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Paris faces Simenon again at Goodwood

Trip To Paris lands the Ascot Gold Cup with Simenon back in fourthTrip To Paris lands the Ascot Gold Cup with Simenon back in fourth
© Photo Healy Racing

Self-proclaimed "Sussex boy" Ed Dunlop would love to see Royal Ascot hero Trip To Paris follow up in the Qatar Goodwood Cup on Thursday.

The four-year-old has come a long way since winning on the Lingfield all-weather in April, subsequently landing the Chester Cup before clinching Gold Cup glory in Berkshire last month.

Although a Newmarket resident these days, Dunlop admits Goodwood has a special place in his heart, with the magnificent mare Ouija Board's triumph in the 2006 Nassau Stakes rated as one of the highlights of his trainer career.

"I am a Sussex boy and I like to target my horses at this meeting. Goodwood is a beautiful place with great racing and a great atmosphere," said Dunlop.

"It was an amazing day when Ouija Board won the Nassau Stakes in 2006. Of course she won races all over the world, but it was an important victory for me.

"Growing up, we used to go to Goodwood whenever we could and had people staying over for the week and even though I am now up in Newmarket, Goodwood is still very special."

Trip To Paris drops in trip by half a mile and is likely to encounter an easier surface than he did at Royal Ascot last month, but Dunlop does not expect conditions to be a problem.

He said: " Trip To Paris has been absolutely fine and dandy since Ascot. We gave him a little break after the Gold Cup, then brought him back into work two and a half weeks ago and it's all systems go.

"I have been surprised with his progress this year. I spoke to Ryan Moore after the Gold Cup and he said you need a stayer that can quicken and that is something he can do, having won over a mile and a half earlier this year.

"He does not look like a horse that has run six times in the last four months. He's been very fresh in the mornings of late and certainly doesn't look tired.

"I am not worried about the drop back in distance, although he will have to carry a Group One penalty, which makes it tougher. He is a very laid back horse.

"I am more concerned about the 4lb penalty than I am about the course or the going.

"He is a pretty simple ride but Graham (Lee) gets on well with him. He understands him and lets him go to sleep during a race - he's done a very good job with him."

Trip To Paris renews rivalry with the Willie Mullins-trained Simenon, who was just two lengths away in fourth place in the Gold Cup.

Simenon's owner Nick Peacock also has Aussie Reigns as an outsider for the Goodwood Cup.

He said: "Aussie Reigns is a bit difficult to predict and if he can run in the first half dozen I'll be delighted, but hopefully Simenon has a good each-way chance.

"He's getting 4lb from the Gold Cup winner, so hopefully that gives him a chance, but we'll see.

"He didn't get the best of runs at Ascot, so fingers crossed things fall right for him at Goodwood.

"He has a good chance of getting on the podium, but which position, I haven't a clue."

Roger Charlton is looking forward to seeing Northumberland Plate hero Quest For More test his powers at Pattern level.

He said: " It was a good performance in the Northumberland Plate and he seems to be physically stronger this year.

"This is obviously a big step going from a handicap to a Group Two, but he is tough and game and has a bit of form around Goodwood this year.

"It will be hard to beat the Gold Cup winner but our horse deserves to take his chance and there is good prize-money on offer."

Big Orange is an interesting challenger for Michael Bell, stepping up in distance after a surprise Group Two victory over a mile and a half in the Princess of Wales's Stakes at Newmarket.

Bell said: "He's effective on good ground or faster and it looks as though everything is coming right for him, which is great.

"He seems in really good form. He hasn't done a whole lot of work since his last run, but he's fit and well and enthusiastic and on his game.

"It was a nice surprise to see him win at Newmarket, mainly because we always thought he wanted further.

"He's rated 116 on the back of that run, which makes him officially the highest rated horse in the race.

"That figure has come from a run over a mile and a half, but he broke the track record at Ascot last year in a Listed race over a mile and three-quarters with a penalty and ran a pretty solid race as a three-year-old in the staying race at Ascot (British Champions Long Distance Cup) over two miles in desperate ground.

"On the book, he's the best horse in this race and hopefully he can prove he is over two miles."

Sheikhzayedroad was disappointing in the same race and trainer David Simcock hopes he will benefit from this more exacting stamina test.

"His run at Newmarket was just a very rare bad run. I think it was the first time in 10 or 11 races that he has run poorly," said the Newmarket handler.

"We don't really know if he will get the two miles. He ran over the distance in the Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan last year, which is a little different to two miles around Goodwood, but he wasn't stopping at the end of that."

Other contenders include Mark Johnston's Queen Alexandra Stakes winner Oriental Fox and the Amanda Perrett-trained Eye Of The Storm, successful in Sandown's Coral Marathon last time.