Unbeaten Siskin To Rise To Sussex Challenge

SISKIN can maintain his unbeaten record in a red-hot renewal of the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

Ger Lyons’ three-year-old has just one blot on his copybook, and that was when he was sent over to Newmarket last autumn for the Middle Park Stakes.

He became upset in the stalls, something there has been no sign of him doing before or since, and we were denied what would surely have been a great clash with the eventual winner Earthlight.

To prevent it happening again, Lyons was given a special rug Clive Cox had made for Harry Angel, and it worked the oracle in the Irish 2,000 Guineas where he handled the step up to a mile with aplomb.

The only danger he faced that day was a wall of Ballydoyle horses, but Siskin was good enough to take a gap when it appeared - and Colin Keane needed no second invitation.

Last year’s runner-up Circus Maximus and Marcus Tregoning’s Mohaather are serious rivals from the older brigade on Wednesday - while with Newmarket Guineas winner Kameko back to a mile after failing to see out the Derby trip, we will arguably witness the race of the season.

Siskin, though, displayed a turn of foot very rarely seen at the Curragh and this track should suit.

Karl Burke’s Significantly may still be a maiden after three runs, but the Markel Insurance Molecomb Stakes may be right up his street.

Favourite on his debut, he just failed to catch Muker - who went close in the Windsor Castle and has won since.

He then hit the front too soon at Doncaster when headed on the line, but he proved when upped in class at Sandown last time out that he is all speed.

It looked as if he was going to win the Dragon Stakes, having hit the front inside the final furlong, only to be caught close home by Gussy Mac.

Sandown’s stiff finish will have been all against him there, so the speedier nature of Goodwood should be right up his street.

Roger Varian’s Waliyak looks very well treated in the British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies’ Handicap.

She was second in the Sandringham at Royal Ascot on her reappearance and the winner of that race, Onassis, has been to France to win at Listed level since.