Galileo Gold won part one of the battle of the Guineas winners

PICTURE: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Three big questions for day two at Goodwood

Drama and excitement was plentiful on day one at the Qatar Goodwood festival. While Home Of The Brave was denied, Godolphin duly picked up the Group 2 Lennox Stakes with Dutch Connection and a new star may have announced himself in the shape of the Aidan O’Brien-trained War Decree.  

The Group 1 action commences on Wednesday which brings with it the potential for some scintillating racing. The feature is the Sussex Stakes where an enduring rivalry of Classic winners reignites.

Can jumps trainers continue their dominance of the valuable staying contests?

Jumps trainers have had a successful time of it this season in bagging a trio of valuable staying Flat contests.

At Royal Ascot the Gordon Elliott-trained Commissioned came clear to win the Queen Alexandra Stakes while Jennies Jewel made a successful return to the Flat when landing the prestigious Ascot Stakes.

And at Chester’s May meeting, No Heretic, who runs in the Goodwood Stakes, won the Chester Cup for Nicky Henderson.

The record of jumps trainers in Wednesday’s Goodwood Stakes is worth noting as they have pulled off a win several times, including last year when Nigel Twiston-Davies took the £50,000 handicap with Sands Of Fortune.

Henderson won the race in 2010 with Ghimaar and dual-purpose trainer Ian Williams has won it twice, most recently with Teak in 2014.

This year Triumph Hurdle fourth Oceane, trained by Alan King, is the leading contender for the jumps contingent.

Will Ulysses fulfill his pedigree promise?

Ulysses boasts one of the most regal pedigrees you can wish for. Partly on that basis he was sent off at 8-1 for the Derby, despite having won only a maiden on his previous outing.

He finished a disappointing 12th in the Epsom Classic but, being by the all-conquering Galileo and out of 2007 Oaks winner Light Shift, connections will hope he has improved for that run and can realise the potential his pedigree promises by landing the Group 3 Beringice Gordon Stakes.

It will not be an easy task with Aidan O’Brien’s Shogun and Bahrain Trophy runner-up Platitude among his rivals.

Who will triumph in the battle of the Guineas winners?

Racegoers are set for a rare treat as it will be the first time the winners of the British, Irish and French Guineas compete in the Qatar Sussex Stakes.

When they met at Royal Ascot, Galileo Gold came out on top in the St James’s Palace Stakes, and will look to confirm the form, nudging jockey Frankie Dettori closer to the 3,000-winner mark in the process.

However, with The Gurkha adjudged to be slightly unfortunate in running that day, and Awtaad reportedly flying at home, it looks set to be another cracker.