Gloomy Sunday set to make cross-channel raid on Artemis Goodwood Cup

Gloomy Sunday runs out the impressive winner of the Henry II Stakes at Sandown Park under jockey Olivier Peslier. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

Up and coming young French trainer, Christophe Ferland, is hoping Gloomy Sunday can make another successful cross-Channel raid in the £100,000 Artemis Goodwood Cup, race three in the QIPCO British Champions Series Long Distance division.

Run over two miles, it is the feature race on the third day of Glorious Goodwood, Thursday 1 August.

The four-year-old daughter of Singspiel is a new addition to the staying ranks and looked a potential star when winning a high-class renewal of the Group 3 Henry II Stakes over two miles by four lengths at Sandown on 30 May.

Ferland, who will be having his first runner at Glorious Goodwood, revealed: "Gloomy Sunday has been very, very well since Sandown.

"She looks fantastic and worked very well recently so she is on course for the Goodwood Cup.

"Hopefully Olivier Peslier will ride her again, but she is very easy to ride and everything suits her.

"We were not sure what to expect when we sent her to Sandown as she was my first runner in Britain, but she had run well at Saint-Cloud before that on her first try at two miles.

"She is a very nice filly and has a lot of quality.

"After the Goodwood Cup, her big target is the Prix du Cadran on Arc weekend.

"She will be my first runner at Glorious Goodwood and I am looking forward to coming over."

Gloomy Sunday is likely to clash with the Michael Owen-owned Brown Panther, an easy winner of the Listed Pontefract Castle Stakes on his seasonal return in June, and the Saeed bin Suroor-trained pair of Colour Vision, who won last year’s Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and then finished third in the Artemis Goodwood Cup, and Cavalryman.

Also at Glorious Goodwood is the QIPCO Sussex Stakes in the Mile division on Wednesday 31 July and the Markel Insurance Nassau Stakes, in the Fillies & Mares category, on Saturday 3 August.