Glorious Goodwood is back with five exhilarating days of top-quality racing. I’ve taken a dive through the early entries and selected ten horses to keep an eye on this week. Fingers crossed plenty of them get declared and we find the odd winner or two!
Tuesday
Kinross 15/2 – Unibet Lennox Stakes (Group 2)
The Unibet Lennox Stakes looks a potential cracker with two Godolphin rockets heading the current antepost betting. Space Blues has an awesome record at seven furlongs, recording lifetime form figures of 11112211. He had excuses for his last disappointing run in Meydan but hasn’t been seen since. If there’s a time to take him, I think it could be now! Stablemate Creative Force has been one of the big improvers of the season, seeing his Official Rating rise a staggering 25lbs. I think he will appreciate the return to seven furlongs and at the current prices would be my play of the Godolphin pair. I’ll take them both on though with Ralph Beckett’s Kinross. Ever since his runaway debut success, there has been plenty of hype surrounding this son of Kingman, and I think it’s safe to say he has slightly disappointed since. He was subject to quite the gamble last time out when he cruised through the contest to land Group 3 honours at Haydock. The form of that race has worked out well with the runner up, Njord, pushing Breeders Cup Mile Winner Order Of Australia close, and the third, Glorious Journey, has since won a Group 3. He had impressive Bunbury Cup winner Motakhayyel behind him so I would be inclined to think this is a strong form line. You can also ignore Glorious Journey’s July Cup run as he’s a horse who wants seven furlongs to a mile. Given the impressive nature of Kinross’s success and the strength of these form lines, his current price of 15/2 looks a cracker, especially with ground conditions set to suit. The Godolphin duo may be hard to beat but Kinross is one to watch in the Lennox.
Trueshan 5/1 – Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup Stakes (Group 1)
The first Group 1 of the week is the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup Stakes over two miles where four time defending champion Stradivarius will look to make it five. His four wins in the race have all come on good ground and there’s been some extremely close finishes. He beat Torcedor by half a length in 2018 and Dee Ex Bee by a neck in 2019. Given the emphatic nature in which he has won some of his other races, I believe he may not bring his best to Goodwood, despite being a four-time winner of the race! With plenty of rain in the current forecast, I’m going to take him on with Alan King’s Trueshan who loves soft conditions underfoot. He absolutely bolted up on Champions Day last year and has been far from disgraced in two outings so far this year. His first start came over a mile and five furlongs around Chester where he stayed on gamely to finish second to Japan. He then shouldered top weight in the Northumberland Plate off a staggering mark of 118. Again, he ran creditably, plugging on for sixth. These two efforts were by no mean poor and I feel he’s become the forgotten horse of the staying division. With conditions set to potentially come right for him, he looks a lovely each way play against a favourite with something to prove!
Wednesday
Kolisi – Unibet “15 to Go” Handicap
Wednesday’s action kicks off with a handicap over an extended mile and three furlongs. 21 horses are currently entered for this, but Kolisi caught my eye for William Haggas and Tom Marquand. The son of dual Classic winner Harzand wasn’t seen as a two-year-old but has looked extremely progressive in his three starts so far this season. He was comfortably beaten in a four-runner race on debut but progressed nicely to narrowly be denied by the promising Ranchero on his second start. Sent off a 7/2 shot for his last start, he breezed through the contest and readily drew clear without being asked any serious questions. He beat Marching Army comfortably who has since come out and bolted up in a Novice Stakes at Leicester. With plenty of stamina in his pedigree and form with ease in the ground, there is lots to like about his chances. I think a mark of 87 underestimates his ability and I hoping he’s declared come Monday morning!
Happy Romance 8/1 – Whispering Angel Oak Tree Stakes (Group 3)
Happy Romance was highlighted in one of my Saturday Preview’s not long ago where she stayed on powerfully to land the Group 3 bet365 Hackwood Stakes. Sean Levey had to be patient as he waited for a gap entering the final furlong. When the gap came Happy Romance burst through it and just got up on the line. All her best form to date lies of five or six furlongs but Richard Hannon has always felt she’d stay a bit further. She is clearly in fine form and a speedy seven furlongs at Goodwood could be tailormade for her. Looking at the current entries, she would be towards the top on Official Ratings and in receipt on the three-year-old allowance. With form on varying types of ground she’s one to watch for her trainer who targets this meeting.
Poetic Flare 8/11 – Qatar Sussex Stakes (Group 1)
Already Officially Rated 122 and a dual Group 1 winner, Jim Bolger’s Poetic Flare is one of the star attractions of the week. Unfortunately, Palace Pier is a notable non-runner so we won’t get to see the eagerly anticipated clash of the generations, but we will hopefully see another sensational performance from Poetic Flare. He was a good winner of the 2000 Guineas, but he was visually awesome on his last start at Royal Ascot and destroyed a few of his reopposing rivals in the process. He tops the current entries on Official Ratings and receives 8lbs from the older horses. If there is to be one slight concern it would be the weather forecast. His sole defeat this season came in the Irish 2000 Guineas where he was beaten by stablemate Mac Swiney on bottomless ground. Poetic Flare clearly handles that surface, but I think he thrives on a sounder one.
