ALL VIEWS ARE MY OWN
Well, I am not sure why I am being brave/stupid enough to offer up opinions on Glorious Goodwood with far too may handicaps for my liking, but here we go regardless.
Of course I won’t find all the winers (any might be a result looking at the cards), bit I will at least have a look -and nominate my idea of the best bet of the day at the bottom – good luck, we are going to need it – with one last day to get through!
Goodwood Saturday
1.50pm
Just the five runners for the Group Three Glorious Stakes, but one look at the netting will soon show you how closely matched they are - 7/2 the field at the time of writing. Phantom Flight tries a mile and a half for the second time and caused a shock when winning at 16/1 over shorter on his first start for George Scott, but it is interesting that William Haggas seems more than happy to let Al Aasy take him on again despite finishing a length behind him at Newbury when they were both making their seasonal debuts. With five career wins over this trip or further, the seven-year-old has no stamina question to answer and may be the better suited by the distance. Add in the fact that he invariably improves for his first start each year and he will do for me, though quite frankly any of these could come home in front.
2.25pm
A mile and three-quarter handicap is next up at Goodwood, though with just 17lb covering them all from top to bottom according to the ratings it’s going to be a close one to call. The Johnston yard have taken four of the last 10 runnings which is a spectacular record and they have two in here with current favourite Align The Stars (Joe Fanning) and Knightswood (Jason Hart), and with the first named looking to land his hat-trick, he has an obvious chance despite being put up 7lb for his latest success. That may be enough to stop him here, and I will take a chance on Intinso each way at a much bigger price. The Gosdens won this in 2022 with Trawlerman (6/1) and again last year with Sweet Willam (9/4f) and clearly know the sort needed, making the son of Siyouni potentially overpriced. Something was clearly amiss last time out when he was stone cold last in a race I am willing to overlook, but ran well enough when third at Newmarket over this trip and off this mark. Hollie Doyle rides and if she can get him back to his best, he clearly has an each way shout if nothing else.
3.00pm
Sumo Sam won this last year at odds of 25/1 and she may well have been laid out for it once more by the Coles with just the one start when seventh here in May, though she has had a wind operation and may improve for another start. Melo Melo cannot be written off despite the ground being the fastest she has ever faced, but as a daughter of Gleneagles whose progeny have a 33% strike rate on Good ground and 25% on Good to Firm, meaning se may be able to give his best regardless of the ground. That said, the ratings suggest Free Wind is the best horse in the race (rated 114 and currently a 3/1 chance), and that Grateful is best in at the weights (rated 104 but she gets 11lbs from her elders). At 12/1 she looks the value call for trainer Aidan O’Brien and with Jim Crowley in the saddle (Ryan Moore heads to America), and after two wins from three starts this year with a maiden on debut and a Group Three at Fairyhouse, I suspect we may not have seen the best of her just yet.
3.35pm
A sainthood awaits anyone able to perform the miracle of predicting the winner of this six furlong sprint handicap where luck in running and the correct handicap mark will be needed for whoever it is who comes home in front. With winners at 25/1 and 18/1 in the last two years all things seem possible, but I am happy enough to row in with Purosangue who ticks an awful lot of boxes. Andrew Balding’s three-year-old makes his handicap debut this afternoon after competing in Group Class all season, including a second at Sandown last month, and although that was over five furlongs, he ran on well and is just as good over this trip. He was only beaten a neck here by Big Evs last year in the Molecomb Stakes so we know he handles the track (and that form is pretty tasty too), and he has placed on ground ranging from good to form to soft so whatever the weather does between now and race time is unlikely to make that much difference to his chances.
4.10pm
Roger Varian’s Mission To Moon heads the betting at the early stage after his fourth to Mickley in the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot where he didn’t get the best of runs before running on strongly as they approached the line. Dropped back a furlong here which may not be ideal, his price of 5/1 seems fair enough, but I narrowly prefer his market rival. 6/1 chance Jehangeer was a decent enough two-year-old with a win at Ayr and some other decent runs including a third in Listed class at York, before he was put away for the winter. He returned with a solid third at Newmarket over six furlongs before being gelded and a wind operation and then one more run at Thirsk where he drifted in the market from 5/1 to 13/2 at the off. Luckily nobody told the horse who led late on to win by a length and a quarter, with the implication being that he would improve considerably for the race and the added furlong this afternoon where he races off a 5lb higher mark.
4.45pm
It seems reasonable to suggest that a 12 runner maiden at a track like Goodwood isn’t one where you would want to guarantee a winner, and this seven-furlong contest is no exception. Sir Peter Fossick is one to consider after a debut second at Epsom which suggests he will handle the track and he can go well, a remark that also applies to Kempton third Hott Shott, and perhaps the other Epsom second Spell Master. All three can go well, but this may go the way of Angelo Buonarroti who is having his first start for Ralph Beckett. Sent to the Group Two Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot for his first start, he was only ninth but beaten three lengths at the line which was not a bad start to the career of this million Euro breeze-up purchase, and even nominal improvement really ought to make a run of the mill maiden his for the taking.
5.20pm
One last race to go for Glorious Goodwood and I will admit, it’s been good fun in parts, and laborious in others. A nine furlong handicaps brings the curtain down and if it isn’t the trickiest race of the meeting I would be surprised. Native Warrior has been engaged in various races through the week and missed them so far waiting for better ground, but it’s been raining in Sussex and he may get his wish by Saturday if he hasn’t already run by then, of course. For that reason alone I have to oppose him (and 11/4 seems way too short for my liking anyway), but where else can we turn our attentions? Nine runnings (not run last year) have seen nine different trainers and eight different jockeys (Cieren Fallon has won it twice) so nothing to learn there, while Great Chieftain has a one out of one record at the track after scoring on Thursday, but may find this comes too soon even with a 6lb penalty. Finding the winner looks beyond me, but if Sweet Reward runs to his best he has an each way shout at big odds (16/1 as I write). The now seven-year-old likes it here with two wins and a place at the track (admittedly off lower marks) and a good fourth at Newbury in May, but he wasn’t able to repeat that form last time out Sandown when beaten a ridiculous 15 lengths into third but at least we know he can run a poor race and accept that when taking the bigger prices.
Sean’s Suggestion:
Purosangue each way 3.35pm Goodwood
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