Pallasator and Spear contest Goodwood Gr. 1s

Pallasator and Lightning Spear run in Gr. 1s at the Qatar Goodwood Festival on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.

First up is Pallasator who has another crack at the Qatar Goodwood Cup, run over two miles and due off at 3.35pm. The Goodwood Cup will be run as a Gr. 1 for the first time this year and has been moved forward a couple of days, with the Gr. 1 Nassau Stakes also moved forward from Saturday to Thursday.

Pallasator has run in the Goodwood Cup twice previously and finished in the frame behind Big Orange both times, including when second a year ago, again finishing ahead of Sheikhzayedroad that day. Sadly, Simple Verse will not take part in the Goodwood Cup as she has pulled a muscle, which means Qatar Racing's retained jockey Oisin Murphy will switch to Pallasator.

Another popular older horse, Lightning Spear (pictured), has been declared for the Gr. 1 Qatar Sussex Stakes (3.35pm) on Wednesday, in which he will take on his old rival Ribchester and Churchill. This will be the third time Lightning Spear has raced at Goodwood as he was sixth in last year's Sussex before winning the Gr. 2 Celebration Mile last August. Lightning Spear pulled too hard early when given a second try over a mile and a quarter in the Eclipse last time and will appreciate the return to a mile. If he can reproduce the form of his third in last year's QEII or his second in the Lockinge, a place behind Ribchester both times, then he will outrun his current odds.

Also set to represent Qatar Racing at Goodwood on Tuesday is Lightning Spear's stablemate Soul Silver, who goes in the mile handicap for fillies which closes the card (5.15pm). It looks a competitive race, but Soul Silver showed a really good attitude when beating the re-opposing top-weight Lincoln Rocks at Newbury last time and is unexposed over this distance.