PROCLAMATION'S prospects of winning the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood should not be hindered if the forecast heavy rain arrives on cue.

Twelve months ago it was the undisputed queen of the milers Soviet Song who scooped the mammoth prize, a feat' ante-post bookmakers and punters alike seem certain she's going to emulate.

But I for one wouldn't fancy taking the 5-4 on offer about Soviet Song at present, since there are serious doubts about her effectiveness on a surface which potentially could be very testing.

As a result of the predicted deteriorating weather, those backers with more money than sense unwise enough to have plunged on Soviet Song might experience that terrible sinking feeling as she gets stuck in the mud while Proclamation wings past.

Jeremy Noseda's three-year-old won over course and distance at Goodwood's May meeting, a triumph he followed up in truly sensational fashion by coming from last to first to account for 20 high-class rivals in Royal Ascot at York's Group 3 Jersey Stakes.

The victory was made all the more remarkable because jockey Johnny Murtagh brought the selection right round the houses, giving away many lengths in the process as he steered a rather unconventional wide passage.

Whatever Murtagh's thoughts are on the subject, he was always duty bound to be reunited with his regular partner, Soviet Song, making way for Murtagh's fellow Irish big-race ace, Mick Kinane, to take the mount aboard Proclamation.

Kinane travelled over from Ireland to have a sit on Noseda's star last week and expressed himself to be "very happy" with the steel grey, a fast-improving performer with rock-solid credentials in the stunning £300,000 showdown.

The longest event at the entire five-day fixture, the two-mile-and-five-furlong Goodwood Stakes, presents Moonshine Beach (2.15) with an ideal opportunity to notch the biggest success of his career.

Not many flat horses are still on an upward curve at the age of seven, however the figures categorically show that's precisely the case for Peter Hiatt's gelding.

Hiatt's small yard has been a good friend to the column this season, supplying a cracking 12-1 nap for readers in June courtesy of Keltic Lord.

Hiatt injects bags of staying power into his stock, and in contrast to many of the opposition the stamina-laden Moonshine Beach is almost guaranteed to get every inch of the leg-buckling trip.

Another point to consider revolves around the realisation that the seven-year-old isn't averse to some dig underfoot, therefore even allowing for the fact that some far more well-known stables hold entries, Moonshine Beach might still be one for the minnows.

Richard Fahey must have been absolutely delighted about Torrens (4.00) sneaking in by the skin of his teeth at the bottom of the weights for the mile-and-a-half cantorspreadfair.com Handicap.

Normally in such situations it's usual to make plenty of use of the horse, so I fully anticipate the tactically astute rider, Paul Hanagan, to have Torrens snapping at the heels of the leaders, prior to making his winning push from the two-furlong pole.

* Dean McKeown has withdrawn his appeal against a two-day ban for careless riding handed out at York last Friday.

The jockey picked up the suspension (August 2 and 3) when riding the unplaced Rocket Force in the Patrington Haven Leisure Park Handicap.

The stewards found that McKeown made a manoeuvre in which third-placed Ski Jump was hampered at the 12-furlong marker in the mile-and-three-quarter contest.

The appeal was to be heard by the Jockey Club disciplinary panel at Shaftesbury Avenue tomorrow, but McKeown has had second thoughts.

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