Let's get this started early then. Sussex Stakes If Frankel gets turned over tomorrow it will undoubtedly be quoted as the horse racing shock of the century. But it will not be a total shock to me. It has been clearly implied that Frankel will be keeping something up his sleeve. If this means that he will not be clocking a fast time then the door is open for Farhh to step up. Farhh would not have to show much improvement to make a race of it with So You Think and Iâm sure Frankel would not be 1/20 if So You Think was in the field. The price seems to be underestimating the challenge that Farhh could pose if he gets off to a good start and gets a clear run, especially if he is a better horse at 8f than he is at 10f (something I donât know). I think we could be in for a shock. By a shock I mean Frankel may well have to pull out more than expected to win. Therefore I reckon the best bet in this race is the 9/2 on offer for Frankel to win by less than 4l Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes (Group 2) - 2YO only What a cracking race for 2yos. We have another promising New Approach colt, Tha'ir, and the very exciting Ghurair, and I think it will be between these two. Iâll leave it to you experts to pick out the best bets,
Omg Ron your implying there is a risk to his unbeaten record? He wins throttle half out 6-7 length minimum. Your talking about the greatest equine athlete up to 10f any of us will ever see...absolutely no question!
2.00 Goodwood Stakes (Handicap) The stayers take centre stage in the opening race of day two at Glorious Goodwood with Hurricane Higgins one to consider for Mark Johnston who won the race back in 2003. He was highly tried at the top level as a 3yo but did run some solid races in defeat, including when a ½ length runner-up in the Lingfield Derby Trial and when 6th behind his stable mate Namibian in last yearâs Gordon Stakes here at Goodwood. His stamina does have to be taken on trust but Johnstonâs horses are normally pretty tough, so if he does stay the trip he could be an interesting outsider. Romeo Montague is a proven stayer over this marathon distance having finished 3rd in the 2m5 ½f Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot behind Willie Mullins impressive Simenon. Things didnât really go to plan for this horse at the beginning of the season but he has made up for that with his performance at Royal Ascot before then going on to win a 2m handicap at the same course. His last two performances have also come on a softer surface, so the forecast rain would definitely strengthen his chances. He has gone up 3lb in the weights on the back of his recent victory, which will make life tougher, but he has proven himself over the distance and could easily be in the shake-up. Another horse to finish behind Simenon at Royal Ascot was NAFAATH, however he did so in the 2m4f Ascot Stakes, a race in which he was staying on the closing stages. The extra furlong and a half in front of him ought to suit and he is only 1lb higher in the weights this time around. He bumped into a ridiculously well-handicapped rival in Simenon at Ascot, however that rival does not line-up here at Goodwood, so I am expecting a big run from Neil Kingâs 6yo gelding. One final horse for the shortlist which could also run a big race is the Tom Taaffe-trained Defence of Duress. The fact that his trainer has decided to bring him over from Ireland speaks volumes for me, especially having had a nice prep run over hurdles 19 days ago to put him spot on for this. His stamina does have to be taken slightly on trust, but his sire Motivator has a 35% (12 winners-34 runners) strike-rate with his progeny running over 14f or further. 2.35 Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes (Group 2) A very competitive 2yo Group 2 with many horses seemingly holding strong claims. Ghurair won very impressively in a tough Newmarket maiden 19 days ago, with the form of that racing taking a boost when the fourth horse home, Alfonso De Sousa, dotted up at Leopardstown by 9 lengths. He does have a lot to find on the more experienced rivals in the field but he certainly has a lot of potential. His sire Elusive Quality is also having a great time of things and he is definitely an intriguing prospect. The field includes six of the runners from the Superlative Stakes at Newarket, including the first four home; OLYMPIC GLORY took the spoils, just ahead of Birdman, Maxentus and Artigiano. The winner of the race, Olympic Glory, is trained by the masterful 2yo handler Richard Hannon, who is bidding for a third consecutive win in the contest. He certainly holds a superb chance with this son of Choisir. I had doubts about how he would handle the soft ground at Newmarket last time out, but he showed his class in taking the victory. Even despite the forecast rain, the ground should still be more of the soft side of good than soft, which will be much more suitable for the horse. We also must not forget that he gave the unbeaten Dawn Approach a good race in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, which is arguably the best form on offer and he is the one to beat. Maxintus may have been third behind the selection at Newmarket, but I expect a closer battle on the forecast better ground. He was travelling the best for a long way at Newmarket hitting the front on the bridle, however the rain softened ground eventually took its toll, halting his progress, so I expect a better showing on better ground, putting him right there at the finish.
