Trained in Co Meath by Eddie Lynam, the five-year-old Spinning World gelding only made his seasonal debut on August 8, winning a Listed contest over a mile at Cork, but his handler believes that he has come on from the run.

"Duff won well at Cork the last day and this is his trip - seven furlongs is his best trip. He has improved from Cork and is in very good form. We're very happy with him and we'd be very hopeful of a big run," explained Lynam this morning.

"The plan is to run Duff in the KBC Supreme Stakes at Goodwood. If the word 'soft' comes out of the going description, he will definitely go. They were giving it as good to soft yesterday so hopefully it'll improve between now and then."

Duff, who was successful in the Listed City Of York Stakes just over 12 months ago before going down by a quarter of a length to Arabian Gleam in the Group Two Park Stakes at Doncaster, had a delayed start to his season after suffering a couple of minor setbacks but his trainer reports him to be over such problems.

"He's had more setbacks than a Royal marriage this horse! He always gets little problems. He just had a bit of bad luck at the start of the year and we had a setback with him.

"Then we had a wet summer so we were slow at getting him out, but he is well again and in good form."

Among the 22 other entrants in the seven-furlong contest is the Peter Chapple-Hyam-trained duo of Tariq, winner of the Group Two Betfair Cup over the course and distance in 2007 and fifth on his most recent start in the Group One BGC Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, and Winker Watson, who finished a place ahead of his stablemate in the BGC Sussex Stakes.

South African trainer Mike De Kock has also entered two in Tuesday's race, Royal Vintage, who has been off the track since finishing second to stablemate Honour Devil in the UAE Derby at Nad Al Sheba in March, and Lucky Find, who has also yet to appear since Dubai in March, when he finished sixth to the mighty Curlin in the Dubai World Cup.

The Godolphin team are also double handed, with both recent Newmarket winner Dijeerr and Listed Surrey Stakes hero Iguazu Falls entered, while Brian Meehan has this race as an option for Sharp Nephew. The three-year-old son of Dr Fong has been successful on three of his four starts, two of which came at Listed level, but hasn't been seen since winning over a mile on the all-weather at Lingfield in April.

John Gosden, victorious in three of the last nine renewals of this contest, has entered Group Three Criterion Stakes winner Racer Forever along with Battle Paint, while Clive Cox is represented by Dunelight, third in the Group Two Betfair Cup over this course and distance in 2007 and 2008.

Last year's winning trainer, Mark Johnston, has entered course and distance winner Laa Rayb, who followed up success in the valuable totesport International Stakes at Ascot on July 26, with a close second in the Group Three Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury last time.

Seamus Buckley, Clerk of the Course at Goodwood, is confident that Duff will get suitable ground on Tuesday and said today: "At the moment, we're good to soft. We raced last Saturday and Sunday and the ground repaired very well indeed, but it is drying out and with a couple more dry days, I anticipate on giving the ground at the weekend as good.

"There's no rain forecast this side of the weekend. At the moment, it is drying out and if it stays dry, we should be on some good ground by Tuesday."

Tuesday's card gets underway at 2.00pm with the Bollinger Champagne Challenge Series Handicap (For Gentleman Amateur Riders), while the card also features the EBF Compton Median Auction Maiden Fillies' Stakes (2.35pm), the September Nursery Stakes (3.10pm), the TurfTV Maiden Stakes (4.20pm), the Betting Shops Back TurfTV Stakes (4.55pm) and concludes with the Best UK Racing on TurfTV Stakes (5.30pm).

Admission prices: Richmond Enclosure £27; Gordon Enclosure £19.