 2022 edition, and third behind Audience last year. 

At the opposite end of the career trajectory are sophomores Jonquil and Noble Champion, both tackling elders for the first time. Jonquil is favored despite his flop in the six-furlong Commonwealth Cup (G1). This seven-furlong trip suits him better, and he brings classic form as the close second in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) (G1). Noble Champion seeks to follow up on his upset of Royal Ascot’s Jersey (G3).

If Lake Forest has been disappointing this term, I still hold out hopes that the William Haggas trainee is poised to rebound any time now. His defeat of Lazzat in Australia’s lucrative Golden Eagle last November ought to mean something. 

Tuesday, Race 4, 10:05 a.m. ET: Goodwood Cup (G1)

Illinois ran out of steam when second in the 2 1/2-mile Gold Cup (G1) at Royal Ascot, and dropping back to two miles theoretically should help. Yet I can’t get past the fact that the Ballydoyle colt has been pressed into service as a substitute for retired stablemate Kyprios, and my suspicion is that it’s all coming a year too soon for him. Sophomore stablemate Scandinavia makes a lot of sense given his 14-pound weight concession, although it’s still a jump up in both class and distance from his Bahrain Trophy (G3) romp at Newmarket.

John and Thady Gosden send out a trio including Sweet William, second-best to Kyprios here last year, and the progressive French Master, who impressed in a 1 3/4-mile handicap at Royal Ascot. Sunway has yet to deliver fully on David Menuisier’s belief in him, but he’s often thereabouts, and his proximity to Jan Brueghel and Illinois in last fall’s St Leger (G1) implies that this could be his division. 

Wednesday, Race 2, 8:55 a.m. ET: Oak Tree (G3)

Wednesday’s Group action kicks off with a typically competitive renewal of the Oak Tree (G3) at seven furlongs. Jabaara will bid for compensation after being disqualified as the first-past-the-post favorite here last summer. You can forgive her recent loss at Chelmsford, as trainer Roger Varian has said that she’s just not as effective on the all-weather. The Charlie Appleby-trained Romantic Style fits very well on her best form, having beaten Ramatuelle at this trip last season. Several three-year-olds are involved, including early favorite Tabiti, who stands to benefit from cutting back in distance, and Formal, who found older males too difficult in her latest.

Wednesday, Race 3, 9:30 a.m. ET: BC WAYI Molecomb (G3)

Lady Iman just suffered her first loss at six furlongs, but a return to five should put her back in the winner’s circle, especially given her eye-catching formlines. By red-hot freshman sire Starman, the Ger Lyons trainee had beaten True Love – the future Queen Mary (G2) and Railway (G2) star – at the Curragh. Lady Iman also claims a victory over eventual French Group 2 scorer Green Sense. Argentine Tango, third to Venetian Sun in the Duchess of Cambridge (G2), is another likely to prefer shortening up. 

Kevin Ryan’s duo of Ameeq and Dickensian exit five-furlong dashes at Royal Ascot, where Ameeq was fourth to Charles Darwin in the Norfolk (G2) and Dickensian was second in the Windsor Castle. Appleby’s Military Code just missed in the Dragon S. over a stiffer five at Sandown, and Sands of Spain was a dead-heat third under one of the bigger imposts in the Weatherbys Super Sprint.

Wednesday, Race 4, 10:05 a.m. ET: BC WAYI Sussex (G1)

Field of Gold is the prohibitive odds-on favorite to continue emulating sire Kingman. Both celebrities representing the Juddmonte/Gosden tandem, father and son were each beaten a half-length in second as the 2000 Guineas (G1) favorites at Newmarket. Both turned the page resoundingly in the Irish 2000 Guineas (G1), and both gained revenge on their Newmarket conquerors in the St James’s Palace (G1) at Royal Ascot. When adding the 2014 Sussex to his resume, Kingman outkicked Richard Hannon’s older miler Toronado. 

In an eerie similarity, Field of Gold’s main rival is also an older miler from the Hannon yard, this time Rosallion. Toronado couldn’t give Kingman eight pounds, and Rosallion might find it a bit too much himself. 

The likely difference for this year’s Sussex is the pace scenario, which is projected to be considerably faster than the crawl experienced in Kingman’s dramatic edition. Juddmonte’s Qirat is in the line-up expressly as a pacemaker for Field of Gold. Ballydoyle’s Serengeti is presumably on the premises to support Henri Matisse, who needs to bridge a 3 1/2-length gap with Field of Gold from the St James’s Palace. The reigning Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and French 2000 Guineas star, Henri Matisse could be capable of further improvement. Still, he’s yet to display the rampant dynamism of Field of Gold.

One who has shown such panache at times is Carl Spackler, at least during his former U.S. career. Not disgraced in sixth when suddenly pitched into the Queen Anne by new connections, he might well find the twists and turns of Goodwood more congenial than the Ascot straightaway. It’s not just loyalty or sentiment to view him as an appealing exotics player at big odds. 

Docklands, who just mugged Rosallion in the Queen Anne, moves up markedly at Ascot. There’s no compelling reason to see him duplicating that effort around the sharper contours of Goodwood. 

Thursday, Race 4, 10:05 a.m. ET: BC WAYI Nassau (G1)

Whirl and See the Fire both sport outstanding form this campaign. Both delivered breakout efforts going about 1 5/16 miles at York in May, Whirl stamping herself as an Oaks (G1) contender with a romp in the Musidora (G3), and See the Fire announcing herself as an improved four-year-old with a 12-length conquest of the Middleton (G2). 

Whirl nearly prevailed in the Epsom classic, where she was just outstayed by Ballydoyle stablemate Minnie Hauk. Reverting to 1 1/4 miles last out in the Pretty Polly (G1), Whirl outbattled the older Kalpana, who advertised the form when runner-up in Saturday’s King George VI & Queen Elizabeth (G1). Whirl benefited from a 12-pound weight break in the Pretty Polly, and she’ll try to capitalize on a nine-pound concession from See the Fire here.

See the Fire was last seen placing third to world-class males in the Prince of Wales’s (G1) at Royal Ascot, a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1). Returning to all-female company should help, along with her proficiency over this course. The Andrew Balding filly missed by only a neck in last year’s Nassau to Opera Singer, herself a Ballydoyle celebrity. 

Not to be forgotten is yet another Ballydoyle contender, Bedtime Story. Although she lost her way for a time after a stellar summer at two, the Frankel filly showed that she’s finding herself again with a close second in the Prix de Diane (French Oaks) (G1). Joe Murphy’s fellow Irish shipper Cercene, who floored Zarigana in Royal Ascot’s Coronation (G1), has a license to appreciate the step up in trip as a daughter of Australia. Fallen Angel and Running Lion are others in the mix, as of this writing.