Gustav Klimt gets another shot at living up to Group One billing in Wednesday's Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
Aidan O’Brien’s colt looked a prime Guineas candidate through much of the Spring only to wind up missing his classic cue at Newmarket.
Gustav Klimt did better in the Irish Guineas when third and better again at Royal Ascot when getting to within half a length of Without Parole in the St James's Palace. Since then though he has had to settle for another top-flight third in the Prix Jean Part at Deauville.
If it’s an overall profile that suggests a horse that bit short of absolute top class then that Ascot effort still puts him into a less than vintage Sussex renewal with a good chance.
Without Parole and the rejuvenated Jersey winner Expert Eye have dominated the betting but both are officially rated equal to the luckless older horse Lightening Spear and just 1lb ahead of the Irish raider.
The unknown factor with Gustav Klimt is the illness uncertainty over Ballydoyle and the hit and miss nature of which horses being affected.
Certainly all five of O’Brien’s previous Sussex winner arrived on the Sussex Downs with more obvious form credentials.
However this looks a Sussex vulnerable to being won by a horse below the exalted standards of Rock Of Gibraltar or Henrythenavigator.
It's make up has encouraged French maestro Andre Fabre to have a go with the Listed winner Orbaan while the previous high class gelding Lord Glitters is no back number either.
Both Without Parole and Expert have potential to step up to another form level again but this will be their greatest examination.
James Doyle can do no big-race wrong lately and rides the enigmatic Expert Eye for a first time.
The real pressure looks to be Andrea Atzeni who steps in for the suspended Frankie Dettori on Without Parole.
Tactical affair
This Frankel colt overcame top-flight inexperience to land the St James’s Palace even after Dettori acknowledged he might have kicked for home plenty soon enough.
That gave Gustav Klimt a target to shoot at yet he still wasn’t able to pass. However with no obvious pace element to the race no such convenient target is likely this time.
"There's nothing in there that's obviously going to set a gallop, so it could turn into a tactical affair. They all come from off the pace, so someone's going to have to do something a little different," said Without Parole's trainer John Gosden.
There would be no more popular winner than the veteran Lightening Spear who like Gustav Klimt has yet to hit the Group One bullseye.
"This horse needs to win a Group One because he's the most beautiful physical specimen with a good temperament and the pedigree," his Killarney-born jockey, Oisin Murphy, said.
“If we can get a Group One in the UK he would deserve his place at stud and he would be an exciting stallion prospect,” he added.
O'Brien and Ryan Moore will aim for a pre-Sussex Stakes boost from Fantasy in the Group Three Molecomb Stakes. The filly drops back to this fast five furlongs after cutting out much of the pace in the Anglesey Stakes at the Curragh last time.
