Sunday's Meetings Yarmouth Flat 7 Races 1:30-5:00p.m. Goodwood Flat 7 Races 1:45-5:10p.m. Beverley Flat 7 Races 1:55-5:20p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
The domestic meetings today all appear to have something in common: small fields in almost every race, except at Beverley where their Sunday meeting has fields of eight or more in all bar one race but these are Class 5 and 6 events. Over at Deauville, just five line up for the Grand Prix De Deauville and the two supporting Group races both look like they will be staying at home even though there are foreign raiders. In the Goodwood 2:15, I am going to oppose the consistent Able Kane, who won four starts back off a mark of 80 but has only been placed the last twice off 85 and today’s mark of 86. He was second in the Stewards’ Cup consolation race over course and distance, a repeat of which should take him close. Treacherous looks a difficult horse to win with (last win a year ago) and this track surely will not suit his style of being delivered very late. That leads me to the in-form Charlie Hills’ yard and MOTAGALLY, who has been running close to the likes of Danzeno and Caspian Prince over five furlongs but now steps back up to six and has the blinkers reapplied, which he wore when he last won. The bad news is my jinx jockey is aboard. In Richard Fahey’s Sporting Life column, he is hardly overflowing with enthusiasm for his Sunday runners, although I think his Toro Strike has a good chance in the Supreme (4:00; second last year) and I would have backed his best chance at Beverley, Kingson (4:15), with a bit more positivity.
The Supreme Stakes at Goodwood sees Double Or Bubble trying to follow up a Listed win at Pontefract. I think she looks skinny enough today and her main opponent last time ran 99 lbs below her official rating, meaning that Double Or Bubble had a simplified task. I thought Rhoscolyn showed promise as a 7F horse when winning for Charlie Hills but he quickly deteriorated. Since leaving Hills for the O'Meara yard, his form has taken off and he has a chance today for sure. Tactical won the Free Handicap but has lost his way since and that race has worked out terribly since. The blinkers are tried now but I feel they really need to have a big effect for him to win this. I have been looking at Toro Strike's races and it seems clear that his best form is on fast ground. His disappointing efforts have all come on the soft side and he gets his ground today. I expect him to run well today and he is a course and distance winner with Ryan Moore on board. Today's race represents a drop in grade and at 4/1 I felt he was the play. 4.00 Goodwood Toro Strike 4/1
In France I see Sussex Stakes 4th Duhail drops to 6F in a Group 3 race. I see that there is a belief that the horse has to prove himself at the shorter trip but the fact is that he has run at 6 and a half furlongs twice and 6 furlong one. His figures for those races read 112 and the 2nd place was a short head defeat. That suggesrs that he may no be as inconvenienced by the drop in trip as one might think. For me, he is the class in the race and at 7/2 I took a chance that he can deal with the drop in trip. 2.50 Deauville Duhail 7/2
I've had a little go on Onassis 8/1 in this. Negatives are that its stats of 0/7 on going good or good to firm and 4/7 on softer suggests it'll need some give in the ground which it doesn't look like getting today. Positives are Hayley Turner is 4/10 on the horse and keeps the ride today , it has won over course and distance before and it was a tad unfortunate to only finish 2nd on its last run. If it isn't completely ground dependent which looks a big 'if' then its too big a price to not back in my opinion. Best of luck with yours.
Duhail had to settle for second place, with Charlie Hills' Garrus having that bit more toe today. Toro Strike made up for it though, he looked to have a fair bit to do but when his run started in earnest I was confident he was making enough headway and he claimed Double Or Bubble to win with a bit in hand, two lengths clear. Race time was pretty fast. Tactical travelled into the race well but just didn't seem to get home at all, weakening away to finish 5th. I think he is worth a try at sprinting because he has lost his way at longer trips than that. I said when he won on seasonal debut that he looked to have won without improving but the handicapper put him up from 107 to 112. He has already dropped back to 109 and looks ready for dropping to his original 107 mark now. 1st and 2nd, so not a bad day at all.
I wouldn't be surprised if not much more was seen of Tactical on the racecourse. As I would have thought that a future as a stallion beckons. His CV is certainly most attractive to a certain type of breeder / yearling purchaser (delete as appropriate). Precocious and speedy enough to win at Royal Ascot as a 2YO, proved he was classy by winning a Group 2 as a 2YO and then proved he had trained-on by winning the Listed European Free Handicap at 3. Am aware that some wouldn't be impressed by this, in the slightest, but to a more, dare I say, modern breeder / purchaser, this record would be something to drool over. Also think he will be retired to the old breeding sheds, by the end of the current term, as can't really see Tactical improving on this record as his form seems to either have stalled or even regressed.
