Ribchester and Churchill take each other on in a mouthwatering clash for the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood on Wednesday.
Richard Fahey’s Ribchester has proved himself as the best older miler in Europe with wins in the Lockinge at Newbury and the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot.
He was beaten half a length into third by Aidan O’Brien’s The Gurkha in this race last year and it is another Ballydoyle inmate who is likely to pose the biggest threat.
Churchill saw his long winning streak come to an end at Royal Ascot, but he has already claimed four Group Ones.
Among them were the English and Irish Guineas but he was a lacklustre fourth in the St James’s Palace Stakes.
Churchill will be joined in the line-up by stablemate Lancaster Bomber, who was runner-up in the St James’s Palace.
Zelzal adds international flavour for French trainer Jean-Claude Rouget.
Winner of the Prix Jean Prat last season, he was second on his comeback in a Group Three at Chantilly in June.
Kool Kompany, Here Comes When, Lightning Spear, Ribchester’s pacemaker Toscanini and the returning Zonderland complete the field.
