Solow tops 8 declared for Qatar Sussex Stakes

Solow and Maxime Guyon get Royal Ascot off to a flyyer when taking the Queen Anne. Can he make it eight on the bounce at Glorious Goodwood? Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

Solow, the best miler in Europe, will bid to make it eight wins on the bounce and become the first French-trained winner of race since 1993 in Wednesday’s Qatar Sussex Stakes. 

Freddy Head’s colt extended his seven-run unbeaten streak when landing the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot and will face seven rivals in the feature race on the second day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

Gleneagles was the most high-profile absentee on account of the ground and the main opposition now comes in the shape of Al Shaqab Lockinge hero, Night of Thunder and Arod, who is in search of a hat-trick following victories in the Diomed Stakes and Summer Mile.

Freddy Head told us: “Solow is in really good form and the Qatar Sussex Stakes has been the plan for him ever since he won the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.

“He is a very sound horse who takes his races well – he does not require much work and is easy to train.

“If there is some give in the ground it will be a big help for him as he has won on heavy. I also think that Goodwood will suit him better than the stiff mile at Ascot.

“The ground at Ascot was a bit firm for him but I still believe that the Queen Anne form is pretty strong.  Some of the big name horses may have run a little below par but that was not Solow’s fault and Esoterique [the runner-up] is a very good filly on her day.

“Race tactics are not a problem for him as he has won from the front – he can do anything. He is a very genuine horse.

”The new Qatar Goodwood Festival is a very good thing for racing and many of the best horses are running in the Qatar Sussex Stakes. If you put up good prizes you will get the best horses.”