I had to laugh when I saw that today’s ITV7 includes the Class 6 amateur riders’ race and the Class 6 seller at Beverley.
An eight race card to start Inglorious Goodwood, with plenty of opportunities for the bookies to fleece punters on big field handicaps and sprints.
The opener contains a Gosden horse raised 9lb for winning a handicap on the kitty litter, a Haggas horse raised 8lb for winning on handicap debut on the soft at Chester and a lightly-raced Varian horse that was fourth on seasonal debut after nearly a year off.
The Vintage Stakes (1.55) looks to be between the Chesham winner Humidity and the Ballydoyle contender Dorset (ironically running in Sussex) with the July Stakes winner Zavateri having to carry a 3lb penalty. Reliable yardstick Do Or Do Not might give us a guide to the value of the form having been second in the Coventry and the July Stakes.
The Lennox Stakes (2.30) presents a number of issues. Of the twelve declared it is easy to eliminate most of the outsiders. It is hard to make a case for Iberian, fifth in the Jubilee Stakes last time but five and a half lengths behind the winner. Three year old Intrusively has been well beaten in two handicaps in 2025 and is clearly here because he was third in the Richmond last year and likes the track. Nostrum has failed to beat a runner home in two starts this term, including the Group 3 at York won by Quinault (Lake Forest sixth). Witness Stand has been beaten in two Listed races and looks likely to be one of those contesting the lead here, making sure this will be a strongly run heat. The cheekpieces have been fitted to last year’s winner Audience, who might also be up contesting the lead having done nothing in two starts. Kinross has won twice and placed twice in this race and is 5lb better off with Ten Bob Tony, who beat him last time when both were re-appearing. Alyanaabi was down the field in that Haydock Group 3 along with Audience and there is no obvious reason why either of those should suddenly reverse that running. In three starts in 2025, Lake Forest has failed to make the frame, most lately behind Quinault, but I expect him to be held up and brought late. Three year olds have won once in the last four runnings providing 11 of the 33 runners but that one winner (Sandrine) was rated 108 and the highest rated 3yo was 114. There is no obvious improver amongst the old guard and I cannot see Audience running to his 120 top rating. Today’s favourite will be Jonquil (rated 115) who won the Greenham but then skipped HQ to run second at Longchamp in the Poulains. He was then dropped to sprinting in the Commonwealth Cup but never got involved and now returns to seven furlongs. Having done my money on him ante post for the 2000 Guineas, I am not chasing my losses here but instead going for the remaining three year old in the field, NOBLE CHAMPION (rated 116). Ed Walker’s charge has been down the field twice at Newbury (the first of those the Greenham) but was an impressive (if unexpected at 25/1) winner of the Jersey Stakes last time. The risk is that he gets involved in a fight for the lead rather than Kieran Shoemark having the sense to leave that fight to others.
With eight lined up for the Goodwood Cup (3.05), this looks like a race to avoid as it may become a tactical affair and the front four in the betting, from two yards, all look short enough in the betting. Three year old Scandinavia has the services of Wayne Lordan as Ryan Moore has opted for O’Brien’s other runner Gold Cup runner up Illinois. Fourth in the Gold Cup Sweet William has the services of Rab Havlin while the other Gosden runner French Master steps straight into the top pattern level for stayers after winning the Copper Horse handicap at Ascot.
