Sun Goddess lands the Cheveley Park in style

Sun Goddess won the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket | report, reaction and replay

Horse Racing

Sat September 26, 2026 · 1w ago

Sun Goddess battled to success in a strong renewal of the Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket.

Sent off the 5/6 favourite following the success of stablemate Haffner a race earlier, Sun Goddess claimed a third Group 1 success in eight starts in providing trainer Aidan O'Brien with a seventh victory in the race.

As expected, there appeared to be a good pace for the field to aim at in the six furlong contest but the O'Brien trained maiden Snowing was never quite in front of Moonrise who was still in there pitching at the furlong pole.

By that stage, Ryan Moore had manoeuvred Sun Goddess towards the stands' side of the group but he was having to niggle and push the daughter of Sioux Nation.

On the other side of Moonrise, Senorita Bonita, improving from midfield, and Libertango, who came from last, had made their moves to make a line of four as the race began in earnest.

Moonrise and Senorita Bonita were the first to crack but Libertango and Sun Goddess matched strides on the racing ground until the latter finally subdued her rival in the final 50 yards or so, winning by a length to gain revenge for her Royal Ascot defeat. Alwaysanangel was another length and a half away in third.

The winning time was 1:09:08, a new course record.

Sun Goddess is the 7/4 favourite with Paddy Power and Sky Bet for the 1000 Guineas back at Newmarket in May and the even money favourite for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland in October.

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She looks like a freak

O’Brien said: “The lads got at her at Doncaster, which is a great sale, and it was a great initiative that she was able to go back and win that race in York, where Derrick (Smith) and Michael (Tabor) were on the day, and it was a very big pot.

“She was only one hundred and twenty thousand pounds, but it just goes to show you the value of Sioux Nation. He was a very quick horse, but whatever it is about them they stay as well as having speed.

“She is unique really. It is unusual to have a filly doing what she is doing time after time and to have the mental capacity and the physical to match it. She came in there early, and there was no stress at all. Usually when you are tacking them up, and they are getting close to the limit, there would be a little bit of anxiety, but she is cool as a cucumber. Ryan was very happy with her.

“She is very unusual. She looks like a freak, to be doing what we are doing. You must remember she is only a two year old filly, and she is racing at the top level every day. I can’t remember having one that classy, with that speed, and with that distance range before. She looks very unusual.

“She was the first off the bridle, which was lovely as it meant she was going to get into her tempo. We were worried that she would travel very well and that it would happen all too quick for her. When she came off it early she was going to be hard to handle for everyone else because she really gets into a rhythm.

“We will see how she is (regarding the Breeders' Cup). We will see with the balance of her training whether that has taken much out of her whether she is ready to go, or not.

“She is big and she doesn’t look like a two year old. She looks like a three year old. She is a massive big specimen. If she didn’t change anything from now to next year she is plenty big enough, and she would still be considered a big three year old.”

Speed is our forte

George Boughey was delighted with Libertango, commenting: “She has run a huge race. She has bumped into an outstanding two year old filly that has taken all before her really.

"I thought she ran as well as we hoped that she would run. I think if we would have been able to race next to Sun Goddess it would have been an interesting battle as we were on the wing and they were on the wing.

“I think Billy (Loughnane) thought she ran brilliantly as she was strong through the line. She was beaten by a better filly on the day. I think she travelled supremely well into it. The one thing we thought she needed to be was back in the field a bit, but interestingly Billy said he doesn’t mind where she lands. We don’t need to be taking her back.

"We will go on to the Breeders’ Cup. The sprint has been the plan for a while. Stamina is the forte of Sun Goddess and speed is our forte. Billy is sure she might stay further, so we will keep all options open, but America is the plan next.”

Of Alwaysanangel, William Buick said: “She ran well. She has put in a good performance. She has obviously won over seven furlongs, so maybe back up to seven furlongs will suit her. I don’t think there was any fluke about that performance.”

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