During Glorious Goodwood 2025 day 2, we will see the star attraction of the entire meeting when Juddmonte’s Field Of Gold steps into open company for the first time in the Sussex Stakes on Wednesday, 30 July. He’s one of seven declared for the feature mile race at the Qatar Goodwood Festival.
Field Of Gold, an impressive winner of the Irish 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes on his last two starts, now faces his elders on the Sussex Downs. Chief among those are Queen Anne 1-2 Docklands and Rosallion. Henri Matisse, who chased this hot favourite home at the Royal meeting, tries to reverse form for Aidan O’Brien.
Both Juddmonte and Coolmore run pacemakers in the Sussex Stakes in Qirat and Serengeti respectively. Completing the line-up, meanwhile, is Australia-bound ex-American horse Carl Spackler, who will appreciate running around a bend again. With retained rider Colin Keane suspended, William Buick deputises on Field Of Gold.
The supporting card on Glorious Goodwood 2025 day 2 isn’t too shabby either. A couple of Group 3 contests in the fillies and mares only Oak Tree Stakes, plus the Molecomb Stakes for juvenile sprinters and some middle-distance handicaps ensure great variety on the second day of this Festival.
Stepping up once again for race analysis of all these races from the card are our experts. With their noses in the form book and a good look through the odds on offer via online horse racing bookmakers, their hunt for value prices continues. Here are their thoughts and the thinking behind some Wednesday wagers…
Glorious Goodwood 2025 Day 2 Preview for Wednesday, 30 July
1:20 – 1m 4f Class 2 Handicap (0-105)
MERCHANT takes the King George V Stakes for @TomMarquand and trainer @WilliamHaggas. Congratulations to connections. pic.twitter.com/5CcXFLkYB5
— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 19, 2025
Wathnan Racing continue to invest heavily in UK Flat thoroughbreds, meanwhile, and Sing Us A Song lost his race at the start last time. Ralph Beckett will hope for better from him, but also impressive Salisbury scorer Cape Breton. Up half-a-stone for that success, the latter now steps up in grade rather than down like Sing Us A Song.
Andrew Balding and the Johnston stable also run two here, but all four are outsiders. Most interesting of those is Novelista, who bumped into a next time out winner at Doncaster on his penultimate outing. William Buick is an eye-catching jockey booking now. Alan King stepping Kurakka back up in trip looks a good move, meanwhile.
Sudu faces an 11lb rise in the weights for his Epsom romp and this demands more. Balding’s duo have stamina doubts (Jupiter Ammon) and the question of whether the handicapper has hold of them (Tuscan Star). Johnston inmate Mdawi is up 4lb for just prevailing around Doncaster in a weaker race and, despite showing a great attitude in a sustained duel, has more on his plate now.
1:55 – 7f Group 3 Oak Tree Stakes
Roger Varian’s filly now concedes 7lb weight for age to the youngsters, but Jabaara has surely had this date in her diary since last season. Of the younger generation, Tabiti is feared most. Beckett and Juddmonte combine with a Group 3 winning juvenile who ran a blinder in defeat over a mile during the Royal meeting on reappearance.
Tabiti conceded race fitness all-round and still managed third in the Sandringham. With that run under her belt and the fact she should strip fitter for it, she looks the best of the three-year-old brigade here. Arabian Dusk has stamina doubts and Betty Clover pulled up last time, so the younger generation might struggle.
Placed behind the latter in a blanket finish over a mile here earlier in the season was Bright Thunder, meanwhile. Karl Burke’s charge bumped into subsequent Duke Of Cambridge winner Crimson Advocate on that occasion too but, down a furlong in distance from then and her recent Listed victory around Deauville, she has claims.
Fair Angellica was an intended runner in this 12 months ago, but swerved it due to fast ground. Richard Hughes declares her again, however, and based on how she shaped when rallying into fourth in the Hackwood against the boys earlier this month, she could well hit the frame once more. Absences from the track, loss of form or too low ratings eliminate others from contention.
2:30 – 5f Group 3 Molecomb Stakes
Tango is the order of the day in the Listed Empress Fillies’ Stakes, as the @EasterbyTim trained Argentine Tango defeats Midnight Tango in a close call on the line – ridden by @dallan555 👏 pic.twitter.com/RMiGT0xCVv
— Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) June 26, 2025
The each-way alternative is ARGENTINE TANGO dropping back in trip too. Tim Easterby’s charge looks a sprinter and may run a big race from a low draw. Argentine Tango faces two from a rival Yorkshire stable also making the pilgrimage down to Sussex from the Kevin Ryan yard. Of those, Norfolk Stakes fourth Ameeq has more upside.
