Sussex Stakes Betting Offers and Tips

Qatar Sussex Stakes Preview: Tips, Betting Offers and Odds

The much coveted Sussex Stakes takes centre stage on Day 2 at Glorious Goodwood. Here we take a look at the history of the race, highlight the best odds and offers and provide our betting tips for the contest.

First run over this 1 mile trip in 1878, Glorious Goodwood’s showpiece Group 1 event invariably attracts a stellar line-up and now offers a whopping £1 million in total prize money. Following on from the Lennox Stakes on day one, the top class action just keeps on coming and we love it! Be sure to check out the latest Glorious Goodwood Betting Offers and Free Bets too!

Sussex Stakes Tips

The Sussex Stakes is one of the highlights of the entire five days of Glorious Goodwood. The Group 1 contest carries a first prize of almost £600,000 and always attracts a selection of the best milers in training.

Three-Year-Olds to Reassert Their Dominance

The last two renewals of the Sussex Stakes went against the long term trends of the race considerably. Generally speaking, this is a race for younger horses with three-year-olds dominating the winners’ list since it was opened up to all ages in 1975. In that context, the back to back seven-year-old winners of the last two years was highly surprising.

Here Comes When (20/1) and Lightning Spear (9/1) were both also sent off at longer odds than is usual for a Sussex Stakes winner. Seven of the eight winners before them were the favourite with the bookies and five of those were odds-on. That list includes Frankel (two wins), Solow and Canford Cliffs and whilst we don’t quite have a horse of their quality in the running for this year’s renewal, we are expecting a younger horse from the top of the market to get the win.

Top Quality Rematch Ahead

Circus Maximus and Too Darn Hot are involved in a battle for favouritism for the Sussex Stakes. The former has been supplemented for the race so it’s clear just how highly he is thought of by connections. Aidan O’Brien’s three-year-old landed the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot which has long been an excellent guide for the Sussex Stakes so the support coming his way is understandable.

Still, it’s Too Darn Hot who is the shorter of the two at odds of 5/4 with Ladbrokes. He could only finish third in the St James’s Palace Stakes but did bounce back to win a first Group 1 as a three-year-old at Deauville early in July. That came at a time when some believe he would be best served by taking a rest so was a very big result for John Gosden and connections and sets up a thrilling rematch against Circus Maximus.

Lord Glitters to Run Well Again

Lord Glitters and Zabeel Prince are flying the flag for older horses in the Sussex Stakes. Both have won Group 1s this season but it’s the former who has the best chance of pushing the favourites to the line.

Having taken a six week break since his win in the Queen Anne Stakes, Lord Glitters will be nice and fresh for Goodwood. He is an excellent performer over a mile and runs well on a variety of different surfaces so won’t have his chances scuppered by the rain in the forecast.

Betting Predictions

The Sussex Stakes is understandably being written up as a face off between Too Darn Hot and Circus Maximus. There is plenty of quality in the chasing pack and Lord Glitters deserves each way support at 10/1 with BetVictor but it is tough to look past the market principles. Circus Maximus just about gets preference because of his win over Too Darn Hot at Ascot and the fact that he can be backed at a generous looking 5/2 with bet365.

Previous Race Winners

  • 2018 – Lightning Spear – jockey Oisin Murphy, trainer David Simcock
  • 2017 – Here Come When – jockey Jim Crowley, trainer Andrew Balding
  • 2016 – The Ghurka – jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Aidan O’Brien
  • 2015 – Solow – jockey Maxime Guyon, trainer Freddy Head
  • 2014 – Kingman – jockey James Doyle, trainer John Gosden
  • 2013 – Toronado – jockey Richard Hughes, trainer Richard Hannon, Sr.
  • 2012 – Frankel – jockey Tom Queally, trainer Sir Henry Cecil
  • 2011 – Frankel – jockey Tom Queally, trainer Sir Henry Cecil
  • 2010 – Canford Cliffs – jockey Richard Hughes, trainer Richard Hannon, Sr.
  • 2009 – Rip Van Winkle – jockey Johnny Murtagh, trainer Aidan O’Brien
  • 2008 – Henrythenavigator – jockey Johnny Murtagh , trainer Aidan O’Brien
  • 2007 – Ramonti – jockey Frankie Dettori, trainer Saeed bin Suroor
  • 2006 – Court Masterpiece – jockey Jimmy Fortune, trainer Ed Dunlop

Sussex Stakes History

Having first been run as a 6f sprint contest restricted to two year olds way back in 1861, the trip, age of the runners and overall prestige of this race have all increased over time. Having struggled to attract entries in its days as a juvenile contest, the race was given a drastic makeover in 1878 with the event becoming a three year olds only contest held over a mile and it soon became the most anticipated race of this meeting.

Over time older horses were permitted to take their place in the line-up, as the race became the all age championship event we know and love to day. Four year olds first entered the fray in 1960, with those aged five and older following in 1975.

Jockey and Trainer Records

The legendary jockey, Sir Gordon Richards took this race eight times in a 25 year period during his long and illustrious career and stands alone as the most successful rider in the history of the contest.

Just one behind Sir Gordon in terms of numbers of wins is the late, great Sir Henry Cecil, whose seven triumphs lead the way in the training ranks.

With names such as Warning, Rock of Gibraltar, Kris and the superstar Brigadier Gerard appearing on the roll of honour here it is clear that it more than not takes an elite performer to prevail. Only one horse has managed to bag the race twice, the greatest racehorse of all time and apple of Sir Henry Cecil’s eye, Frankel. Frankel won so many big races, including the 2000 Guineas and the Queen Anne Stakes and it will take a special horse to match his achievement at Goodwood.

As of 2015 it is the three year olds who have dominated here, with 28 wins since the race became an all age contest in 1975, as opposed to 13 wins for the older runners. The six year olds Noalcoholic (1983) and Court Masterpiece (2006) are the oldest winners to date.