Paddington’s claim to be Europe’s outstanding miler will be put to the test in the G1 Sussex Stakes (1609m) at Goodwood on Wednesday night (2 August). 

The three-year-old’s reputation has grown with each successive victory, from the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas (1600m) at the Curragh and G1 St James’s Palace Stakes (1594m) at Royal Ascot to the G1 Eclipse Stakes (1990m) at Sandown where he beat older rivals. 

In the Irish 2000 Guineas, Paddington quickened decisively; at Ascot he again produced a burst of acceleration, while over 1990m at Sandown, he added resolution to his qualities. 

Trainer Aidan O’Brien, who has won the Sussex Stakes five times, is naturally impressed. 

“I hold Paddington in very high regard,” he said. “He is very quick and the way he has progressed from run to run is very unusual. 

“He has gone from strength to strength and thrives on work. He has been putting on weight after every run. He was much heavier heading into the Eclipse Stakes than before Ascot, which is quite unusual.” 

According to O’Brien, jockey Ryan Moore is equally impressed. He said: “Ryan always thought Paddington had lots of pace and coming back to a mile in the Sussex won’t be a problem.” 

Paddington is one of the two three-year-olds in the race and his older rivals will be hoping that age and experience are in their favour, although five of the last 10 runnings have been won by three-year-olds. 

Those looking for a chink in Paddington’s armour can point to his high head carriage, conspicuous in the closing stages of the Eclipse Stakes. O’Brien is unmoved. “Every horse is different and every human being is different,” he observed. “We all carry ourselves differently and that is the way he carries himself.” 

In his races, Paddington has taken quite a lot of urging from Moore before stamping his authority on them and the connections of main market rival Inspiral will be hoping that their high class four-year-old filly will exploit any flaw. 

Last year Inspiral was impressive when winning the G1 Coronation Stakes (1594m) at Royal Ascot and then won the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois (1600m) at Deauville. This year she returned from an eight month break for the G1 Queen Anne Stakes (1600m) at Royal Ascot and was just beaten by Triple Time. 

That was a good return and joint-trainer Thady Gosden said: “Inspiral ran a great race, has come on for that and been in great form since. It will be tough taking Paddington on but he is a three-year-old stepping into older miler company for the first time, which is always an interesting one.” 

With the anticipated soft ground persuading connections of Modern Games to look elsewhere, Aldaary may play a greater role. After the five-year-old won a Listed race impressively on soft ground in May, jockey Jim Crowley said: “The key to this horse is soft ground and when he gets it, he’s a fair horse. Hopefully there is a big one in him” 

The softer the better also for the French raider, Facteur Cheval.