Thursday
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.
1.50pm
It worked on day one so if it ain’t broke I’m not fixing it, and trainer Mark Johnston has won this race eight times in the last 25 renewals - and placed with a further 10 of his runners which for a meeting of this magnitude is an outstanding record. He relies on the one runner in 2022 when Whitefeathersfall looks to build on his Carlisle win on his one and only start of the season. That was his first ever win on his seventh start but it showed massive improvement and with the likelihood that he will improve considerably for his first start since last September (when he wasn’t beaten that far at Windsor), an added 6lb seems more than fair enough and I will be using some of my winnings from the first two days to back him each way. Migdam is the obvious danger and is not taken lightly, but he has to give 9lb to my suggestion, which looks a pretty big ask.
Whitefeathersfall each way
2.25pm
For those with long memories, Royal Scotsman was my each way banker at Royal Ascot, and he landed the odds for me when third in the Coventry Stakes, and I will not be abandoning him here either. The form of that race looks rock solid, and this does not look the strongest Richmond Stakes by any means, with Listed winner Chateau and unknown quantities Marshman and Al Karrar seemingly the likeliest to chase the selection home.
Royal Scotsman to win
3.00pm
I must be missing something because I cannot see why New London trades as favourite here, good as he may be. He has won three of his four starts, but they were all over a mile and a quarter, and when he tried further at Chester, he was beaten over six lengths. Hoo Ya Mal has his first start for George Boughey after he was sold by his previous connections, but he was a gallant second to Desert Crown in the Epsom Derby, and that form was franked when third placed Westover won the Irish equivalent. Some will tell you that run was a fluke (they might be right), mainly because he was sent off an 150/1, but you would expect a Derby runner-up to win this, and at 4/1 I just cannot resist.
Hoo Ya Mal to win
3.35pm
We are not quite talking Baeed level but sometimes odds-on shots cannot be opposed, and Nashwa just about fits that ruling. Third after running out of stamina in the Epsom Oaks, she was all out to win the French equivalent at Chantilly but ought to be far happier off the decent pace that is expected here. Nothing comes close to her on form so we are really talking about a tough season or bad luck in running if she is to be beaten, though for anyone who wants a big priced each way option to pennies, Johnny Murtagh’s outsider One For bobby cud go well if Frankie keeps her a little bit nearer to the early pace, though Cincernt Hall seems the far more obvious for those looking to land the forecast.
Nashwa to win
4.10pm
A horrible race that I really do not like one iota – you have been warned! Looking at the stats for some kind of divine guidance, I note that nothing bigger than 20/1 has won in the last 25 runnings (bye bye to two), 20 of them came home in the front four on their last start (one more), nothing has carried more than nine stone six (farewell to the jolly) – but that is about it. The Hannon and Johnston stables are the only ones to win this more than once which may tell a story, and that leads me to Centre Court, Dayyan, or Seductive Power here. With Sean Levey riding I am going to guess the last named is the Hannon number one, and after the son of Kodi bear hacked up at Newbury last time out, I am hoping he is on the up and can land this for us today.
Seductive Power each way
4.45pm
The draw seems fairly irrelevant here despite it being a sprint, and with winners at odds between 100/30 and 50/1, all things seem possible! Statistically I can take out the first four horses as no one has carried more than nine stone six on the 25 years I have facts for, so now I am down to just the nine. 23 of the 25 came home in the first six last time out, but that only bins off two more, and I will resort to trainer form. Kevin Ryan is the only trainer represented who has taken this more than once (three times in case you ask), and he runs outside Catch Cunningham today. Second on his return at Thirsk, he has failed to bother the judge in two starts since and needs to find a lot more, but if I am not busy cracking open a beer, then I might have 50p each way in a horror of a contest.
Catch Cunningham each way
5.20pm
Just in case we have any betting bank left by the last race, they give us a 20 runner maiden just to make sure we all leave then track with empty pockets. There is some decent placed form on offer from the likes of Sparkling Beauty, Enola Grey, Barlow Barlow, and Mother India, but I suspect this will fall to one of Luckin Brew or Zarga. The betting may give us a big clue with Michael Tabor part owning the first named who can only improve for her debut second, but Zarga is the one that was underlined in my notebook. Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, the daughter of Camelot has also had the one run, and a promising one it was when she came hone third, beaten less than a length at Kempton. Like most of the stable’s newcoers she looked as if she would learn a lot from that experience, and if she settles better here, she may get off the mark at the second attempt.
Zarga each way
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