Group Two Lennox Stakes Guide 2021

Spearheading the market in the Godolphin blue is Space Blues. The prolific 5 year old ripped this race apart last year under Will Buick, scything through the field to leave Duke Of Hazzard in his wake.

A fast 7 furlongs is his ideal and he’s gained an eye-watering mark of 120 for his sprinting displays.

A perfect summer campaign last year saw him win all four outings, moving from Listed to Group 1 victories, culminating in a 6.5 furlong success at Deauville beating Diamond Jubilee winner Hello Youmzain.

We haven’t seen him since a poor showing in Al Quoz Sprint in Meydan, the drop to 6 furlongs proving a little too sharp for him.

He’s returning off a break but sets a strong standard and won this race as he pleased 12 months ago. The one to beat on paper.

The Godolphin second string is 3 year old Creative Force. His rise through the ranks this season has been extraordinary, having won a handicap off a mark of 89 at the start of the season, he’s since captured Listed and Group successes.

Mixing it mainly over 6 furlongs, he won the listed Carnarvon Stakes before stepping up to 7 furlongs at Royal Ascot for the Jersey Stakes.

Moving into group company and up in trip didn’t phase him as he held off owner mate Naval Crown with ease.

Last seen dropping back to 6 furlongs for the July Cup he lacked the speed to really mix it with the Group 1 sprinters but ran well to be 5th.

Going back up in trip will suit and this course will suit his high cruising speed. With a 3 year old allowance he needs to be taken seriously.

This 8 year old has been mixing it over 7 furlongs to a mile for most of his career, winning 13 of his 33 career outings.
Having graduated from handicaps, he really made a name for himself in the 2019 season, taking Listed and Group 3 honours with relative ease.

Last year he hit new heights, narrowly beaten by Space Blues on comeback; he then went on to win a Listed race at Epsom before coming 4th in this race last year. He left behind his Goodwood performance with a spine tingling display in the City Of York Stakes.

His form tailed off after a 1 mile win at Leopardstown in September last year but he got back to winning ways when last seen in a listed race at Chester.

Again 7 furlongs bringing out the best of him, he made every yard of the running around the Roodee to tee him up for another crack at this race.

His ideal trip, he’s versatile for going conditions and has tested Space Blues to the max before. A good bet to be hitting the frame.

Ralph Beckett's 4 year old Kinross has been well touted since an impressive debut victory as a 2 year old. He powered clear to a decisive 8 length victory before finishing a respectable 5th in the Vertem Futurity behind Kameko.

He has struggled to notch wins since. Coming 6th in the 2020 2000 Guineas, 8th in the Prix Jean Prat and a couple of other poor runs in lower grade affairs looked to leave his 3 year old season in tatters. But, he signed off with a solid listed win over a mile on the all weather.

Taken over to Meydan for a couple of races over the winter he was tried over 9 furlongs but found the trip too taxing and failed to get competitive.

Gelded in the early spring, the operation looked to have had the desired effect as he immediately got back to winning ways when taking a grade 3 at Haydock in late May.

Given time to freshen up, the gelding procedure looks to have worked wonders as he easily defied a 107 day break to an impressive victory last time out. The trip of 7 furlongs still looks his ideal and he’ll come on for his first seasonal outing.

A course and distance winner for the white and blue of King Power Racing and Andrew Balding. Happy Power clung on narrowly to defy Toro Strike in the Supreme Stakes here last year.

He followed that up with another impressive performance over 7 furlongs at Newmarket on soft ground in a group 2 race in October, beating Pogo and Glorious Journey.

He’s not been in the same form this season unfortunately, coming back in the Bet365 Mile, he couldn’t live with Palace Pier and was well beaten behind the Gosden superstar.

He struggled to lie up with the golden boy of the 1 mile division again in the Lockinge Stakes.

Running a blinder over 6 furlongs in the Diamond Jubilee to be 4th, he went back up to a mile for his latest run but came home last.

He seems to pull too hard to settle over a mile and doesn’t have the pace for 6 furlongs so this trip should be about right.

If showing the form he did here last year, he can have a say in the finish.

This 5 year old for Paul and Oliver Cole has been prolific around this course in his career. His course form reading 11125.

Mixing it over 7 furlongs to a mile, he was the best of the rest in this race last year as Space Blues blew the field away.

Duke Of Hazzard hasn’t won for nearly two years now, he’s run good races but has found it difficult to get his head in front.

This season behind Oh This Is Us, Space Traveller and Glorious Journey on his four outings.

Coming back to a course where he’s been so effective hopefully helps bring him back to form but he’s been beaten by a few rivals who will likely get the better of him again here.

Team Gosden bring Fundamental who was last seen finishing 2nd in the Bunbury Cup to runaway winner Motakhayyel.

Despite not being able to live with the top weight in the handicap, Fundamental was a clear best of the rest.

This 3 year old took three attempts to break his maiden as a juvenile but when he came good at Chelmsford last season, he did it in real style.

Winning on seasonal reappearance over a mile, he’s struggled to keep the winning sequence going. Coming 5th in the Greenham Stakes and another 5th in the Jersey Stakes are his highlights from the season prior to the Bunbury run.

