Lightning Spear among Sussex Stakes entries

Lightning Spear, so close to breaking his Gr. 1 duck in the Lockinge Stages, is among 46 entries for the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on August 1.

The David Simcock-trained Lightning Spear is one of 23 British entries for the Gr. 1 Sussex Stakes at the Qatar Goodwood Festival. He went within a whisker - officially a short head - of winning the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes when touched off by Rhododendron, and that filly is among 18 Irish entries for the Sussex. They also include English 2,000 Guineas winner Saxon Warrior and Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Romanised.

The race has also attracted three entries from France - including Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Olmeda - as well as one entry from each of Australia (Redkirk Warrior) and America (Yoshida).

Lightning Spear was sixth in the 2016 Sussex and ran a stormer in attritional conditions when third last year, beaten less than a length by soft-ground specialist Here Comes When and multiple top-level winner Ribchester.

Lightning Spear has, of course, also won twice over the Sussex course and distance in the last two renewals of the Gr. 2 Celeration Mile. Only two horses have won that race twice - the other is filly Chic (2004-05) - and Spear may bid to make history later in August.