Sussex big guns stand firm

Excellent Art, Ramonti and Asiatic Boy have stood their ground at the final declaration stage for the BGG Sussex Stakes.

Wednesday’s Glorious Goodwood highlight has attracted an eight-runner field as the John Hills-trained Dark Islander was the only horse to drop out.

He will instead tackle the Betfair Cup on Tuesday.

St James’s Palace Stakes hero and ante-post favourite Excellent Art has not been seen since scoring at Royal Ascot and will be joined by stablemates Archipenko and Trinity College.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained trio will bid to give the Ballydoyle maestro his first victory in the race since Rock Of Gibraltar struck in 2002.

Ramonti will take his chance after winning the Queen Anne Stakes, while Asiatic Boy has his first taste of British racing at the Sussex venue.

Sir Michael Stoute runs Jeremy, defeated by Ramonti last month, while Ed Dunlop saddles Munaddam as he bids to secure back-to-back victories in the Sussex Stakes following Court Masterpiece last year.

The field is completed by Kevin Prendergast’s Decado, a winner at the Curragh on his most recent outing.