'Better than Chief Singer' - Smith's high praise for star filly Alcohol Free

Elated owner Jeff Smith hailed Alcohol Free as the "real deal" after watching his Royal Ascot winner beat both the boys and older milers with authority in the £1 million Qatar Sussex Stakes.

Bridging a 37-year gap to when Chief Singer carried his famous silks to success in the same race, Smith was full of emotion after a victory that appeared to mean as much to him as any that have gone before, with Alcohol Free not only gaining revenge on her Falmouth Stakes conqueror Snow Lantern but also taking the prize scalp of arguably the toughest horse in training, 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes hero Poetic Flare.

As a three-year-old, Chief Singer finished second to El Gran Senor in the 2,000 Guineas and then completed a rare hat-trick in the St James's Palace Stakes, the July Cup and the Sussex Stakes. Yet the more Smith compared his two Sussex Stakes winners, the more he warmed to the possibility that Alcohol Free may well be the superior of the pair, and perhaps the best to race under his name.

Already a Cheveley Park winner at two and now a Sussex and Coronation Stakes heroine at three, she is certainly on her way to the pantheon and could now bid to prevail where Chief Singer failed in the Juddmonte International over 1m2½f at York next month.

"This filly is something else," said Smith. "The way she's won that is simply incredible. I'm thrilled to pieces and what a wonderful job Andrew Balding and the whole team have done.

"Chief Singer was unfortunate to bump into El Gran Senor in the Guineas and won the St James's Palace Stakes by eight lengths in a canter, but I'm not sure that with a proper draw that this filly isn't better. I really think she could be."

Both Smith and winning trainer Balding had been left deflated after Alcohol Free was swamped late on in the Falmouth on her previous start having been left to make her own running and the first two furlongs here made for uncomfortable viewing once more as she jumped alertly and was caught on the outside of the field.

Rider Oisin Murphy eventually managed to get her anchored before waiting for the final quarter mile to unleash Alcohol Free towards the centre of the track where she sailed past leader Poetic Flare.

"It was awful early on and I was calling Oisin all sorts of names," said Balding. "Just having something to settle in behind and aim at helps her so much.

"It's no easy task taking on the colts and the older horses, but to do it in that style is just fantastic. She's a class act and on this day she's as good as anything."

Oisin Murphy salutes the crowds after winning the Sussex StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

Smith added: "I was just concerned we didn't have a repeat of the Falmouth when she got left in the lead having broken too well.

"Provided she got cover and had something to aim at, I felt very hopeful, but then she got bumped around and pushed back and I wasn't so sure.

"But the way she picked up showed what she really is and she's a champion – there's absolutely no question in my mind. She's the real deal. We've had really good excuses for every defeat and you could argue she could almost be unbeaten."

Having persuaded Smith to pay the £5,000 to keep Alcohol Free in the Juddmonte International only the previous day, Balding seemed quite keen to see if she can be as effective over a longer trip at York.
"We had a long debate yesterday about spending his hard-earned money to keep her in the Juddmonte," he said.

"It's a mile and a quarter and obviously it's a big ask, but she's won three Group 1s already and has nothing to prove so it would be a possibility to turn up there."

Qatar Sussex Stakes: members can watch the race replay

Talk of York's prestigious Group 1 again brought memories of Chief Singer flooding back for Smith, who landed the Juddmonte with Arabian Queen in 2015.

"The Juddmonte is what we did with Chief Singer," said the owner. "He finished third, but the way she's finished there she's going away with a Breeders' Cup Mile winner and a Guineas winner behind so you've got to be tempted."

Paddy Power offered a generous-looking 20-1 (from 25-1) about the winner for the August 19 contest, where she could potentially meet the likes of St Mark's Basilica, Mishriff and Pyledriver in another race to savour.

Poetic Flare, who took in four Group 1 races in just 45 days earlier in the season, went down fighting in second with the soft ground against him.

"I think the ground has just blunted his speed," said rider Kevin Manning. "It was tacky, holding ground and there's no bounce in it, but he dug very deep and even when the filly went by I thought he was going to shunt her back again."

Read more on day two at Goodwood . . .

Oisin Murphy: we'd be looking at the 1,000 Guineas winner if she was healthy (Members' Club)

Expert Jury: 'staying at a mile would be the best route for Alcohol Free to thrive'

Prix Morny among top-level targets for Armor after commanding Molecomb win

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