As can happen from time to time in the hustle and bustle of big-field sprints, he took one on the nose from another jockey’s whip during Royal Ascot. Dickensian, meanwhile, tried to make the running in the Windsor Castle and plugged on well for second. The winner couldn’t follow-up in a valuable Sales race at Newbury, however.
Godolphin’s Military Code is two from three over the minimum distance, so it clearly suits him. He was an unlucky loser on Sandown’s testing sprint course by a head earlier this month, but now faces a different assignment. Balding steps Sands Of Spain, third in the aforementioned Newbury Sales race, up in grade after signing of improvement.
3:05 – 1m Group 1 Sussex Stakes
ROSALLION has been working his way back to fitness, however, and represents a value alternative at the odds on offer. So unlucky to lose the Queen Anne in a photo to Docklands, Richard Hannon’s four-year-old is a class act himself. It’d be no surprise if Rosallion turned the tables on the Harry Eustace runner now, but concedes 8lb weight for age to the younger generation.
Henri Matisse has a bit to find with old rival Field Of Gold on the St James’s Palace form, meanwhile. Serengeti is in there for Ballydoyle as well to ensure this is run at a good clip. There are few chinks in the favourite’s armour really. It is more a case of opposing him on price alone, but Carl Spackler should go better here than he did last time around this easier mile.
3:45 – 1m 2f Class 2 Fillies’ Handicap (0-105)
Listen to the crowd! 😮
Victoria Harbour impressed to claim Listed honours in the @betgoodwinuk Height Of Fashion Stakes for @karl_burke and @pljamin25 🟡⚫️@Goodwood_Races pic.twitter.com/wB52QYOvYW
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 24, 2025
Never Let Go came out and won the Sandringham Stakes. With that one now rated 95, Music Piece looks well-treated off 89. There are other lightly-raced young fillies to worry about, however, and those include Wonder Star for William Haggas. She’s only run three times and now makes her handicap debut off an attractive mark of 82.
Bintjeddah took a step back in the right direction for the same stable the last day and now has first-time cheekpieces on, but ran a poor race when trailing in last at this venue earlier in the campaign. Of more interest is Varian’s Model Yuko, who switches back to turf after getting her head in front on the All-Weather.
Hughes probably hasn’t got to the bottom of Quebella either after four career starts. At bigger odds, last year’s runner-up Power Of Destiny is back off 3lb higher. She isn’t in the same form as 12 months ago, but Beckett has won this three times in the last five seasons, so anything he saddles commands respect. Ashariba is prominent in the market for the local David Menuisier stable too.
4:20 – 5f Class 2 Alice Keppel Fillies’ Conditions Stakes
Perhaps the biggest danger to Zelania lies in Irish maiden Luna Mia for Michael O’Callaghan. First-time blinkers go on her now after a fine fourth in the Group 3 race Lady Iman finished second in. The yard are no strangers to saddling juvenile winners at this meeting including in these silks.
Our Cody got loose before the Newbury Sales race and ran all around the course before being withdrawn. If he behaves better, he’d have each-way claims here. There are some other last time out maiden winners and horses dropped in class also in the line-up who could be anything still.
4:55 – 7f Class 3 Handicap (0-95)
The former hasn’t run for 103 days with David Evans presumably laying him out for a defence of his crown off 1lb higher. Billyjoh, meanwhile, last appeared on the track over the weekend. It’s a rapid turnaround for Mick Appleby, which is cause for concern, as he can hardly target both the Ascot handicap he finished down the field in and this.
Even the 2023 winner Rhoscolyn returns for The Horse Watchers Syndicate. David O’Meara also runs Leadman with Buick on board. Like Clive Cox’s Cracking Gold, that one landed his last outing. Past course and distance winner Mr Chaplin isn’t out of an ultra-competitive contest either. Physique needs more rain than there’s forecast, however.
There are two at each-way prices in amongst this myriad of runners who should go well. One is CRIMSON SPIRIT seeking a four-timer for Daniel & Claire Kubler. He’s up another 6lb for notching the hat-rick, but is clearly in the form of his life. Another who appeals is STANAGE off his last winning mark now dropped in grade and trip.
