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The Goodwood Festival, perhaps better known as ‘Glorious Goodwood’, is one of the major events of the flat racing season.
Held over five scintillating days at the Sussex course, each of the cards has something to look forward to with Group races and lucrative handicaps every day.
The highlight of the entire week, however, is the Sussex Stakes on day two. The Group 1 contest, formed in 1841, is one of the most sought-after races for one-milers, with a prize purse of over £500,000 for the winner.
The Sussex Stakes has a roll of honour to match its prestige, with elite equine stars like Frankel and Rock Of Gibraltar amongst the previous winners, and this race looks set to be another cracking renewal of what is often dubbed ‘the dual of the Downs’.
With that in mind, read on as we assess the favourites in the horse race betting markets, analysing their seasonal form and their chances of success at Goodwood.
Rosallion – 5/4
One of the standout colts of the campaign so far, Rosallion has performed admirably in his three runs to date in 2024.
The Richard Hannon-trained horse won the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp on his final appearance as a two-year-old and set his sights on the 2000 Guineas.
Notable Speech proved too good for Rosallion at Newmarket, beating him by over a length in the first Classic of the year.
However, the Blue Point colt has gone on to win twice at the highest level since. He beat a fellow Hannon-trained horse in Haatem by a head in the Irish 2000 Guineas before another narrow victory over Henry Longfellow in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
As a result, Rosallion is as short as 5/4 to win the Sussex Stakes and carry on what has been a fantastic year for Herridge Racing Stables.
Henry Longfellow – 4/1
A horse who displayed so much class as a juvenile last year, Henry Longfellow’s left racing enthusiasts wanting more on his two runs this campaign.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained horse lit up the Curragh as a two-year-old, winning all three of his starts at the iconic Irish venue, including the Group 1 Vincent O’Brien National Stakes.
He looked destined to be a Classic winner on the back of that form and was sent to Longchamp for the French Guineas in May to avoid a clash with stablemate City Of Troy in the British version of the race.
Henry Longfellow was the 13/10 favourite, but he upset those checking the race results, hoping to see another first next to his name, as he could fare no better than eighth in Paris.
Losing to Rosallion by a mere neck at Ascot last time out was a big improvement, but he can’t be discounted as O’Brien seeks to equal Sir Henry Cecil’s record of eight wins in this race.
Notable Speech – 13/2
The addition of Notable Speech is set to make the Sussex Stakes a true spectacle, especially if the Godolphin horse can reverse the form we saw in the St James’s Palace Stakes last month.
Unraced as a juvenile, Notable Speech made his debut on the all-weather at Kempton in January and won three times at the Surrey track before transferring to turf for the 2000 Guineas.
Many were sceptical about his form ahead of the Classic, especially with it being his first run on grass, but he upset the applecart when winning comfortably under William Buick for Charlie Appleby.
The three-year-old was the favourite for the St James’s Palace Stakes but flattered to deceive when finishing second last.
Appleby had no excuses for Notable Speech’s disappointing performance, and if it’s just the case of a bad day at the office, then he should still be right in the mix come the finish line at Goodwood.
