Glorious Goodwood Day 2 Tips: Mark Milligan's three to follow include 3/1 Sussex Stakes fancy

Goodwood, 13:50 - Back Infraad @ 10/34.33

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Infraad (Ire)

• J: Tom Marquand
• T: William Haggas
• F: 2-313

• SBK 3/1
• EXC 4.8

The opening three-year-old handicap at Glorious Goodwood on Wednesday features several contenders who could go on to be better than this level as the season progress, not least Andrew Balding's Hatteen.

This one has taken a little while to put it all together but looked a good prospect when getting off the mark at the off the mark in a novice race at Doncaster last time that was badged as being a St Leger trial. Time will tell whether that proves the case or not, but Hatteen appeared to relish stepping up tom 1m 4f for the first time and could be fairly treated off 88 in his first handicap.

However, the William Haggas-trained Infraad could himself well prove better than a similar mark as the summer wears on and he looked unlucky not to finish closer when third on handicap debut at Chester last time.

Some trouble/lingering greenness found him out there, but he should be suited by getting an extra two furlongs to work with here and a Great Voltigeur entry at York speaks volumes of the regard connections hold him in.

Click here to find out why Timeform are also backing Infraad on Wednesday at Goodwood

Oak Tree Stakes, Goodwood, 15:00 - Back Flora Of Bermuda @ 9/43.25

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Flora Of Bermuda (Ire)

• J: James Doyle
• T: Andrew Balding
• F: 23039-101

• SBK 5/2
• EXC 4.6

Flora Of Bermuda has spent a lot of her career knocking heads with the very best at Group 1 level without a getting her head in front, but she's a force to be reckoned with in lower grades and I fancy her quite strongly to take this Group 3 contest against her own sex.

She had a good season in 2025, with places in the likes of the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Sprint Cup ay Haydock, and she's won two from three this year at lower levels, while her run in this season's Jubilee can easily be forgiven as she got upset in the stalls and should ideally have been withdrawn.

The selection has yet to race over 7f, but she gave a good account of herself over 6.5f in the 2024 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville and I don't think she'll have any issue with the trip, particularly at a sharp track such as Goodwood.

Sayidah Dariyan may prove Flora Of Bermuda's biggest threat under Ryan Moore, though she has work to do to reverse placings with my fancy based on their meeting at Newmarket in the spring.

Sussex Stakes, Goodwood, 16:10 - Back Opera Ballo @ 3/14.00

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Opera Ballo (Ire)

• J: William Buick
• T: Charlie Appleby
• F: 61121-113

• SBK 9/2
• EXC 6.2

The headline of this year's Sussex Stakes is the third meeting of star three-year-olds Bow Echo and Gstaad, with the verdict currently 2-0 in favour of the former, though he had to work very hard to deny his old rival in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot last time.

Bow Echo likely did well in the circumstances that day having been forced wider than ideal and would probably be my fancy to edge the dual once again, though I'm happy to take on both him and Gstaad with Goldolphin's Opera Ballo.

The son of Ghaiyyath looked a mercurial talent from an early stage and he landed his first Group 1 success when taking the Jebel Hatta out in Meydan before backing up that performance with a convincing success back on these shores in the Sandown Mile.

On the back of that, I fancied him to land the Queen Anne last time, but he raced a bit too freely for his own - as he often can - and probably did pretty well to finish a close third.

With a pair of Ballydoyle pacemakers in this line-up, I'm expecting Opera Ballo to settle better this time and he could have the ideal position when the race develops in earnest.

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