Juddmonte International Guide - 17/08/20

The favourite for the Group One is Charlie Appleby's Ghaiyyath who has truly not put a foot wrong this season and looks like as a four year old he has finally lived up to his potential.

The son of Dubawi was known last season for jet setting all over the globe to win races which saw him land a Group One in Germany by 14 lengths a Group Two in France and also a Group Three in Meydan.

He headed to the Prix de l'arc de Triomphe on his final start last season and didn't run any sort of race but seems to be a completely different animal this term.

This term he started in the Group One Coronation Cup at Newmarket at the start of June and saw off Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck along with three time Ascot Gold Cup winner Stradivarius, subsequently breaking the track record.

In the first weekend of July he stepped up for another Group One event at Sandown in the Coral Eclipse and although all the talk was about Enable's return, this horse was the one with the headlines after a stunning front running performance.

He enters the event with the best form on show and if improving again for what he has done this season and also given an easy lead, it could be a rout.

The main Irish contender and Magical really does not need any introduction having had a superb career for Aidan O'Brien and looking like she was heading to retirement but has come back even better than before.

Having landed the Champion Stakes last season and running behind Enable in the big middle distance Group Ones during her career, it is now where she is looked at as a serious mare.

Magical made a stellar return to racing having been thought to be heading for retirement, Coolmore operations have given her one more season on the track and it has looked to have paid dividends after she romped home on seasonal debut in the Group One Pretty Polly Stakes.

She backed that up in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh and although it was not the strongest race it saw her land a hat-trick of black type events and she can't be overlooked here.

One of the most progressive horses on the the flat this term has been the John Gosden trained runner who last season was running in Handicaps and this year has stepped up to land fiercely contested Group Ones.

Consistency is something that this horse is known for, not finishing outside the top two in his last six events and recently showing his class in better races.

This term Lord North is unbeaten landing the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Haydock and off the back of that taking the Group One Prince Of Wales's Stakes.

That form warrants him some respect in this race nut he will have had to improve again since then to go close.

The three year old at the back end of his juvenile career beat a decent field of youngsters at Newcastle in the Vertem Futurity Stakes.

On his seasonal reappearance he ripped apart an even better field in the 2000 Guineas, showing some serious pace to beat the other runners which included champion two year old Pinatubo.

He was stepped up in trip for the Epsom Derby and with many thinking the horse would not stay they and is better at a mile, they were right as he could only finish fourth.

Stepping back to a mile for the Sussex Stakes, with two furlongs to he looked to be travelling the best but getting no run and running into other horses, he could not unleash his challenge.

Stepping up in trip he will need be on his A game but not having the hardest race last time out should see him give a big effort and might be the value in the contest.

Roger Charlton has been in some decent form of late and he fields Alpinista in the Group One who won over course and distance last time out.

The five year old landed the Group Two York Stakes seeing off a decent field of runner like third in the race last year Elarqam, St James's Palace Stakes second King Of Comedy and Queen Anne Winner Lord Glitters.

However, for the gelding to make the step up into Group One company he will have to give a career best performance and maybe even that might not be good enough in this field.

The final runner of the race is the big 100/1 outsider and the Mark Johnston trained runner is that price for a reason having never been a Group On quality horse.

The three year old has been hit and miss during her career and although scoring over course and distance last time out in the Musidora Stakes, she looks opposable.

Even with getting the weight off the rest of the field, the runners are just that step up in terms of class and it is a serious uphill task.