Aidan O’Brien’s unbeaten filly Diamond Necklace headlines Day Three of Glorious Goodwood as she targets a sixth consecutive victory in the Group One Nassau Stakes at 3.35pm.
The talented three-year-old has been flawless throughout her career, winning a maiden at the Curragh before landing a Listed race at Leopardstown and signing off her juvenile season with Group One glory in the Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp.
This season she has added two further Group One victories in France, dominating the French 1000 Guineas before shading the verdict in the French Oaks at Chantilly.
The French Oaks was her first attempt over ten furlongs, and while she had to battle to reach the front, she stayed on powerfully and was firmly on top at the line.
She holds more Group One successes than the rest of the Nassau field combined, which is all the more impressive given she faces older horses for the very first time here.
In receipt of the three-year-old weight allowance, Diamond Necklace will take a huge amount of beating and looks the banker of the meeting at Goodwood on Thursday.
The most likely rival is the John and Thady Gosden-trained Friendly Soul, who claimed the Prix de l’Opera at the back end of last season for her sole top-level success.
She stumbled and nearly came down on her reappearance at Haydock, but that did not appear to affect her next run when finishing third behind Blue Bolt in Group Two company at Ascot.
Friendly Soul will need to improve on that Ascot form to trouble Diamond Necklace, and playing the pair in a straight forecast Exacta with World Pool looks the value play.
Earlier on the card, the Coral Kincsem Heritage Handicap at 1.50pm presents a solid opportunity for Ciarrai Abu, trained by Harry Eustace, who has already won and finished a close fourth in two starts at Goodwood.
The gelding built on that promising run to win at Ascot last time, leading right on the line over a mile, and now looks ready to step up to one-mile-two-furlongs on Thursday.
Drawn in stall two, Ciarrai Abu is well positioned and represents a strong Win and Place selection with World Pool for punters accessing the deep liquidity on offer at Glorious Goodwood.
In the Group Two Richmond Stakes at 2.25pm, it is hard to look beyond Flann Sunna, trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, who has won both starts with impressive ease.
The colt was particularly dominant last time at Ascot, winning by nearly five lengths, and looks a cut above rivals Cut A Dash and Night In Vegas.
The Group Three Gordon Stakes at 3.00pm brings Bay Of Brilliance into focus, a horse that was narrowly beaten by Maltese Cross in the Lingfield Derby Trial before running fourth in the Derby.
A below-par run in the German Derby on very soft ground last time can be forgiven, particularly with Maltese Cross going on to win a Group One this month, and Bay Of Brilliance should bounce back on a faster surface at Goodwood.