SHANE Foley will have a chance to extend his lead in the jockeys’ championship as close rival Colin Keane will have to self-isolate for two weeks following his planned trip to Goodwood next Wednesday to ride Siskin in the Qatar Sussex Stakes.
Before racing yesterday, Foley was on 40 winners, followed by Wayne Lordan (30), Keane (29), Seamie Heffernan (21) and Billy Lee (21).
Wednesday’s Group 1 looks set to be the race of the week at Goodwood, featuring Siskin, Circus Maximus, Mohaather and Kameko.
The unbeaten Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas winner Siskin has made just one previous visit to Britain when he was a dramatic late withdrawal from last September’s Middle Park Stakes after becoming fractious in the stalls at Newmarket.
Ger Lyons’ colt has an otherwise unblemished record, however, after returning with an emphatic classic success at the Curragh last month.
Andrew Balding’s Qipco 2000 Guineas winner Kameko returns to a mile after finishing fourth as the beaten favourite in the Derby. Mohaather and Aidan O’Brien’s dual Royal Ascot winner Circus Maximus – who was runner-up in this race 12 months ago to Too Darn Hot – lead the challenge against the three-year-olds.
O’Brien has also entered Lancaster House, who was second to Romanised in the Minstrel Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.
Other expected highlights of the five-day meeting include Tuesday’s Goodwood Cup, which will see a clash between star stayer Stradivarius and Irish Derby winner Santiago.
Thursday’s Nassau Stakes has attracted the unbeaten French filly Tawkeel, Donnacha O’Brien’s Prix de Diane winner Fancy Blue, Royal Ascot scorer Nazeef, and last year’s Nassau heroine Deirdre.
On Friday Battaash is expected to try and win the King George Qatar Stakes for a fourth successive time.
The big story at Goodwood next Saturday will not be the racing but the return of racegoers to the track. Up to 5,000 members of the public are to be admitted in what is a Government-approved pilot scheme.
ITV Racing is increasing its live coverage of the Glorious Goodwood Festival, with plans to show five races a day rather than four.
The British Horseracing Authority has announced that more owners will be allowed to attend meetings from next Tuesday. The changes mean more than two owners will be able to attend a fixture and that they will have greater flexibility over when they arrive and how much time they can spend at the track.