3.10 Qipco Sussex Stakes (Group 1) There isnât too much I can say about this race as the flawless FRANKEL bids to stretch his unbeaten run to 12. He seemingly just needs to turn up to win, with the next best horse in the field, Farhh, rated a staggering 18lb inferior on official figures. The only advice I can give you is to exploit any distance betting the bookmakers dare to offer, with Frankel to win by 10 lengths or more a likely outcome. Farhh is clear second best on figures, rated 11lb higher than Frankelâs three-quarterâs brother Bullet Train, who has 3lb in hand over Gabrial, with the latter duo likely to be scrapping over third and fourth places. 3.45 UBS Stakes (Handicap) It will be intriguing to see how Scatter Dice comes out of her race at the weekend, in which she just held on to record her fourth victory from eight starts. Darren Egan remains on board after his winning ride at the weekend, once again taking an invaluable 5lb out of the saddle. She is a real tough filly, typifying what Mark Johnstonâs horses are all about. She certainly arrives here on the top of her game but the extra hike in the weights creates a little bit of doubt in my mind, however if any trainer is capable of such a feat it is Johnston. Trend Is My Friend is a runner which also takes my eye for the Amanda Perrett team. He won last time out making his handicap debut over 1m2f, getting up to win close home. He is up another two furlongs in trip here, but with more progress on the cards he could be well treated. They all may have to chase home MAWAQEET however, who won his maiden over 1m 3f at Hamilton last time out in fine style. He is one of the least fancied horses in the race but I believe his form is better than many give him credit for. He was second to the smart Trade Commissioner, who has since gone on to win a valuable handicap off a mark of 98. He also beat a horse called Sir Quintin by 4 ¼ lengths, whom Rule Book could only beat by ¼ of a length. That particular horse is 7/1 yet Sir Michael Stouteâs runner is 20/1, which doesnât quite add up in my mind. The selection also steps up another furlong in trip, which on pedigree should suit, and he also hails from a yard in form (8 winners from their last 26 runners) and I am expecting a big run at a huge price. 4.20 Markel Insurance Maiden Filliesâ Stakes Pearl Sea certainly appears to hold the strongest form in the book on paper after finishing 3rd on debut before bettering that in finishing 2nd next time. She was beaten by what looks a smart prospect from the Godolphin team, so if she can build on that here she is entitled to be in the mix once more. Bint Youmzain is another filly I expect to be in the mix. I am predicting vast improvement on her sixth-place finish on debut having started the race slowly before being hampered when making good progress. Mick Channonâs team have been in good form all year and his horses historically come on for the run. With valuable racecourse experience under her belt, I would be surprised if she didnât run a big race, providing she starts better. This leaves me with Paul Coleâs grey filly CUT NO ICE, who has had the two runs to date, with her latest 3rd placed performance fairly eye-catching; the winner of the race, Ollie Olga, has since gone on to make it 2 from 2 in a conditions race and the 4th horse home has gone on to win by 4½ lengths. Paul Cole has not had much firepower at his disposal over recent years but he certainly looks to have a smart filly here, and she could take all the beating. 4.55 British Stallion Studs Turf Club EBF Filliesâ Stakes (Handicap) Another competitive affair but the one they all have to beat is the progressive filly KEENE DANCER, who hails from the Sir Michael Stoute yard. She certainly fits the bill from a trends perspective; six of the last ten winners have been the market leader (favourite at the time of writing) and eight of the last ten winners have been 3yos. Back-to-back wins at Windsor, firstly in maiden company followed by a handicap win off 78, clearly outline the form she is in coming here. The handicapper has upped her mark to 85 but with more progress likely over a furlong further, she could prove very tough to beat. The question marks surrounding the ground wonât be an issue with the filly already proving equally adept on good-to-firm and heavy ground. Another horse representing a top stable is Sir Henry Cecilâs Oasis Dream filly, Chigun, who was ultra-impressive when getting off the mark at the fourth time of asking. She fairly dotted up by an incredible 10 lengths, but it is hard to assess the true level of this form and an opening mark of 90 maybe fairly harsh; however she is very unexposed, clearly has plenty of talent and could be anything. Princess Caetani is also an interesting runner after winning a Salisbury handicap by 7 lengths off a mark of 74. That was just a 3 runner field so it may not be the strongest form, but a 6lb rise in the weights if far from harsh and could well continue to progress. Oojooba could also be worth taking a chance on after finding 1m2f too far. She made a winning debut last September over a mile and this 1m1f trip may prove to be more suitable. 5.30 Harwoods Racing Club Handicap Stakes The final race could all revolve around Jeremy Nosedaâs TRIPLE CHARM, who I believe is still fairly well treated after just the nine starts. There are also plenty of valid excuses for her recent defeats. Last time out at Kempton Ryan Moore gave her too much, with the filly finishing best of all weaving her way through the pack. The heavy ground the time before may well have stretched the horseâs stamina, and the 6f trip previously was also on the sharp side, with the filly making strong headway at the finish. William Buick is back on board today so connections could not have picked a more in form jockey and I think the pairing will be very tough to beat. White Frost is entitled to be in mix on the back of his near miss at York last weekend and is off the same mark of 86. He found life tough off marks in the 90s but is back down to his last winning rating. Dubawi Sound is another runner arriving here in fine form after hosing up a Newcastle most recently by 6 lengths. He is up 6lb for that success but the very capable apprentice Harry Bentley takes off a valuable 3lb. The only slight concerns about the latter mentioned duo, who make appearances having ran just 4 days previous, is how they fare turned out so soon. For those maybe looking for something at a bigger price, George Guru could prove to be a lively outsider for Michael Attwater. He has been beaten by some smart types on his last two starts, with the soft ground a plausible excuse the time before that, however he did win off 88 earlier this year, so a big run of 89 is not beyond the realms of possibility.
