A notable pair of Group 1 turf stakes at Goodwood Racecourse in England this week will earn the winners an automatic berth on the 2026 Pegasus World Cup Day program January 24 at Gulfstream Park.
The one-mile Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes for three-year-olds and up on Wednesday July 30 will serve as a qualifier for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1), while the 1 1/4-mile Visit Qatar Nassau Stakes for fillies and mares of three years and older on Thursday July 31 will also act as a qualifier for the $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G2).
Held in late January on a card headlined by the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) for older horses on dirt, the Pegasus Turf is contested over 1 1/8 miles, whereas the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf is run at 1 1/16 miles.
Among the contenders for the Sussex is millionaire five-year-old Carl Spackler, winner of eight of 12 races in the U.S. including three Grade 1 stakes before being sold privately to China’s Yulong Investments to race overseas. Carl Spackler made his first two career starts at Gulfstream, the second a maiden triumph in February 2023. He was sixth in the June 17 Queen Anne Stakes (G1) in his European debut. He now takes on the best of the British and Irish in a clash of the generations, headed by leading three-year-old miler, Field Of Gold, and last year’s Irish Guineas (G1) victor, Rosallion.
The Nassau has also drawn a competitive field, spearheaded by Aidan O’Brien’s Whirl, winner of the recent Pretty Polly Stakes (G1), and See The Fire, third in a white-hot Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot.
European-based horses have made their mark in the Pegasus Turf since its debut in 2019. Magic Wand ran second in both 2019 and 2020 before Warm Heart captured the 2024 edition in a track-record time of 1:44.45 in the finale of her esteemed career. Both Irish-bred mares were trained by the aforementioned O’Brien.
This partnership creates an easily accessible pathway for horses to compete both in North America and the United Kingdom, and helps to encourage top-tier racehorses to travel and increase international participation at both fixtures – while also bolstering elite fields for global audiences and deeper fan engagement.
Aidan Butler, President of 1/ST, said: “Thanks again to our friends at Goodwood Racecourse, with our ongoing partnership now in its second year. We look forward to welcoming the victors of the Sussex Stakes and Nassau Stakes back to Gulfstream Park in late January 2026 for one of the most lucrative racedays on the East Coast.
“These reciprocal pathways mark the latest strides in 1/ST’s bid to broaden the appeal and international participation in the world’s major races. We’ve already seen such incentives reap immediate rewards when Crimson Advocate won at Royal Ascot in 2023, having punched her automatic spot via our Royal Palm juvenile series at Gulfstream Park. Now, Miami can hopefully work its magic again with the Qatar Goodwood Festival! I look forward to seeing the stellar action unfold in person on the South Downs this week.”
Wednesday, July 30: Qatar Sussex Stakes – Pegasus World Cup Turf
Race 4: 10:05 (ET); 15:05 (BST)
The winner of the Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes (G1) receives an automatic invitation into the Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) on January 24, 2026, at Gulfstream Park plus a $25,000 travel allowance and VIP hospitality for the winning connections.
Thursday, July 31: Qatar Nassau Stakes – Pegasus World Cup Filly $ Mare Turf
Race 4: 10:05 am (ET); 15:05 (BST)
Winner of the Visit Qatar Nassau Stakes (G1) receives an automatic invitation to the Pegasus World Cup F/M Turf (G2) on January 24, 2026, at Gulfstream Park plus a $25,000 travel allowance and VIP hospitality for the winning connections.
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