Brilliant Baaeed confirms class to win Sussex Stakes at Goodwood

“It’s probably like doing the Tour de France on a motorbike,” William Haggas said here on Wednesday, having watched Jim Crowley steer the exceptional Baaeed to the ninth win of his 14-month career in the Group One Sussex Stakes. “It must be a wonderful feeling for Jim in a race of that nature, you pull him out and he goes there on the bridle.”

Baaeed was sent off at 1-6 to maintain his unbeaten record, the shortest price for the favourite in this race since Frankel won at 1-20 a decade ago, and though his winning margin over Modern Games, the French 2,000 Guineas winner, was less than two lengths, there was never a point when defeat seemed even faintly possible.

“Out on the track, he doesn’t pull, doesn’t need a lead, he just goes off and travels away,” Haggas said. “[Then] he comes there cantering and they’re all off the bridle.

“I said to Jim in the paddock, we’ve got him for two more races after this so let’s just enjoy him and make the most of him, because he will most likely go to stud at the end of the year and I’ll spend the rest of my training career trying to find the next one.” Modern Games was running on Wednesday as a late substitute for his stable companion, Coroebus, after the 2,000 Guineas winner was ruled out due to a foot problem on Monday morning, and as a result, this race told us little about Baaeed that we did not know already.

The final two starts of his career, however, could see him put to a serious test, as a long-awaited step up to a mile-and-a-quarter awaits at York next month as Baaeed follows the same path as Frankel to the International Stakes.

Baaeed is currently a 4-7 chance to extend his unbeaten record to 10 races on the Knavesmire next month, and is expected to conclude his racing