Here Comes When upstages Ribchester to win Sussex Stakes at Goodwood

Champion jockey Jim Crowley guided the Andrew Balding-trained outsider to victory from pre-race favourite Ribchester in second, with Lightning Spear in third.

Another bumper crowd in Sussex were left disappointed as the much-anticipated ‘Duel on the Downs’ between the eventual runner-up and Churchill never materialised as the dual 2000 Guineas winner was withdrawn after persistent rain changed the going to soft.

That left the opportunity wide open for Ribchester, trained by Richard Fahey and part of Sheikh Mohammed’s resurgent Godolphin string. However having been successful in this season’s Lockinge Stakes and Queen Anne Stakes, they missed out on the chance to complete a Group One hat-trick despite making much of the running in the deteriorating conditions.

Jockey William Buick was pushing his mount along with two furlongs to run but Crowley and Here Comes When battled their way to the front. Just when it looked as though Ribchester was fading, he rallied to the cause, but while he was making ground again at the finish, Here Comes When also dug in and held on to win by a neck, with Lightning Spear a further three-quarters of a length back in third.

Speaking afterward, Crowley said: “That was fantastic. Fair play to Andrew and Dr Hay (owner) for supplementing him and running him in the race. It was a brave shout and it’s really paid off.

“The rain came and he’s always been a very good horse on soft ground. Before the race I was ticking off the horses I didn’t think would go on the ground and I thought he’d definitely be in the first three.

“He got a nice tow into the race and the weather has played to his strengths. It’s heavy ground and he just loves it. It’s nice for him to get his head in front in a race like that.”

The conditions at Goodwood certainly played their part as the ground was churned up by an eight-race card, which was hit by 25 non-runners and several withdrawals.

In the Group 3 Bombay Sapphire Molecomb Stakes, the Karl Burke-trained Havana Grey completed a hat-trick of classy juvenile wins with a tidy victory.

Burke’s regular rider PJ McDonald headed straight for the stands’ rail from the off, bringing Havana Grey home a length and three-quarters clear of favourite Invincible Army in second and To Wafij in third.

In the Maiden Fillies Stakes, the Mark Johnston-trained Threading, ridden by jockey William Buick, romped to victory by six lengths from Your Choice in second and Pulitzer in third a further two and three-quarter lengths back.

Trainer Richard Hannon saw Billesdon Bess take out the EBF Breeders’ Series Fillies’ Handicap, with Hollie Doyle guiding the winner home by a length from Titi Makfi in second and Indulged in third.

Thursday’s card on Day 3 at Glorious Goodwood has already been hit with Nezwaah, Wuheida and Shutter Speed pulling out of the Group 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes on account of the ground, paving the way further for Winter to bid for a fourth straight Group One win of year.