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Solow flying high at Goodwood

Solow and Maxime Guyon winning the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal AscotSolow and Maxime Guyon winning the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot
© Photo Healy Racing

Solow continued his stellar season with an authoritative display in the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

With the defection of leading three-year-old Gleneagles taking some of the gloss off the Group One feature, Freddy Head's French challenger was the 2-5 favourite to add to his previous top-level triumphs this year in the Dubai Turf, Prix d'Ispahan and Queen Anne Stakes.

The market leader was quickly away in the hands of Maxime Guyon and was in the perfect position to strike in the straight, tracking the pacesetting Arod.

Arod refused to go down without a fight, but Solow had too many guns and was good value for his half-length success.

Rank outsider Gabrial ran an excellent race to finish third, with Lockinge hero Night Of Thunder slightly disappointing.

Guyon said: "He is unbelievable. He's won four Group Ones this year - it's crazy.

"He is easy to ride. He doesn't pull. After he uses his turn of foot, he stops a little bit, which is why he doesn't win easy, but he's really good.

"We didn't go very fast, but he is very relaxed and he has a very good turn of foot.

"For a jockey, he is the best. I think he is the best horse in my career."

Head said: "He's great. He didn't have the best of runs, always in the open and seeing a bit of daylight. He is getting a bit lazy with age, too, but he does exactly what he needs to.

"It wasn't a very fast-run race and they kind of sprinted, too, so there was no way you could win by any kind of distance, but he is a hell of a horse. It's amazing. He's kind and you can put him anywhere.

"He was always well balanced and never had any trouble with the ups and downs.

"Maxime rides him very well, he's very confident. He's a great rider for his young age.

"I love coming to England and I like to go abroad, to go to America for the top-class races. If you have a top-class horse that is what you should do - you train for that.

"His next race will be the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot in October."

Arod's trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam was delighted with the performance of his stable star and is eyeing major prizes abroad for a horse who relishes quick ground.

Chapple-Hyam said: "He just needs the ground faster. Andrea (Atzeni) said it just blunted his speed.

"As far the rest of the season, he's not guaranteed to get his ground on Champions Day in the QEII and as the Breeders' Cup is at Keeneland this year, that might be a bit tight for him, as he has a big stride.

"The Shadwell Mile in Canada could be an option. The Cox Plate could be the one, though. Sheikh Fahad has always wanted to win it and so have I, ever since I worked in Australia.

"As the Jacques le Marois is only in two weeks, that will probably come too soon, but he could go for the Moulin if the ground is right."