Siskin tests streak, elders in Sussex

Siskin beat all the 2-yearolds that raced against him last year and has beaten all the 3-year-olds he has faced this season. Now it is time to tackle older rivals as Siskin puts his perfect career record, five wins from five starts, on the line in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes on Wednesday at Goodwood Racecourse in England.

Siskin, a Juddmonte Farms homebred by First Defence out of Bird Flown, by Oasis Dream, gave trainer Ger Lyons and jockey Colin Keane a first classic-race success when scoring a game win last out in the Irish 2000 Guineas. Trapped along the fence, hemmed in by a pack of Aidan O’Brien-trained horses,

Siskin and Keane bulled their way to daylight in the final quarter-mile and powered home to an exhilarating 1 3/4-length tally over Vatican City, who tries Siskin again in the Sussex.

Vatican City, after finishing eighth in the Derby at Epsom, was a 12-1 shot for the Sussex with English bookmakers as of Monday. Vatican City, Siskin, English 2000 Guineas winner Kameko, and English 2000 Guineas runner-up Wichita all get eight pounds from their older rivals in the Sussex, a one-mile race run around right-handed bends. The top older horses are Mohaather, who was offered at 5-2 as of Monday, and Circus Maximus, who finished second behind Too

Darn Hot as a 3-year-old in the 2019 Sussex.

Circus Maximus won the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes, a straight-course mile, in his most recent start, coming back after being passed by the filly Terebellum to win by a nose. Mohaather finished seventh in the Queen Anne but had a poor trip, shuffled back to last in the early stages and short of room every time he tried to make a run through the final three furlongs. He returned with a smart score in the Group 2 Summer Mile at Ascot and could be sharper right now than Circus Maximus, who lacks Mohaather’s acceleration.

But with the eight-pound weight break, Siskin should be tough. A 3-year-old has won this race eight times in the last 12 renewals, and Siskin has done nothing wrong so far. He rose to the Group 1 level to win the Phoenix Stakes as a 2-year-old and put to rest concerns about his ability to stay a mile with his brave, decisive score in the Irish 2000 Guineas. Goodwood’s mile configuration should suit his talents, though Mohaather and Circus Maximus will provide a sterner test than anything Siskin has met.

Post time for the Sussex is set for 10:15 a.m. Eastern. The course as of Monday was listed as good, soft in places. Live video and wagering is available at DRFBets.com.