Haafhd ready for Sussex test

Angus Gold, racing manager to Haafhd’s owner Hamdan Al Maktoum, today reported the 2000 Guineas winner to be giving all the right signals ahead of his big assignment in the Cantor Odds Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on Wednesday.

Gold added a cautious note with regard to the general health of trainer Barry Hills’ horses, some of whom have been coughing.

He said: “I can’t remember a year when so many of Sheikh Hamdan’s horses have been affected by the cough and that applies to Europe as well as Britain and Barry has had some of his team affected as well.

“All I can say is that the colt worked really well at Newbury and has been giving the right signs although when he ran in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot he was very flat and it is a mark of the horse that he finished as close (fourth).”

Hills added that “everything went according to plan” on Saturday as Haafhd completed his preparation for the big race.

“Haafhd worked over six furlongs and everything went according to plan. He’s a handy type and therefore there’s no reason to believe he’ll not act on the course at Goodwood,” Hills told the Racing Post.

“With no rain forecast I suspect the ground will be on the fast side of good but that shouldn’t be a problem.”

The son of Alhaarth is a best-priced 7-2 shot for the £300,000 (€454,000) feature with Godolphin’s Refuse To Bend the 9-4 favourite.