Without Parole set for epic duel with Expert Eye at Goodwood

Without Parole, the unbeaten St James’s Palace Stakes winner, heads a stellar cast of horses bound for the South Downs next week, when he contests Wednesday’s £1million Qatar Sussex Stakes, highlight of Glorious Goodwood.

In what could be one of the clashes of the summer John Gosden’s colt will take on Expert Eye, Sir Michael Stoute’s impressive Jersey Stakes winner, who posted one of last season’s most striking juvenile performances when taking Goodwood’s Vintage Stakes.

Expert Eye subsequently had a few stalls issues, but the equine psychologists seem to have sorted him and he went into the stalls like an old hand at Royal Ascot. Either colt could go off as favourite.

They both take on their elders for the first time, and how the seven-yearold Lightning Spear has not won a Group One yet probably keeps David Simcock awake at night, but it is in his favour that his last two wins have come at Goodwood.

The other older horse to note is Beat The Bank, flagship of King Power Racing’s burgeoning string. He progressed to almost Group One level last year. He took a step backward this spring but got his head in front again at Ascot recently after a blocked run, so he is heading back in the right direction.

Frankie Dettori is banned until Thursday, and apart from watching Without Parole through his fingers on Wednesday, he will hardly be able to watch Stradivarius, who he rode to win the Ascot Gold Cup last month, in Tuesday’s Qatar Goodwood Cup. As with Without Parole, Andrea Atzeni has been called up to deputise.

Torcedor and Order Of St George, third and fourth behind him at Ascot, re-oppose and the Queen runs Call To Arms fresh from his Belmont Gold Cup win in New York. But in all probability Stradivarius will take the third leg of four in the Weatherbys Hamilton Stayers Bonus and still be on course for the windfall by Tuesday evening.

There will be a select field for Thursday’s Nassau Stakes, Goodwood’s other Group One, where the William Haggastrained Urban Fox will be hard to beat.