Qatar Sussex Stakes report and replay: Paddington strikes in Sussex

Sent off the 4/9 favourite, he jumped out to make all under Ryan Moore but turning for home the race was on – for the stands’ rail. It involved the winner and main market rival Inspiral, and while she won that particular duel under Frankie Dettori, the petrol used up to get there meant she was back-peddling passing the two furlong marker.

The worry then for the Ballydoyle team was what toll would those exertions take on their colt, who was in front but potential a sitting duck for any closers.

In the end it was French raider Facteur Cheval who threatened to spoil the party for a fleeting stride or two but straight and true, hard against the coveted rail, Paddington hit the line hard and a length-and-a-half to the good.

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York and the Juddmonte International are likely to be next for the winner, providing he takes this race as well as he has the others this term. The comparisons with the original Iron Horse Giant’s Causeway will continue for a little while yet.

“He’s just getting quicker and heavier with every race,” O’Brien said. ”He’s quicker than Giant’s Causeway. He has good tactical speed, which Giant’s Causeway had, but then he can quicken off it – while the other horse ground it out from there.”

"He’s a very special horse. We were worried about the ground – even though he’d won on it, it wasn’t in this class of race and Ryan rode him for speed. He was over the moon with him and we’re so lucky to have him.

Paddington’s next stop is almost certain to be the Knavesmire on August 23.

O’Brien added: “He’s unique. It will depend on what the lads want to do and we’ll talk to them after a week, but he’s got a lot of options. He could go to York, he could do anything. But he’s very special, we think. With every race, he’s getting heavier, which is very unusual, and he’s getting calm, but he’s getting quick. He’s really trying. He’s three or four kilos heavier today than he was the last day.

“It is special that we have Peter (Brandt) and Stephanie (Seymour) today that we didn’t have before with him. He’s very exciting. We love these big days and I’m delighted that the lads are happy to run on them.”

Moore was in agreement with O’Brien on Paddington’s special qualities.

He said: “It doesn’t matter whether it’s good ground, soft ground, heavy ground, eight or 10 furlongs he’s a unique horse. Some people say he’s taken us by surprise, but I can assure you he hasn’t because all this year he’s shown he’s a very good horse. He can cope with most things.”

And Brandt, who has owned some great horses over the years, was thrilled to be at Goodwood for the first time.

“I’m honoured to be here at Glorious Goodwood. I was first in the game in 1976, so I’ve been in horse racing for quite a while,” said the American industrialist and art collector. “This horse has a great name – Mrs (Sue) Magnier chose the name and she usually chooses great names, this one included.

“I must say this is among the greatest horses I’ve been proud enough to own. We won the Kentucky Derby in 1984 with a horse called Swale who was a great racehorse, but this horse has done a lot of special things that are hard to do. To win four Group Ones like this in such a short space of time and to look as grand as he does and to be gaining weight not losing weight is extraordinary.”

Reaction from beaten connections

Jerome Reynier will target Qipco British Champions Day with Facteur Cheval.

He said: “It’s like a victory today. We really thought he was going to beat Paddington, but he had the stands rail and we were in the middle of the track and he was stuck in the middle of traffic. He ran a great race, he was third in a Group One the other day and second today in a very nice Group One and I hope the next time we will be able to win at that level.

“With five runners it was best to wait at the back for a late challenge. We were the fourth favourite out of five runners, so we thought if he can just beat one or two home, we would be happy, but we never thought he was going to be able to run that way. He keeps improving mentally and physically, so probably the best is yet to come.”

Roger Varian was pleased with the performance of third home Charyn, who was placed again behind Paddington having run well behind him in both the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes.

“He ran well and he prefers better ground. He travelled into it well,” said the Newmarket handler. "He ran very well at Royal Ascot to be third in the St James’s Palace, nearly second, and he ran very well in the Irish Guineas (finished fourth), so he’s knocking on the door at this top level. He doesn’t like this ground really, he wants better ground.”

The disappointment of the race was Inspiral who finished last of five. Dettori said: “We tried, but it was very obvious that she doesn’t cope with this kind of ground. If the ground dries up and she comes out of this race, we can back her up in the race she won in France last year (Prix Jacques le Marois).

“It was obvious what was going to happen – Paddington got a lead and everything his own way, so I grabbed the fence as I had to make a race of it.”

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