Frankel puts unbeaten streak on line vs. Canford Cliffs in Goodwood's Sussex

The five-day Glorious Goodwood meeting begins on Tuesday in southern England, and the first-ever match-up between the undefeated 3-year-old Frankel and the red-hot 4-year-old Canford Cliffs in Wednesday’s Group 1 Sussex Stakes figures to be the highlight of the week.

Both Frankel and Canford Cliffs won Group 1 races at Royal Ascot on June 14. Canford Cliffs beat two-time Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Goldikova in the Queen Anne Stakes an hour before Frankel extended his unbeaten streak to seven races in the St. James’s Palace Stakes for 3-year-olds.

In the one-mile Sussex, Canford Cliffs, trained by Richard Hannon, will be after his sixth consecutive Group 1 win, a streak that includes the 2010 Sussex. Frankel, trained by Henry Cecil, is facing older horses for the first time, and making his first start at Goodwood.

There was little separating the pair with British bookmakers on Saturday, with Frankel available at even money and Canford Cliffs listed as an 11-10 chance. They may have as many as five rivals in the Sussex.

The meeting features at least one Group 2 stakes every day with the Group 1 Nassau Stakes on closing day next Saturday as the other Grade 1 race at the meeting, which is considered the finest flat racing festival of the summer other than Royal Ascot in southern England.

Midday, the winner of the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita, will seek to win the Nassau for the third consecutive year. The race is run over 1 1/4 miles. Trained by Cecil, Midday was second in the 2010 BC Filly and Mare Turf at Churchill Downs last November, and has 1 win in 3 starts this year – the Group 2 Middleton Stakes at York in May.

Midday was second to Misty for Me in the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes at The Curragh in Ireland on June 30. Trained by Aidan O’Brien, Misty for Me won the Irish 1000 Guineas in May, but was fifth in the English Oaks last month.

Midday and Misty For Me may face Principal Role, who has won two minor stakes in her career, including the Hoppings Stakes at Newcastle last month. Principal Role is trained by Henry Cecil.

Tuesday’s seven-race card is highlighted by the Group 2 Lennox Stakes for 3-year-olds over seven furlongs, a field led by Royal Ascot winner Strong Suit. Trained by Hannon, Strong Suit won the Group 3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot and was a close third in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat in France on July 3. Delegator, who won the Group 2 Duke of York Stakes over six furlongs at York in May but was only fifth in the July Cup earlier this month at Newmarket, is another contender.

In Tuesday’s Group 3 Gordon Stakes for 3-year-olds over 1 1/2 miles, the late-developing Fiorente seeks his first stakes win, following a second in the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.