Glorious Goodwood Day 3 Insights: Key Irish Runners

The action at Glorious Goodwood continues at pace on Thursday, with day three of the festival headlined by the Group 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes.

There is another smattering of Irish interest in the action at Goodwood and we are taking a look at the Irish runners headed for the Sussex Downs on Thursday.

Chicago Call & Puerto Rico - Richmond Stakes (Group 2)

The old alliance of Aidan O'Brien and Johnny Murtagh shone brightly on many occasions here as trainer/jockey together, now they both saddle runners in this 6f event for the two-year-olds. O'Brien saddles Puerto Rico, while Murtagh sends out Chicago Call.

The Ballydoyle runner is a three-race maiden but has improved with each outing and the Wootton Bassett colt comes here after having finished second to stablemate True Love in this grade at the Curragh recently. That is a strong line of form.

Chicago Call took a big step forward from first-to-second run as he won a Fairyhouse maiden over this trip, beating Ballydoyle newcomer Charles Fort into second.

Murtagh now opts to roll the dice in this higher grade and has picked up the services of Billy Loughnane as they seek to continue their perfect record together (1-1).

Galveston - Gordon Stakes (Group 3)

O'Brien and Ryan Moore team up with Galveston in the Gordon Stakes. The Frankel colt has gained both wins at Naas, a mile maiden last season and a 1m2½f rated contest this spring.

He was last spotted running a creditable third in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot on his first attempt at this mile-and-a-half trip behind Amiloc.

He faces a strong home team that includes the talented but perhaps quirky Wimbledon Hawkeye, the improving Rahiebb and the hat-trick seeking Merchant for William Haggas as he steps into Pattern company following his win in the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot last time out.

That came off a mark of 90 and he had the next-time-out Irish Derby silver medallist Serious Contender behind in second spot.

Bedtime Story, Cercene & Whirl - Nassau Stakes (Group 1)

An absolute belter awaits in the Nassau Stakes despite only five runners being declared for the Fillies' And Mares' Group 1 over a mile-and-a-quarter. A trio of those five runners are trained in Ireland.

Whirl gets top billing of the raiding party for O'Brien and Moore. She was denied only by stablemate Minnie Hauk in a pulsating Epsom Oaks duel in June and backed that up by winning the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh over this trip since.

Beaten rivals from the Group 1 heat, Kalpana (second) and Wemighttakedlongway (fourth), have franked the form with runner-up finishes in elite company on their next starts at Ascot and the Curragh.

Cercene gave trainer Joe Murphy a fairytale first Group 1 success when she landed the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and she was immediately touted for this race and a step up in trip.

The Australia filly is bred to get further, but has shown plenty of speed in her races and should be able to acquit herself well however this Glorious Goodwood contest plays out tactically.

Bedtime Story hasn't quite lived up to the billing she created for herself by winning her first four starts last season as a juvenile, but the Frankel filly took a big step in the right direction when she was second in the Prix de Diane at Longchamp last month.

That was her first crack at this trip and she sports a first-time hood in her quest to give rider Wayne Lordan another Group 1 at Glorious Goodwood following his win on Scandinavia on day one.