Sun Goddess Puts Rivals Away in Cheveley Park Victory

Sun Goddess (IRE) did justice to what was billed as the juvenile race of the season when running out an apt winner of the Cheveley Park Stakes (G1) Sept. 26 on a sun-soaked Rowley Mile at Newmarket Racecourse. It was one-way traffic in the market beforehand, as Aidan O'Brien's candidate was punted into 5-6 (from 6-4 Saturday morning), to see off her two main rivals Senorita Bonita (IRE) and Libertango (IRE) and so it proved when she powered out of the dip to down the latter. Remarkably, the daughter of Sioux Nation was turning out in the first juvenile group 1 of the season in Britain just 13 days after winning the Moyglare Stud Stakes (G1) at the Curragh, but you would not have known in the preliminaries, where she was the pick of the paddock. Off a rapid pace set by her own pacemaker Snowing (IRE), who raced in company with Moonrise (IRE), Sun Goddess was the first off the bridle upsides her market rival Senorita Bonita approaching the bushes but her relentless stride meant there was only going to be one winner heading into, and then out of, the dip. She covered the 6 furlongs in 1:09.08. It was a third group 1 win of the season for Sun Goddess and she broke the track record in the process, with O'Brien referring to Sun Goddess as "unique." She was cut to 7-4 favorite (from 3-1) by the sponsors to win next year's One Thousand Guineas Stakes (G1), a double last completed by her stablemate True Love (IRE) in May. The trainer said: "Coming back from winning a 7-furlong Moyglare on soft ground to 6 furlongs on fast ground was a massive test for her today. She's unique and a freak really as she looks like a 3-year-old and has raced at the top level every day." O'Brien was already the leading trainer in the Cheveley Park Stakes even before this year's race and registered a seventh triumph, with jockey Ryan Moore, who was out injured 12 months ago, notching a fourth. O'Brien said: "She was off the bridle early which meant she could get into her tempo as we were worried if she stayed on it, it may have happened a bit quick for her. We knew she would be hard to beat when she came off it as she really gets into a rhythm." He added: "She's a massive specimen for a 2-year-old and if you didn't change anything between now and next year she would be an impressive looker next year as she is now. She's very special and she should get a mile easily. She's very unusual and looks a freak to be doing what she's doing." Before the Guineas, Sun Goddess has the option of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) Oct. 30 at Keeneland, for which she was cut to evens (from 7-4) by Paddy Power. O'Brien said: "We'll see how she is after this, but we'll have to see if we go again as regards (to) the Breeders' Cup. She's not blowing very hard and you can usually tell when you're saddling them up if they're close to the limit." Moore said: "The race worked out perfectly for her. She's become a real professional and makes my life very easy. "She had a strong gallop in front of her and managed to get into a nice rhythm. She struggled for a little bit down the dip but, when she hit the rising ground, she found plenty. "I felt the race went against her at Royal Ascot, and Aidan said she maybe had a little issue before the race, but she's been faultless really all year. She's tough, uncomplicated and seems to thrive on racing." While Libertango had Sun Goddess in second when winning the Albany Stakes (G3) during the Royal Ascot meet, connections were happy enough despite having the tables turned. Her trainer George Boughey said: "She's run as well as we hoped she'd run. If we had raced next to Sun Goddess, it would have been an interesting battle as we were on one wing and she was on another. It was a huge performance and we're delighted. We'll go on to the Breeders' Cup now and tackle the Juvenile Turf Sprint which has long been the plan." William Buick said of third-placed Alwaysanangel (IRE): "She's run a great race. She has won over 7 furlongs and she was going on well at the finish there." The disappointment of the race was Prix Morny (G1) winner Senorita Bonita, who dropped away to finish only fifth of the six runners. Joint-trainer Ed Crisford said: "She just never picked up and it wasn't her run. We'll see how she is but, basically, she was in the right position, upsides the winner but didn't have any fire today."