Not your normal article today with Glorious Goodwood taking over all our attentions, and just like Royal Ascot, I will try to give you that little bit extra. Expecting me (or anyone) to pick winners in every race is frankly ridiculous, but I am also aware that people do like a little interest now and then – so each day will see a page (like this) with a short piece on every race – best of luck everyone.
1.50pm
Four and five year olds have dominated here in the last 25 runnings with just the one six-year-old successful – and none older than that. If those trends continue, we can put a line through seven runners straight away which makes life a little bit easier – on paper at least. 23 of the winners have come home in the first seven on their previous race which loses four more, including the strongly fancied Legend Of Dubai, and pushing us towards an each way alternative. Mark Johnston is the. Trainer to follow here with seven winners and 11 places over the years (admittedly from 42 runners), and that helps the lucky pin to fall on Forest Falcon, who will be ridden by the ever-popular Frankie Dettori. He will need a career best to win off this mark, but stats are stats and at a big price, he may yet land is a place if nothing else.
2.25pm
Holloway Boy won on his debut at Royal Ascot at odds of 40/1 in the Chesham Stakes, and with improvement likely he may well step up and take this Group Two contest. However, 2/1 is a shocking price when you remember the horses he beat were sent off at 80/1 and 23/1, and the second and fourth have been well-beaten since. I cannot have him at that price I’m afraid and prefer the chances of Dear My Friend who at 6/1 is an each-way alternative. The winner of both his starts so far, at Carlisle and Beverley, the latest by an easy five lengths eased down, and although this represents a big step up in class, I am hoping he can take this in his stride under Franny Norton.
3.00pm
At first glance Sacred is hard to oppose after the William Haggas trained filly came home fifth and only beaten a length in the Group One Jubilee Stakes when running on strongly late on over the six furlongs. I happily admit that makes her the one to beat here, while her form last year which includes beating Saffron Beach is top -drawer, but are this season’s three-year-olds really as bad as some are saying? If they are then she probably wins, but she has to give 4lb to Lusail and that may be a big ask. Admittedly the Hannon colt is yet to win this season, but he was a head second to 2000 Guineas winner Coroebus in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, and followed that with a third to Tenebrism in the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville. A repeat of either gives him every chance and even at 9/2, I am happy to bet each way if I can find a quarter the odds a place, which gives us our money back should he only place.
3.35pm
This race appears to me to be all about the going – if it is soft enough for Trueshan to take his chances then I see no reason why he cannot upset the odds. Kyprios heads the market after winning the Gold Cup at Ascot, with Stradivarius second in the betting with new jockey Andrea Atzeni doing the steering as he looks to win this race for the fifth time. There won’t be a dry eye in the house if he can get to the front on his last race before retirement, but the selection won this last year on soft going, and is unbeaten in his last five starts. Alan King has campaigned him wisely all season, and if he hasn’t been scarred by a hard fought win at Newcastle under top-weight, there is no reason why he cannot continue his winning run today.
4.10pm
I will make no bones about it – I do not like this race one little bit – and there are only seven years of stats to work with which is no good to me. Lord Riddiford is a (very) tentative selection with his two out of three course record which includes this race last year, but he needs to bounce back to form after a sixth at Doncaster at the start of the month. He has to carry 6lb more this year than last which has to be seen as a negative, but unless you want to be on likely jolly Cesius who is upped in class, he may have as good a chance as any – each way, of course.
4.45pm
An eighteen-runner maiden next over six furlongs, and with seven of them unraced and another seven having just their second start, anything could happen. Celtic Champion, Supreme King, and Master Of Chant all make the shortlist, but Charlie Appleby has a yard full of juvenile talent, yet he relies on Mischief Magic here. He did look a little one-paced when third over course and distance on his only race to date, but the ground should be quicker this afternoon and as a son of Exceed and Excel, I am hopeful we will see a much bolder effort.
5.20pm
Rainbow Colours is as tough as teak as she looks for her hat-trick here for the Johnston’s, but she takes a big step up in class and will need to do more to get the better of Crystal Caprice. A lightly raced daughter of Frankel out of Dubawi mare Crystal Zvezda, connections would have hoped for better than handicap company, but she took three races to get off the mark with a seven-length romp at Yarmouth to take her maiden. A mark of 87 may well underestimate her true abilities, and if I am right, she can win this under Ryan Moore who looks all set for a decent Goodwood.
5.55pm
It is rare for me to have much confidence when it comes to handicaps, but I made a note to follow Kidwahafter she came home third at Newmarket in a better race, when tried over seven furlongs, and looking one-paced in the finish. She is dropped down in class, back down in trip, and sports a first-time hood this afternoon, and having won her first two starts over this trip, there is every reason to think she could get back to winning ways here for the bang in-form William Haggas yard.
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