Henry could take on older rivals for first time in Sussex
Aidan O’Brien’s brilliant three-year-old features amongst 11 possibles, although last year’s winner Ramonti is a high-profile absentee following a training setback.
Henrythenavigator will be seeking a fourth Group One victory following his Classic double and an impressive success in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
O’Brien has also left Astronomer Royal, US Ranger, Minneapolis and Windsor Palace in the mile heat.
The John Gosden-trained Raven’s Pass will be trying to reverse form with Henrythenavigator after finishing fourth at Newmarket and a close second at the Royal meeting.
Raven’s Pass filled the same position in the Prix Jean Prat last time with Winker Watson seventh on his seasonal bow.
The latter also represents the three-year-old division in the Sussex along with Andrew Balding’s Dream Eater and Mark Johnston’s Falmouth Stakes Heroine Nahoodh.
Richard Hannon’s Major Cadeaux and Chapple-Hyam’s Tariq complete the list of 11 possibles.
Meanwhile last year’s champion filly Peeping Fawn is nearing a return to the track after a lengthy absence.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained four-year-old has yet to run this season but was a revelation last term. After finishing second in the Epsom Oaks to Light Shift, she rattled off four Group One triumphs – including the Nassau Stakes and Yorkshire Oaks.
“She’s back in good shape and the idea is to get her out in the next couple of months, but we are happy with her progress,” said O’Brien.
“She had a month off in the spring and it just takes a long time to catch up again.”
The news, however, was not so positive about another Ballydoyle absentee, 2007 Melbourne Cup third Mahler. “Mahler pulled a ligament at the back of his knee and I’m not sure he’s going to make it back this year,” O’Brien told At The Races.
Ruby Walsh strongly fears Dermot Weld’s Ansar in the William Hill Galway Plate next Thursday.
The champion jockey will ride Paul Nicholls’ Oslot in the race, the general 6-1 favourite.
Two years ago, however, he went close on track specialist Ansar and fears the veteran’s chance of recording a remarkable eighth win in Ballybrit.
“Oslot is a great ride to have in the race — he’s an improving novice. Whether he’s good enough or not, we’ll see,” he said.
“He has a nice weight of 10-13. But I think Ansar, even though he is a 12-year-old, is very well weighted.
“He’d have a big shout. I think he is the biggest danger. He was fourth last year with 11-10; he only has 11 stone this year. He's also lightly raced for his age.”
Walsh also revealed that he expects to ride Northern Alliance for Tony Martin in the Guinness Galway Hurdle.
