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| Sumita Pawar |
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On Tuesday, Kinross will return to his best distance, and his connections are confident that he can win back his World Pool Lennox Stakes title at Goodwood.
Ralph Beckett has been in excellent form recently, with a 30 percent strike rate, making him one of the top trainers heading to the Sussex Downs with his team.
Kinross, who previously won the seven-furlong Group Two contest two years ago and finished second last year, is now competing against seven rivals. He is considered a favorite to win.
Having won his last three races over the same distance, including the Prix de la Foret, Kinross is a top-level winner and has a strong chance of success after his British Champions Sprint victory last season.
The consistent Kingman gelding, who will be ridden by Frankie Dettori, narrowly missed out on winning three consecutive Group One races when he finished third behind Shaquille in the July Cup at Newmarket in his most recent race.
“He is a year older now, but he was unlucky not to win it last year and he did win it the year before, so it looks a great spot to get back to winning ways,” said Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for owner Marc Chan.
“There is no doubt this is his best distance. He likes the course and he’s justifiably the favourite, even though that doesn’t mean he will win the race.”
3YO Isaac Shelby: A Force To Be Reckoned With
3YO Isaac Shelby will have his first opportunity to compete against older individuals. The Night Of Thunder colt, trained by Brian Meehan, won the Superlative last season and the Greenham in his first race this year, receiving a 6lb advantage over Kinross and a 9lb advantage over Al Suhail.
Moving up to a mile, he narrowly lost in the French 2000 Guineas and finished fourth to Paddington in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, where he was a little too eager on faster ground.
“He’s back to seven (furlongs) and hopefully that will see him in his best light,” said Richard Brown, racing adviser for owners Wathnan Racing.
“It’s a tight, competitive race and Kinross will be tough to beat. But the horse is in great form and we’re looking forward to it.
“He got lit up and things didn’t really go to plan at Ascot. I’m not trying to use an excuse and saying he would have won there, but back in trip and back in grade here, he should be thereabouts.”
The connections of Al Suhail, who carries the top weight, will closely monitor the weather conditions before making a decision on whether he will participate in the race.
Having won five times over the same distance, Al Suhail finished third in the prestigious Al Quoz Sprint during Dubai World Cup night. He then achieved a commendable sixth place in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Charlie Appleby told www.godolphin.com, “Al Suhail has come out of Ascot well, although he has a penalty here for his win in the Al Fahidi Fort.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him back over seven, which is probably his best trip, and the course at Goodwood might suit.
“We will be keeping an eye on the weather as his participation would be in doubt if there was significant rain.”
Audience, who was trained by John and Thady Gosden, has achieved two victories since being gelded. Following a successful race in Leicester in October, he continued his winning streak with a two-length triumph in the Group Three Criterion Stakes over seven furlongs at Newmarket for his first race of the season.
Chris Richardson, managing director of owner Cheveley Park Stud, said, “This race is the natural progression really and he came out of the Newmarket race well.
“He has not been straightforward, but gelding seems to have worked and we are now seeing what we were seeing on the gallops, but not on the racecourse.
“He was just not performing on the track as we thought he would and should have been. It was just one of those rather frustrating things, but it was lovely to see him bounce back and follow up the previous win with such an emphatic success.”