Racing Chat - Tuesday 26th July

[The Brigadier]

Goodwood 1.50

The 2022 Glorious Goodwood meeting kicks off with a highly competitive 10F class 2 handicap which has attracted a maximum field of 18. There’s sure to be hard luck stories here in such a size field but let’s try and find the most likely winner and hope it’s not us finding the trouble! A key piece of form is the John Smiths Cup run at York 17 days ago won by Anmaat. That form was doubly franked at the weekend by success’s for the runner up Achelois and 4th Spirit Dancer so the 5th and 6th from that race Brilliant Light and Just Fine have to be given maximum respect. Saeed Bun Suroor’s Brilliant Light finished a length ahead of Sir Michael Stoute’s Just Fine but is 2lb worse off. There shouldn’t be much between them and both hold major each way claims. Roger Varain’s Legend Of Dubai was backed down to 7/2 favouritism at Royal Ascot but ran a stinker and although he’ll appreciate this longer trip has questions to answer now and represents scant value at his current odds. I do like the look of the William Knight trained, Harry Redknapp owned Moktasaab who won at Newbury and here over course and distance (from Caradoc who re-opposes on 7lb better terms for 1 1/4L and should run well though is hard to win with) earlier in the season before not handling Epsom and then failing to see out the 1m 4F trip at Ascot. He looks each way value and I’ll be backing him each way as well as Brilliant Light who I just favour over Just Fine.

 

MOKTASAAB 1 point each way @ 12/1 Coral 12/1 1/5th 12345

BRILLIANT LIGHT 1 point each way @ 7/1 bet365 1/5th 12345

 

Goodwood 2.25

A field of nine assemble for the group 2 Vintage Stakes with the warm favourite Karl Burke’s Holloway Boy who made a winning racecourse debut in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot. Not many horses have made a winning racecourse debut in the juvenile races there over the years and he’s a worthy favourite. The only issue I have is that the form hasn’t really worked out. Six horses have run from that race since all have been turned over. Maybe he just won a bad renewal of the Chesham? At around 2/1 I don’t want to pay to find out and I’m happy enough to take him on. I have respect for Charlie Hills’ Galeron who’s course win last time out was boosted by the runner up winning well at Newbury last week. Charlie and Mark Johnstone’s Dear My Friend is stepping up in grade following victories at Carlisle and Beverley and with the stable winning this with Dark Vision in 2018 is another interesting runner. I’m going to stick with the boys in blue though with the Charlie Appleby trained Mysterious Night who followed up his Newbury win in June with a high,y credible 3 1/4L 3rd in the group 2 July Stakes behind smart sorts Persian Force and Show Respect. That form may be good enough for him to take this.

 

MYSTERIOUS KNIGHT 2 points win @ 4/1 William Hill

 

Goodwood 3.00

The 7F Lennox Stakes is up next with a decent enough field of eleven heading to post. The favourite is the William Haggas trained filly Sacred who will take plenty of beating. She ran a stormer in the group one 6F Platinum Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot to finish a length 5th behind Naval Crown having not had the clearest of passages close home. She’s two from two over this trip and should be hard to beat on her favoured fast terrain. I can’t have last year’s winner Kinross as he prefers to get his toe into the ground whilst Pogo, who comes here chasing a hat trick, is nought from three here in the past. Lusail brings some good classic form to the table for the Richard Hannon stable and should be thereabouts but I can’t resist a tiny each way saver on outsider Sir Dancealot. When trained by David Elsworth he won this very contest in 2018 and 2019 and although he’s now in the care of the more than capable John Butler at Newmarket showed last time out in a handicap off of a mark of 103 that he retains plenty of ability. This really though is Sacred’s to lose with Tom Marquand doing the steering.

 

SACRED 3 points win 2/1 William Hill

SIR DANCEALOT 1/2 point each way @ 50/1 bet365 1/5th 123

 

Goodwood 3.35

A quality turnout of nine stayers assemble for this year’s renewal of the Goodwood Cup run over two miles. Last year’s winner Trueshan has been declared but surely won’t run unless there’s rain. If the heavens did open he would be a strong fancy and a clear favourite but that’s highly unlikely and it’s odds on that he’s pulled out on the morning of the race unfortunately. The story of the race (meeting?) is the John and Thady Gosden trained Stradivarius who’s won four Goodwood Cups (he was pulled out last year due to the wet ground). This will be his final run and it would be great to see him go out on a winning note with or without Frankie Dettori who’s been jocked off the grand eight year old by his owner Bjorn Neilsen following a couple of poor rides in the last two Ascot Gold Cups. He does have a major chance today but just may struggle to beat the four year younger Aiden O’Brien trained Kyprios who is a progressive lightly raced stayer who looks all set to win plenty more staying races. He won the Ascot Gold Cup last time and the drop back half a mile shouldn’t worry him too much as he does have plenty of speed as well as stamina. The others all have plenty to find with the big three (two if Trueshan comes out) although Coltrane seems to be rapidly improving for some reason at five years of age and shouldn’t be totally dismissed.

 

KYPRIOS 3 points win @ 13/8 William Hill

 

Goodwood 4.10

Fifteen speedsters go to post for this class 2 5F handicap. Celsius has won at this specialist track and although up 5lb for a recent win at Newmarket (Dusky Lord 1 1/2L back in 4th and now 5lb better off and Night On Earth a further place and 3/4L back and now 7lb better off) can run well here as I thought he did it quite cosily that day and conditions will be ideal. He should run well (as should the pair that were just behind him that day) but I’ve a fancy for John Quinn’s seven year old Lord Riddiford who’s the each way bet here. He was a comfortable winner of this race last year on soft ground, coming home two lengths to the good from stable mate El Astronaute off of a pound higher mark. He lost his way a bit since but showed some promise last time at Doncaster to suggest his time is near. I am a bit concerned by the fast terrain as it was soft last year but he does have winning form on good to firm and at a double figure price he’s worth a go.

 

LORD RIDDIFORD point each way @ 14/1 bet365 1/5th 1234

 

Goodwood 4.45

ITV surprisingly include this fifteen runner two year old maiden in their coverage. Charlie Appleby has a decent bunch of juveniles including another smart looking pair winning at Ascot and Newmarket last weekend and saddles Mischief Magic here. He has course experience having run over course and distance on his debut in May when third beaten 6 1/4L to the smart Royal Scotsman who’s run third in the Coventry since. The runner up that day has also won since as has the 4th Show Respect who’s also run a fine second in the group 2 July Stakes at Newmarket. Even the 5th Galeron and 7th Alif Power have won making the form of that race very strong. With William Buick on board he looks the one they all have to beat. There are dangers mind you with the William Knight runner Chartwell House just touched off at Windsor last time the pick of them. With the Appleby two years old in such fine form though and his form working out so well it’s hard to look past their runner here.

 

MISCHIEF MAGIC 2 points win @ 10/3 bet365

[alexcaruso808]

 

Goodwood 3.35

Trueshan 5/2

Goodwood 4.10

Celsius 5/1

Goodwood 5.20

Rainbow Colours 7/1

Edited July 25, 2022 by alexcaruso808