This Farhh horse is a beast - not good enough to trouble Frankel but I expect he will pick up a Grp 1 One I have backed the last few times and been NR HURRICANE HIGGINS 2.00 GOODWOOD - I expect a massive run - around 20/1 Very confident on MAXENTIUS in the 2.35 he travelled in to the race last time out like a very good horse. Heavy ground was against him looked all over the likes of Olympic Glory and Birdman 6/1 too big.
Piss taking little leprechaun - thinks he can dominate that code as well does he interesting horse unraced 4yo usually sold on. Runs in his wifes colours I see.
...He's getting advice from the old chief godawful bloodstock agent Ferguson who,strangely enough,now trains slow horses...he's certainly bought plenty in his time for the desert rats!!
2.00 MICA MIKA 22/1 e.w- Shaped really encouragingly when upped to 1m 6f last time but never really got on terms. Is drawn handily if Hanagan can make some use of the draw and hopefully can settle him just off the pace. Looks like the one handicapped to strike up in trip and the 2lb ease in the weights certainly doesn't harm it. You can't get carried away in these sort of events and they are just small fun bets but I do have a suspicion Fahey has had this in mind for a few weeks now. 2.35 MAXENTIUS 6/1 (NAP) I can't help but take a chance on this one on a sounder surface. Couldn't have been much more impressive first two starts and looked menacing again last time before the mud perhaps took its toll (heavy going). Obviously they think a lot of the Gosden horse but it's a competitive little event. I like the value in Maxentius. 3.45 Goodwood Atlantis 14/1 e.w Ran a really encouraging 3rd on reappearance at this track and must surely have more to offer up in trip. Arguably an unlucky loser the last twice and to have only gone up 2lb in the handicap this season is a massive plus. Looks like one of the most interesting handicap horses of the week and Spanish Duke didn't shape without promise in Tuesdays opener, so I think Jim Dunlop is close to turning the corner. 4.20 FLYWHEEL 16/1 e.w (NB) This is one I really like the look of. We saw today how experience can be such an advantage in these maidens, and there was money for this Brian Meehan horse on debut at Lingfield. In the end, Kieron Fallon whipped out his Ipad and was laying it on Betfair, as he rode it quite wide the whole time and never really got into the race from a tough draw. The 12L defeat is not a true reflection- she ran a bit green, was on the outside the whole way around before ending up on the inside rail in the home straight, and was eased late on. Meehan's horses are infamous for improving for a run and this looks no exception. Fallon was booked on debut, Dettori is booked for Goodwood. A straighter track and hopefully Frankie will get the horse to hold a much better position this time. Interesting and one to keep an eye on- an improver.
14.15 Redcar- Lucy Minaj Yes I know its not from goodwood but she is in my Tracker and am very excited about this very talented little filly from Dylan Thomas- Looked very good over C&D when second lto (which 3rd place won next time) she looks the sort to progress with everyrun and out of the field she has the experience to go one better!
Wooly, Heis stuck Lucy Minaj up on Tuesday's thread. He said the trainer thinks this is a next time out winner. From that debut run the third is now rated 91 after a few races which is encouraging and he's progressed nicely. The first, however, has been disappointing and is now rated only 76. It looks like a typically complicated maiden to me.
2.35 Goodwood MAXENTIUS 13/2 Forget his last wee run, too saft fa his liking. Already backed this wee fella for the 2,000 and he'll make amends tamara. BIG JOB DONE!!
No chance of this one beating GHURAIR tomorrow and even less chance of it winning the Guineas, save your dough!
