Sun Goddess is aiming to extend her impressive winning streak with another Group One victory in the Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket. The three-year-old filly, trained by Aidan O’Brien, has elevated her form significantly since a defeat at Royal Ascot earlier in the season and enters the race on the back of commanding wins, including a recent wide-margin victory in the Moyglare Stud Stakes. Her performances have marked her out as a leading contender in a competitive renewal featuring several notable fillies.
The race features three fillies at the forefront of the betting markets: Sun Goddess, Senorita Bonita, and Libertango. Each has demonstrated strong form this season, making for an open contest. Senorita Bonita, trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, notably defeated Libertango in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes and recently secured a Group One win in the Prix Morny. Libertango, trained by George Boughey, suffered her only defeat when finishing behind Senorita Bonita but followed up with a victory in the Lowther Stakes.
Sun Goddess’s rise to prominence began after her earlier reverses, including a loss to Libertango at Ascot. Since then, she claimed the Group Two Norfolk Stakes and a sales race at York, before excelling in the Moyglare Stakes. Her pedigree, which includes Rock Of Gibraltar—sire of her dam’s half-sibling Gibraltar Blue—suggests stamina and toughness, attributes that have underpinned her ability to close strongly in races.
Outside the fillies’ division, the Tattersalls Middle Park Stakes features Orthodox, a Havana Grey colt who impressed with a dominant win at Royal Ascot’s Norfolk Stakes earlier in the year. Orthodox has run only once since then, winning by a significant margin, though questions remain about the strength of that form. His defeat in the Prix Morny, behind Senorita Bonita, was attributed to soft ground, and he is expected to benefit from a firmer surface at Newmarket.
Among the contenders in other key races on the card, Gavriel, trained by John and Thady Gosden, looks to build on a recent Ascot handicap victory in the bet365 Cambridgeshire. The three-year-old showed promising form stepping up in trip and could return to the winner’s circle.
The Tattersalls Online Royal Lodge Stakes also features a competitive field, with First Law, a Too Darn Hot colt trained by William Buick’s stable, receiving preference over stablemate Quest For Stars. First Law has shown adaptability to varying ground conditions, having won a Listed race on heavy ground at Haydock despite a preference for faster surfaces. With a price tag of one million guineas at Tattersalls Book 1, connections harbor aspirations for Classic success.
Overall, the Newmarket meeting showcases several promising young horses in both juvenile and classic contests, with Sun Goddess currently favored to maintain her remarkable sequence among a field of high-quality rivals.