He didn’t quite look up to the task in group races but acquitted himself very well in handicap company despite his high rating.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see him held in an even deeper race here either.

A gelding by Kitten’s Joy, Khuzaam put in a couple of really smart performances in the early part of this season on the all weather.

After making a mockery of a handicap mark of 89, the handicapper took a swipe at him to the tune of 14lbs. Connections moved him into listed company where he went down by neck to Set Piece.

Two more 2nd place efforts followed so he was gelded at the end of last year. His return wins this campaign looked strong but he was well put in his place by Palace Pier in the Bet365 mile, coming last of the 4 runners.

Dropped to 6 furlongs for his most recent run, he really struggled for pace and couldn’t justify favouritism.
He’s yet to win on turf and hasn’t got competitive in this quality of race yet. Easy to oppose.

Coming over from Ireland for Jessica Harrington is Real Appeal.

Tried as a sprinter for previous trainers in France and for Jim Bolger, the Harringtons moved him up in trip and were seeing signs of promise.

He finally came good for his new yard this season when winning a handicap off a mark of 90 over 7 furlongs at Leopardstown. Kept in handicap company, he just failed to carry top weight at Cork but ran well off his new mark of 98.

Seemingly in the grips of the handicapper, a move to group company brought out further improvement and he scored in a group 3 at Leopardstown last month.

He’s all pace and makes light work of 7 furlongs. He does have a tendency to shift left handed however and that could be an issue around Goodwood that’s shifting right handed to the line.

Likely to find a few too good.

It’s seemingly been hard to find this horse's ideal trip. Richard Fahey got this colt’s first success over 6 furlongs as a juvenile and he shaped well over 6 and 7 furlongs subsequently.

Last season he tried a mile at Royal Ascot and finished a creditable 5th in the Britannia Stakes, before an impressive win at this meeting last year in a 7 furlong handicap.

Running at Goodwood again in Group 2 company over 7 furlongs, he was narrowly beaten by Happy Power.
Returning to the course this season in a conditions race over 7 furlongs, he picked the pocket of Motakhayyel to power home in the last furlong.

Sent off co-favourite for the John Of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock, he failed to land a blow and came home in 6th, well behind Kinross.

Most of his running has been done over 7 furlongs but he looked to be grossly outpaced on his last run. Might find himself out of his depth here again.

Sporting the silks that resemble a dartboard, Escobar hasn’t tasted success since a bloodless victory in the Balmoral Handicap in October 2019.

His form has seriously tailed off since and the best he’s come is 3rd in the Victoria Cup at the start of this season.

Going over 1 mile on rain softened ground looks to be this horse's ideal and a fast 7 furlongs around Goodwood will probably leave him wanting for speed, unless the ground remains very soft. 

He did however come 3rd in this race last year at a massive price and would’ve been closer had he not been hampered in the final 250 yards.

He’ll have to post to a career best to win this and will be hoping for rain and the principles to go too hard in front.

Charles Hills saddles 5 year old Pogo here. It took him five attempts to get off the mark as a 2 year old but did it in style over 7 furlongs at Newmarket in a handicap. He moved up in grade for his last three runs as a juvenile but was well beaten in deeper waters.

As a 3 year old he recorded a couple more successes in handicap company over a mile but marks of 103-105 weighted him out of winning again.

He has however managed to take a couple of listed races since last summer, winning at Windsor over a mile and Leicester over 7 furlongs.

Dabbles in group 1 company since have left him wanting for quality but he did out in a near career best to be 5th in the Queen Anne Stakes at Ascot last month.

If replicating his run at the start of the season at Leicester he could get competitive but he’s been so in and out of form over the last few seasons he has become hard to trust.

At the tail end of the betting for Roger Varian and Andrea Atzeni. The 5 year old hasn’t won since his debut race as a 2 year old.

After impressing at Ascot on his first outing, he moved up into group and listed company but failed to lie up in stronger races.

He’s been tried over a variety of trips, mixing from 7 furlongs to 10 furlongs but has struggled to bounce back to winning form.

He went agonisingly close on seasonal comeback this year and was only beaten a head by Oh This Is Us at Ascot in a listed race over a mile.

He was last seen coming home last of the 11 runners in the Queen Anne Stakes last month. This will be the shortest trip he’s run over since a 2 year old and it’s hard to trust that it’ll bring the best out of a horse who hasn’t won for 3 years.

A colt by Frankel, named after Leicester City’s title winning season, Fivethousandtoone has only ran 6 times for Andrew Balding.

A winner over 6 furlongs as a juvenile in emphatic fashion, he moved up into group company for his last two runs of the season.

Finishing 2nd to Alkumait in the Mill Reef Stakes, he was then 7th in the Dewhurst at the end of the season.

Dropped in trip to 6 furlongs for his first outing of this season, he struggled to get competitive in the Commonwealth Cup and was last of the 15 runners.

He shaped a bit better on his most recent outing when coming 3rd of 4 in a class 3 conditions race at Haydock but never looked dangerous.

Down at the bottom of the betting it would be surprising to see him get involved in the finish in a deep looking Lennox Stakes.