With the York Ebor Festival in the books for another year, September sees the Group 1 focus switch to Haydock, Doncaster, and Newmarket. The speedballs take centre stage on Merseyside in the Sprint Cup, while Doncaster hosts the season’s final Classic in the St Leger Stakes. As intriguing as those contests are, they may be upstaged by a Group 1 event at Newmarket’s Cambridgeshire Meeting.
Held over the 6f trip, the Cheveley Park Stakes offers £275,000 in prize money and has fallen to star names Porta Fortuna, Lake Victoria, and True Love in recent years. Looking ahead to the 2026 edition, we could be in for a mouthwatering clash at HQ, as the star trio of Sun Goddess, Senorita Bonita, and Libertango lock horns.
Sun Goddess
- Trainer – Aidan O’Brien
- Sire – Sioux Nation
- Group Race Wins – Airlie Stud Stakes (Group 2), Phoenix Stakes (Group 1)
First successful with Brave Anna in 2016 and winning the race for a sixth time with True Love in 2025, Aidan O’Brien is the most successful trainer in the history of the Cheveley Park Stakes. Bidding to make it lucky number seven is a filly who had racing scribes reaching for the superlatives last time out at York.
Snapped up for £120,000 at the 2025 Goffs UK Premier Sale, Sun Goddess is by 2017 Phoenix Stakes winner Sioux Nation and out of an unraced half-sister to four pattern-class sprinters. In six starts to date, she has delivered on that pedigree potential. Yet to finish outside the first two, she has won four of those outings. Her highest-class win came when she emulated her sire in the Phoenix Stakes, but it was her most recent success in the Harry’s Half Million By Goffs at York which oozed star quality.
Inside the final two furlongs of that 6f contest, Sun Goddess found herself five lengths behind the leader and trapped behind a wall of horses. Initially hampered when attempting to weave her way through, she looked an unlikely winner. However, when switched round the field, the response was electrifying. Still four lengths down at the furlong pole, she devoured the ground to pull fully six lengths clear at the line. Stepping back into Group 1 company, the current favourite for the 2027 1,000 Guineas heads the Cheveley Park market at a general 2/1.
Senorita Bonita
- Trainer – Simon & Ed Crisford
- Sire – Starspangledbanner
- Big Race Wins – Duchess of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2), Prix Morny (Group 1)
As impressive as that York display was, Sun Goddess is unlikely to have things all her own way at Newmarket. Leading the charge for the home team is a Simon & Ed Crisford-trained filly who produced a jaw-dropping display last time out in France.
By four-time Group 1-winning sprinter Starspangledbanner, Senorita Bonita has plenty of speed on the sire side of her pedigree, while dam Belicious is closely related to a pair of talented 1m4f performers. Carrying the colours of Victorious Forever, her only defeat in four outings ironically came at the hands of a filly named Victorious in the Queen Mary Stakes. Bouncing back from that to claim the Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes, she then headed to Deauville to tackle the colts in the Prix Morny. What followed was a display to rival that of Sun Goddess at York.
Last of the seven runners at the 2f pole, the mount of Oisin Murphy sat around eight lengths behind the trailblazing Ballydoyle runner Carry The Flag. Moving into the clear towards the stands rail, Senorita Bonita displayed sensational push-button acceleration to score by a widening four lengths. The Crisfords have yet to win the Cheveley Park Stakes but may have their best chance yet with this blisteringly quick rising star. At a general 5/2, Senorita Bonita sits just behind Sun Goddess in the market.
Libertango
- Trainer – George Boughey
- Sire – No Nay Never
- Big Race Wins – Albany Stakes (Group 3), Lowther Stakes (Group 2)
Thanks to the stunning achievements and subsequent shock retirement of Bow Echo, 2026 has already been a year to remember for George Boughey. While disappointing to see the 2,000 Guineas, St James’s Palace Stakes, and Sussex Stakes winner enter the stallion sheds earlier than planned, Boughey may have another star on his hands in Libertango.
By 2013 Prix Morny winner No Nay Never and out of a dam by Oasis Dream, who won the 2002 Middle Park Stakes over the Cheveley Park course and distance, Libertango is nicely bred for this test.
While yet to tackle Group 1 company, she stormed home late to reel in Sun Goddess in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and arrives on the back of a gutsy success in the Group 2 Lowther Stakes at York. Her sole defeat in four starts came when run down close home by Senorita Bonita in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes. While not as flashy as Sun Goddess or Senorita Bonita, Libertango has earned her shot at Group 1 company and sits third in the market at a best price of 7/2.
With Joseph O’Brien’s Debutante Stakes winner Green Empress and Lowther Stakes runner-up Star Of State also among the entries, the Cheveley Park Stakes is shaping up to be the standout event at the 2026 Cambridgeshire Meeting.