Sam King returns with three selections on Tuesday.

Following a rare week off, I'm raring to have a crack at the opening day of Glorious Goodwood, with an abundance of competitive handicap action on offer alongside some high-class stakes racing.

Aidan O'Brien's three-year-old Scandinavia has been well-backed against his rock-solid stablemate Illinois in the feature Goodwood Cup (3.05). The former looks progressive following his wide-margin success in the Bahrain Trophy, while the latter will almost certainly appreciate dropping back to the dead two miles after chasing home Trawlerman in the Ascot Gold Cup over two and a half.

However, at the current prices, I'm happy to have a small wager on Sunway to find the frame.

Just behind Illinois when the pair finished second and third respectively in the St Leger Stakes last season, Sunway looks to be steadily coming to the boil following three runs this year. He only flattened out of it late on when dead-heating for fourth in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot last time, shaping as though the first-time blinkers made a difference.

That headgear is retained, and I'd expect Oisin Murphy to sit handy from a good draw in gate four. The O'Brien-trained duo should ensure this contest is run at a decent gallop throughout, something that Sunway has struggled to find this season.

It's plausible that he could have more to offer stepping up to two miles for the first time, while there will be few concerns about the track given, he comes from a local handler whose horses tend to float round the idiosyncrasies of this venue with no bother at all.

0.5pt Each-way – Sunway

Odds – 16/1

It's no shock to see the lightly raced Castle Cove at the head of the market in the opening ten-furlong handicap (1.20) but Defiance looks the better value to me.

A lightly-raced son of Camelot, few would have expected Defiance to be running off a mark of 99 in handicap company when he chased home the now 110-rated Group 2 winner Bellum Justum in the Listed Epsom Derby trial as a three-year-old.

Things haven't gone completely to plan since, but he has been set some stiff tasks and did return to form when fourth in a competitive handicap at Epsom over derby weekend.

It paid to be prominent at Epsom that day, so it's easy to upgrade the performance of Roger Varian's four-year-old, who had to make his move from well off the pace having been held up in the early stages.

I suspect Silvestre De Sousa might be slightly more forceful from stall eighteen this afternoon and if able to adopt a prominent position, they could take some pegging back racing off an unchanged mark.

1pt Win – Defiance

Odds – 5/1

Last year's winner Audience would be dangerous if allowed to dictate in the Lennox Stakes (2.30), but he'll need to up his game in first-time cheekpieces. Instead, ready preference is for Jonquil, who bids to become just the second three-year-old to land this in the last eleven years.

Trained by Andrew Balding, who also saddled the sole other three-year-old to land the prize in the last decade when the filly Sandrine claimed this in 2022, Jonquil looks to be absolutely crying out for the step up to this intermediate seven furlongs.

Six furlongs on quick ground didn't suit when he contested the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at the Royal meeting, but you get the impression Andrew Balding's hands were tied due to the abundance of riches Juddmonte hold in the three-year-old mile division.

Stepping back up to seven on good ground, this well-bred son of Lope De Vega, who won the Greenham Stakes over this trip on his reappearance before being denied a head by Henri Matisse in the French 2000 Guineas, should be capable of confirming his initial three-year-old promise.

In all truth, he looks to hold outstanding claims despite being drawn a touch wide in stall eleven.

2pt Win – Jonquil

Odds – 11/4

In the one-mile fillies' handicap at 4.55, Tundra Rose looks well-worth taking a chance on

In the one-mile fillies' handicap at 4.55, Tundra Rose looks well-worth taking a chance on for David O'Meara.

An excellent second to subsequent Group 3 winner Dreamy on her debut here last season, Tundra Rose went on to show useful form as a juvenile, getting off the mark at Newcastle second time out before finishing a creditable third in the Listed Montrose Fillies' Stakes at Newmarket.

She likely needed the run when sixth of seven behind some smart race-fit fillies in the Listed Coral Distaff at Sandown on the reappearance, travelling nicely into it from off the pace before her effort gradually petered out.

That outing should have brought her forward for this, while the application of first-time cheekpieces looks like an interesting move from a handler who is no stranger to having winners across this meeting.

1pt Win – Tundra Rose

Odds – 12/1