Personally I have been a little disappointed by the overall standards on offer at Glorious Goodwood this year and by that statement I only mean the horses outside of the main events, not the fact that I can’t be there looking silly in a panama hat while sipping Pimms at extortionate prices despite it being more of a fruit squash than a serious drink. Much as I miss one of my favourite tracks, the racing continues unabated so we had better have a look at some (not all) of the remaining races
Goodwood Thursday.
Unibet You’re On Handicap 1.45pm
Yep, you read it correctly, Sean is interested in a handicap! That in itself is as rare as rocking horse do do as I find it tough enough finding the best horse in a race before someone else even defines how much weight one has to carry in comparison to another. With the William Haggas yard in great form and ditto jockey Jim Crowley, I really fancy the each way chances of Al Salt here as he looks to make it three out of three for the season. Lightly raced with just the three starts he still showed plenty of signs of inexperience when winning with a bit in hand at Wolverhampton earlier in the month and with more improvement assured and expectations that the turf may well see him to even better effect, 6/1 looks pretty generous and I am happy to back him on a difficult day.
Qatar Richmond Stakes 2.15pm
The beauty of writing as a freelance is that I can mention and talk through important races kike this without necessarily drawing any firm conclusions. Although this is a Group Two of some repute recent winners haven’t exactly gone on to set the World alight and sadly I would be surprised if this year was an exception to that rule. Yazaman heads the betting after a second to Tactical at Newmarket but he seemed to struggle to get home over this trip there and could be vulnerable again, though admittedly this is a weaker field. Admiral Nelson must surely be better than he looked at Ascot last time out but with trainer Clive Cox having a good line to him and Qaader though Nando Parrado it may be worth taking a risk on the fast improving Supremacy today. His form when winning a Windsor maiden is a long way short of the requirement here but he could do no more than win with ease after making the running, and if he gets a soft lead again here he may well fail to see another horse from start to finish.
Gordon Stakes 2.45pm
With four of the six entered here running in the Derby at Epsom you would think this would be fairly easy to solve – but that assumes they all ran to form and looking at the prices that day I would suggest that may not have been the case. Khalifa Sat came out on top when runner up to Serpentine that day at odds of 50/1 but was that a massive improvement, or a one-off? English King was sent off second favourite that day despite sweating worse than me when someone tells me it’s my round, and I am tempted to ignore his poor fifth for that reason. Connections obviously feel there was a reason despite media slating of the jockeys concerned and Frankie Dettori keeps the ride, and if he behaves better in the preliminaries then we may well get to see just how good he really is in this seriously fascinating contest.
Qatar Nassau Stakes 3.15pm
Much to everyone’s amusement Japanese raider Deirdre won this last season when I had spent the whole day talking up her chances before deciding the market must be correct and backing something else before watching her stroll home at odds of 20/1! She is back for more of the same at a far shorter price and wouldn’t be a big shock this season, though whether she can give nine pounds to Prix de Diane winner Fancy Blue is the bigger question. Donnacha O’Brien had his first classic winner that day on his first season as a trainer and with the likelihood she has even more to offer she could prove the one to be on this time around. Nazeef will be coming fast and late just like the suggestion so it may well be down to jockeyship as to who gets their nose in front where it counts, in a fascinating match between Ryan Moore and Jim Crowley, two of the best jockeys of the past few years.
Goodwood Friday.
Saint Clair Oak Tree Stakes 1.45pm
An interesting spectrum of runners ranging in age from three (the age responsible for 5 of the last 10 winners) and six, and not the easiest contest to try and solve. Favourite One Master was only a length behind Nazeef in fourth in the Falmouth Stakes and has every chance on that form, but the ground could be quicker here and as a six-year-old the stats are not in her favour. You certainly can’t write her off for William Haggas but at 2/1 she looks too skinny for my liking, and I prefer the chances of Valeria Messalina who travels over from Ireland for Jessica Harrington with Frankie Dettori booked to ride. She didn’t seem to get home over the mile when ninth to Peaceful in the Irish 1000 Guineas but followed that with a win at Cork over this shorter trip when brought late instead of burning all her fuel from the front as she had at the Curragh. She is an each way price at 8/1 and after just the four starts may well have more to offer, with Althiqa another danger for Charlie Appleby as I look to name the first three home (how greedy).
Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes 2.15pm
Five runners in a Group Three is yet another example of why the public have little to no sympathy with owners recently though the first three in the betting certainly appear to hold all the aces. Tilsit could not have been any more impressive last time out when taking a novice event at Newcastle by nineteen lengths hard held but gauging how good or bad that form is seems impossible. He could be a class act and make us all eat humble pie come race time but Khaloosy seems his better on what we know so far. Although steeping up in class here he did win the competitive Britannia handicap at Royal Ascot very easily and thoroughly deserves a tilt in Group company with the better ground expected to see him add to his previous victories.
King George Qatar Stakes 3.15pm
Even an idiot like me can work out that Baataash is the best five furlong sprinter around at present and it will be a bit of a shock if he is turned over this afternoon. Sadly, the bookmakers feel the same way and he will most certainly start heavily odds on in this field, making this a no bet race unless you fancy the forecast? Glass Slippers is the obvious one to fill second based on official ratings, and the likelihood she will improve for her first run since October last year when fifth to Baataash at Royal Ascot, though all in all I will be keeping a watching brief and enjoying the spectacle without bothering with a bet of any kind.
L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate 3.45pm
So sad to read of the loss of Defoe from the Roger Varian yard who would have been my banker bet of the meeting here – RIP to a horse who has served connections well over the years and who will be sorely missed. Desert Encounter won this last season for David Simcock and looks to have as good a chance as any, though old father time may be catching up with him at the age of eight and with the William Haggas yard on fire I may have a little on Pablo Escobarr instead (though it would be too funny if he won and failed a drugs test!). Back up to a mil and a half we could see the Galileo gelding at his best, and at the age of four we can but hope he still has some improvement to come.
Sean’s Suggestions:
Al Salt each way 1.45pm Goodwood Thursday
Supremacy 2.15pm Goodwood Thursday
Valeria Messalina each way 1.45pm Goodwood Friday
Khaloosy 2.15pm Goodwood Friday
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