By Daithi Harvey
Several of this season's highlights have come from clashes of the different generations and on Wednesday at Goodwood another mouth-watering head to head will take place with Ribchester (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) and Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) spearheading a field of nine for the G1 Qatar Sussex S. Richard Fahey's Ribchester finished a close third to The Gurkha (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in last year's race but he will be favourite to overcome this year's Ballydoyle challenger following a perfect European season to date that has seen him claim the G1 Al Shaqab Lockinge S. at Newbury and the G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot. Aidan O'Brien's Churchill is on somewhat of a retrieval mission having lost his air of invincibility when only fourth in the St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot but his rating of 123 puts him only 2lbs behind Ribchester and he is in receipt of a 7lb age allowance which has proven so useful to 3-year-olds against their elders already this season.
Both horses will be joined by stable-mates and potential pace setters. Fellow Godolphin colour-bearer Toscanini (Ire) (Shamardal) will line up as will Ballydoyle's Lancaster Bomber (War Front) though to label him a pacemaker would be both unfair and unwise based on his last time out second to Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}) at Royal Ascot. Further depth is added by the French challenger Zelzal (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), a Group 1 winner last year for Jean-Claude Rouget and David Simcock's Lightning Spear (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), a course and distance winner in 2016. Clive Cox will be hoping his Zonderland (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) can step up to the mark while the Richard Hannon trained Kool Kompany (Ire) (Jeremy) and Andrew Balding's Here Comes When (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) complete the field in the £1,000,000 event.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
