Goodwood Festival: A recap of 2020's Sussex Stakes Day

The prestigious Goodwood Festival is on the horizon, and with England recently lifting the majority of their coronavirus pandemic restrictions, the five-day meeting will be one of the first major horseracing events to go ahead with no limitations on the number of racegoers allowed to pass through the gates since the 2020 renewal of the Cheltenham Festival.

The meeting's second day - Sussex Stakes Day - is one of the highlights of the meeting, with the prestigious Grade 1 Sussex Stakes headlining the action-packed day, whilst the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes also provides punters with the thrills of group racing.

So, whilst the bettors to and fro over Jim Bolger's Poetic Flare and John Gosden's Palace Pier, who are neck-and-neck in the Goodwood racing odds ahead of this year's prestigious one-mile race, let's take a look back at last year's Sussex Stakes Day. Read on to find more.

Opening races

While day one - Goodwood Cup Day - was one for the favourites, day two was the polar opposite. 22/1 shot Chamade stormed over the line almost three lengths clear of Waliyak, the 13/8F, in the EBF Fillies' Handicap and 25/1 outsider Just Hubert beat Rochester House (6/1) by nothing more than a neck in the Goodwood Handicap, where the ante-post favourite True Destiny was someway back in sixth. Mambo Nigths was a shorter-priced winner in the Boosts A Day Handicap at 9/1, beating A Star Above (13/2) over the line by a neck.

Molecomb Stakes (Group 3)

The Molecomb Stakes was the first group race of the day, and Steel Bull (2/1F) became the first market leader to land a victory on the second day of the meeting. The Michael O'Callaghan-trained horse was short of room at around the two-furlong post, but when shaken up by jockey Colin Keane, Steel Bull started to gain headway, and he was out in the clear one furlong out. Ben Macdui applied some late pressure, but the favourite quickened again in the final 110 yards to beat the 16/1 shot by three quarters of a length.

1st. Steel Bull (2/1F)
2nd. Ben Macdui (16/1)
3rd. Internationaldream (50/1)

Sussex Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series)

While not the favourite, there was another short-priced winner of the week's feature race, the Sussex Stakes - which was won by 3/1 shot Mohaather. Short of room in midfield, the Marcus Tregoning-trained horse dropped back to last two furlongs out. But it proved to be a good move by jockey Jim Crowley. He moved the now five-year-old to the outside one furlong out and Mohaather ran on well to gain the lead in the final stages and pip the likes of Circus Maximus and Siskin over the line.

1st. Mohaather (3/1)
2nd. Circus Maximus (6/1)
3rd. Siskin (9/4F)

Closing races

Spright was the 11/10 favourite in the six-horse field for the penultimate race of the day, the EBF Fillies' Conditions Stakes (Plus 10/GBB Race). However, the Karl Burke-trained horse could fare no better than third as William Buick won aboard 7/2 shot Miss Jingles. It wasn't all doom and gloom for the favourites, as Oisin Murphy guided Toro Strike (3/1F) to a two-length victory in the Theo Fennell Handicap.