Thursday
Third Realm 7/2 – John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes (Group 3)
After the recent exploits of Adayar, Third Realm is one of the most interesting runners of the week for me in the Group John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes. Third Realm is of course the last horse to defeat Adayar, in the Derby trial at Lingfield. That form was reversed at Epsom where Third Realm finished a respectable fifth, but I believe his effort can be marked up considerably. He didn’t look comfortable from an early stage and was bumped just a few furlongs into the contest. He had to be pushed along coming round the bend and subsequently lost his place. Despite this he plugged on gamely and stayed on nicely up the straight. Considering how well he handled Lingfield’s bend, I find it hard to believe he struggled at Epsom but that may well be the case. Returning to a flatter track like Goodwood could suit and he’s versatile ground wise. He was seriously impressive when beating Adayar and I believe you can mark up his Derby Run. Dropping down into Group 3 company, if lining up, he is a major player!
Snow Lantern 7/2 – Qatar Nassau Stakes (Group 1)
Won by the likes of Ouija Board, Midday, Minding and Winter, it often takes a special filly to win the Group 1 Nassau Stakes, and I believe Snow Lantern is just that. Richard Hannon has always been bullish about his daughter of Sky Lantern, and I thought she was an extremely good winner of the Group 1 Falmouth. All the right horses were in behind her that day with the likes of Guineas winner Mother Earth in second, and Coronation Cup winner Alcohol Free in third. Snow Lantern tanked through the contest and Sean Levey had to be patient waiting for a gap to appear. For a moment I thought the gap had appeared too late, but Snow Lantern powered home and was flying at the line. She took some serious pulling up that day and I believe she may be even better over this longer trip. With excellent form on both good and soft ground, the potential rain isn’t a worry and I think she’ll prove to everyone, she is a very special filly.
Calm Skies – TDN Australia EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes
With 26 entries in the TDN Australia EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes, a whole host of these are of considerable interest but none more so than Calm Skies for Charlie Appleby. On both her starts to date she has travelled and shaped like the winner entering the final furlong. She hung badly right on her first start and appeared to wonder around slightly on her second start. On both occasions she finished behind Ardbraccan and on her first start she was under two lengths behind current 1000 Guineas favourite Inspiral. This represents extremely strong form and I believe Goodwood as a track will really suit. I would like to see William Buick adopt stalking tactics as she still seems a little green and wouldn’t want to be hitting the front too soon.
Friday
El Drama 6/1 – Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes (Group 3)
The extremely exciting Baaeed heads the betting for the Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes, and he really could be anything at this stage in his career. He effortlessly destroyed a good-looking field last time out and could be tough to beat if turning up in similar form. El Drama currently sits second in the antepost betting at around the 6/1 mark which looks a big price regardless of Baaeed’s attendance or not. Roger Varian’s chestnut colt caught my eye when finishing last of four in the Coral Eclipse at Sandown. The form of that race could not look any stronger with St Marks Basilica now rated 127 and Mishriff has recently enhanced the form with a fine second to Adayar in the King George. El Drama travelled extremely well for a long way that day and was the last to come properly off the bridle. This drop back to a mile looks a good move and I would be disappointed if he isn’t involved in the finish.
Winter Power 6/1 – King George Qatar Stakes (Group 2)
The brilliant Battaash has farmed this race in recent years, but he did look a little out of sorts at Royal Ascot and will need to bounce back. The five furlongs at Glorious Goodwood is one of the fastest in the world so it is no surprise to see front runners have an excellent record. Battaash likes to get on with it and will no doubt show early speed, but I’ll take him on with a pocket rocket filly. Winter Power has shown blistering early speed in her wins this season and I believe the five furlongs at Goodwood will massively play to her strengths. She enjoys a little bit of cut underfoot so the current weather forecast looks perfect for her. On Official Ratings she has 9lbs to find with Battaash but she does receive the 7lbs sex allowance. If there’s soft in the going description, she’s a major player!
Magical Moring – Multiple entries
John and Thady Gosden’s Magical Morning has long been a horse I and many punters have expected a lot from. He disappointed me on his first start this season when travelling sweetly through the Royal Hunt Cup, but he ultimately failed to get home. He may have been lacking a bit of race fitness as he powered to success at Sandown in a similar standard handicap on his next start. He’s been raised 5lbs for that success which I believe is extremely lenient given the ease in which he travelled through the race and kicked clear. Looking back through his form he would appear to like better ground which is a slight concern. On breeding he should handle a softer surface and his pedigree has plenty of stamina in it. He’s one to watch wherever he rocks up!
Best of luck if you’re having a bet and enjoy a fantastic week of top-quality flat racing.
By Sam Rideout
Follow me on Twitter – @TheTr17pleP
