Monday 29 July 2019

Happy and Glorious

You can keep Royal Ascot, Cheltenham and York's Ebor meeting. Glorious Goodwood (to give 'Glorious The Qatar Goodwood Festival its proper name) is my favourite race-week of the year.

With three Group 1s, five Group 2s, and five Group 3s over the five days the racing hardly counts as 'shoddy'. Overall prize money for the week's not to be sniffed at either, when you remember the figure's in the region of six million quid.

There's just something about this bonkers racecourse clamped into the Downs which makes the next few days very special. All topped off with free strawberries and cream each day on the lawn at 4pm sharp.

The nature of the track means there are inevitably going to be hard luck stories at Goodwood. But with a decent jockey on your side, not to mention the meeting's target trainers, and there are opportunities galore for racegoers to experience plenty of punting ups amid those beautiful Sussex Downs.

Be lucky!

PHILIPPOS

Goodwood Tuesday 30 July 2019

NAP: HEY GAMAN win
NB: JOHNNY DRAMA e/w

1.50 Unibet Handicap 1m 1f 197yds
A tricky opener set to be run on good-ish ground providing the track doesn't experience too many rain showers that are forecast for Tuesday morning. Setting Sail is the likely favourite and one for Placepot permutations, but let's take a chance on JOHNNY DRAMA causing a minor upset. He found 12f a race distance too far last time and this contest will be more up his street. Another for the shortlist is Ventura Knight, the mount of Ryan Moore.

2.25 Qatar Vintage Stakes (Group 2) 7f
It's difficult to omit Pinatubo from calculations having looked impressive already notching up a hat-trick of wins, one of them coming at Royal Ascot in June. Maybe the horse to give him the most to do today is the Aidan O'Brien-trained LOPE Y FERNANDEZ. This horse was behind Pinatubo in the Chesham Stakes, but could easily find the necessary improvement in a race in which O'Brien has tasted success in the past.

3.00 Qatar Lennox Stakes (Group 2) 7f
Probably not the deepest Group 2 race ever contested, but HEY GAMAN doesn't know that and he looks more than capable of landing this generous pot. Already placed in a Classic (last year's French 2,000 Guineas) and already a winner at Group 3 level, this looks like an ideal contest for James Tate's likeable inmate. In a race where the odd shock result's not uncommon, Donjuan Triumphant is also a speculative each-way play.

3.35 Qatar Goodwood Cup (Group 1) 2m
You can't keep a good man down and jockey Frankie Dettori is flying high at the moment following his superb King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes victory on board Enable at Ascot last weekend. In all likelihood the Dettori and trainer John Gosden combination will likely enjoy more Group 1 success in this race with Stradivarius looking to make it a hat-trick of Goodwood Cups. The race is not a gimme, however, and perhaps the Mark Johnston-trained DEE EX BEE can give jolly-backers a fright at slightly more expansive odds.

4.10 European Breeders Fund EBF Maiden Stakes 6f
Not much form to go on with these juveniles, but WRITTEN BROADCAST should be starting to get the hang of things on his third racecourse appearance. Phuket Power has speed all over his pedigree and may reward each-way backers by out-running his likely long odds.

4.45 Chelsea Barracks Handicap 5f
A real blink-and-you'll-miss-it race over the minimum distance. MUTHMIR's not getting any younger at 9yo but he's at the top of this handicap for a reason and may yet be able to show his more youthful rivals a clean pair of hooves. Koditime is another for the shortlist.

5.15 Unibet Fillies' Handicap 1m
A tricky contest restricted to fillies and mares to round off the first day. The Roger Charlton-trained SAVANNAH hasn't had much racing this term, so maybe today's the day her season kicks off in style.  Al Messila is looking to chalk up the hat-trick and can't be discounted.

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